I don't have writer's block in the traditional sense, but I've come to a juddering halt in my latest novel, the third and final edition of my Kongomato series. Not because I can't write; I can happily pump out gibberish until the cows come home. It's because my mind wants to take the novel in a totally different direction from the way I'd originally planned. Nothing wrong there; most of my novels have ended in a way I'd never even considered when first putting finger to keyboard. However, I'd become enthused with the concept of first saving the entire world, or destroying the entire world. Then I settled for trashing England but just as quickly realised that nobody would notice if this lump of rainy rock was obliterated.
What to do?
Nothing wrong with re-writing the whole thing provided I'm happy with the outcome. The only thing is that it will take months to write it, see how it looks and then decide before going back to plan F and writing the second half of the book all over again in the direction I first envisaged it.
"Stop whining," I hear you say, "writing's hard and if you want to" blah blah ...
I do have a solution-ette, and because I have the wit of a demented budgie, I can leave it for a while and continue writing because despite decreeing that I would never do it again, I'm simultaneously writing three novels - again. My rationale was that as all three are in different genres, and different voices, there would be no conflict.
Who was I trying to kid.
Right, I've made up my mind. Back burner for the others and I'm going to destroy the entire, or maybe just ... No I've really got it now, I'm going to turn the whole thing around and blow...
Stuff this. I'm going to the pub.
ps. Despite my putting it away on the highest shelf in the entire house, the youngest of our cats tried to barf all over my new tablet last night. Happily it missed, but now my genuine 74 Fender Strat has a big stain on the case.
For anyone who doesn't know guitars, think Ferrari 458.
Did the visit to the pub resolve the problem? I’m rather fond of England even when it rains so perhaps you could go and destroy a couple of deserted islands or something (deserted other than the creatures of course)! New plot line, no charge! hehe
ReplyDeleteWay ahead of you there. The plot is sorted. But then the plot is always sorted right until I suddenly change my mind. This time I think I've got it. I didn't go to the pub in the end; I just had a nice cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteI can start with several novels, but one always seems to push the others out. You can't fight the muses, no matter how hard you battle. I hope where-ever the plot takes you, it's where you'd like to see the book go.
ReplyDeleteThey always do - eventually, but it's the twists and turns along the way I love best about writing. I've just done some research today and come up with something really, horribly gruesome. Yummy.
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