Thursday, April 8, 2010

Day 11, April 8, 2010

Today was a day to get inside the heads of three characters, learn what they were thinking, what they'd done earlier in their lives—material taken from the extensive bios written earlier—and what they hoped to do or preserve in the future. In terms of pacing, some people, readers or editors, might think that three "passive" scenes in a row are two too many, maybe even three too many for those who like their characters thin and their action relentless. I'm not among either of those two groups.

I like to know the characters about whom I'm reading, so I like to provide details, small and large, about the characters I'm writing. In this case, I felt linking relatively quiet—despite the description of two homicides—scenes provides a nice breather, a lull before a critical action scene that I know will be coming up shortly.

As a writer, you have to write the first draft the way you feel is best. When you go back and read the draft later with a semi-dispassionate eye, you can make changes. But if you write a first draft with someone else's expectations—or worse, a formula—in mind, you're sunk.

I got my five pages in again today. The pace has slowed a bit since week one, but I feel good about the writing.

Day 11 of writing my new novel is done.

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