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Sunday, 24 February 2008
I must not make the reader feel sick!
I did a lot of work yesterday on my novel and I have noticed that not only am I not being descriptive enough but my chapters are way too long and have too much going on in them. Not just in comparison to The Domestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella (which I am using as a reference point). There is just way too much going on in general. Too many characters and settings and not enough description. Its enough to make the reader feel dizzy. So now I know where I am going wrong I can start on it again. I have missed it a lot but I haven't given up the ghost. I have also been busy with my short story writing which I am loving. I've told one of my story ideas to three people. 1 who keeps pestering me to finish it so she can read it in full, the other who doesn't really get it as I explained the ending already and so has thrown him off, and the other who thinks its a great idea and likened me to one of her favourite writers which I was quite pleased with. I just have to finish it now. There are so many works in progress on my lap top right now and I would love the time to spend with them equally but the bills need paying as do a lot of IT contractors zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz anyway enough about my job already. I am taking a well earned couple of days off next week which will be spent writing.
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I've just bought Sophie Kinsella's new book, Remember Me, which I'm looking forward to reading!
ReplyDeleteI've made notes on a novel like you are before, and it worked really well. What also helped with writing my first chapter, was reading an interview with an author who said the mistake most new writers make is not putting the catalyst/dilemma (point of change) right at the very beginning of the novel to draw the reader in, but leading up to it instead with lots of backstory, so that the reader gets bored.
I had to go away and do a bit of re-writing...
I REALLY want to read that but I just can't stand reading things in hardback. Let me know if its any good. I'm sure it will be. I love Sophie Kinsella.
ReplyDeleteIt's helping me so far. I've already discovered where I am going wrong and thats just in my first chapter so I'll keep doing it. I have my dilemma happen in what is at the moment my first chapter but I'm looking to break them down a bit as they are too long. I'm happy rewriting, now that I know where I am going wrong.