I switched up my standard pixabay lighthouse picture for one generated by Wombo Dream. AI art is getting impressive, controversial as it is.
September kicked off much as I expected—a lot of running around doing kid stuff as school resumes. I’ve been busy since late last month, and I don’t foresee it calming down until summer comes around again. But I can’t miss out on Insecure Writer’s Support Group day, so here it is, first Wednesday of the month again!
I haven’t made much progress on my writing, but it’s not due to the aforementioned busyness. I was stuck on a scene for weeks now because it just wasn’t flowing like I want it to. Earlier last month, I decided to change the order of events, moving a key moment later to increase the related urgency, because the way I had it dragged things out and undermined the tension. I moved it, and that went beautifully… until I tried to transition from that scene into the next. All I had to do is set my character on the path to move from point A to B, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get it to work. It was either too slow, going off into details that didn’t drive the story forward or deepen the characters, or too fast, creating a disjointed, choppy narrative.
But then… Yesterday. I shifted 2K from one chapter to another, ending the scene in a different place, and then trashed 1K of the wandering words that didn’t get me where I wanted to go. I started the new scene in a different spot, leaning into the mental meltdown that is my character’s constant, and with a lucky swap of two reveals… I made it happen. After long weeks of frustration and toil, I finally achieved a scene I didn’t hate.
IWSG Question of the Month – What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?
My initial reaction was to say romance, because I’m terrible at writing relationships that develop over the course of the story into something more with substance. In fact, my book got tagged as “crappy-instant-love” on Goodreads in case you need convincing. If I’m being honest, I think I might be able to write a romance if I put actual effort into it. But I’m more prone to killing off my love interest than scribbling a happily-ever-after.
What I couldn’t do, however, even if I tried, is write deep, thought-provoking stories. My creativity doesn’t work like that. I thrive on banter and dark twists with a heavy helping of the absurd. If it’s not ridiculous in some way, it’s not me. (Heck, I’m a self-proclaimed squirrel if that doesn’t give some hint.) I applaud the people who can leave a reader musing over deeper meaning long after the story is done. Me? I’m more likely to pop that bubble of tension leaving everyone around me decorated in splattered bubblegum.
Have you had any scenes that have given you trouble for weeks on end? How’d you figure it out? What genres work or don’t work for you?
About Insecure Writer’s Support Group
You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.
After so much struggle, it’s good to hear that moving and cutting made it work better.
Congratulations! Troubled scenes will nag and nag until they get worked out. But the relief when they do is wonderful!
Hi Loni,
Reading other struggles is so helpful
Anything crazier than no water, in the soggy hills of Northern England. ? Nott off grid, just no mains water. Couldn’t think of anything else,… No water – and we aren’t even camping yet, that’s next week. Water engineers are having a think…. A 20,000 gallons tank ?
The scene that refuses to work, when rewritten, refuses again ? Only one solution. Key character has to do something crazy, which she will, this afternoon,
Not quite ‘exit, pursued by a bear, but why not ?
Off to write that crazy scene… Esther
This totally cracked me up – “But I’m more prone to killing off my love interest than scribbling a happily-ever-after.” 🙂
If you’ve read any of my books, you know I don’t write deep! Not going to happen.
Serious, thought-provoking stories? No! Give me a light genre any day, and I will be a happy reader. Of course, I don’t write those books either.
It is wonderful when after a long struggle, a scene finally works. There is no better feeling for a writer.
Hey, congrats on making those words do what they’re supposed to. Sometimes moving things around and cutting the extraneous words is the only answer.
And hey, I’ve been tagged way worse things on Goodreads. Keep it up! 😉
“After long weeks of frustration and toil, I finally achieved a scene I didn’t hate.”
Boy, can I relate to this all too well. I usually end up doing something like what you did—treat it like a puzzle and move around the pieces until something seems to fit/feel right.
It’s so great when that happens.
Also…with my romance novel, my CPs had to remind me more than once that there was supposed to be a happy ending and that I should probably stop being so mean to my characters before then. 🙂
Moving scenes and parts of scenes around is one of the reason I write so slowly. I’m always moving things around to make the story low better. Don’t know why I don’t these things when I’m first writing the story, but it is what it is.
Hey that’s a good idea, using AI art to make the pictures we put on our posts. I’m going to try that myself.
Yay! So glad you figured out what was keeping you stuck. My critique group often has good ideas when I’m struggling.
I get tangled up scenes once in a while, and I have to walk away from them before something triggers me to write my way out of the mess. Congrats on figuring out what to do.
There is something to be said for light and satisfying. I write dark, deep stuff and it’s exhausting sometimes. Course, I continue so there must be a good reason. LOL. But I like peace and simplicity. And I understand switching around scenes. Done that many many times.
I’ve heard a lot of writers who were having scene trouble lately. (Not me, but that’s because I haven’t written a word in months.) So, you’re in good company. And yay for solving the problem. It’s great when it finally works out, isn’t it?
Banter can be so light, yet entertaining. I add my fair share when I can for that reason. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
I hear you on the romance genre. I think a lot of writers share your sentiments.
Sounds like your writing switches worked. Good job!
I’m so glad you aren’t letting that setback bring you down. Best of luck with writing how you want to. I agree with you on romance. Although I allow bits of it while writing to make the characters seem more human, or better, there is always a line I can’t cross.
I’ve been moving around paragraphs and scenes in my current WIP, Loni. Your success gives me hope. Wishing you lots of writing success this month!