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Just as I complained on my no.1 post, this first arc of my novel is as annoying as ever. I had come to the conclusion that I'll take the challenge of simply removing the arc. But this isn't like a scene I can just cut out... it's an entire arc, an introductory arc at that.
No matter what I tried, I couldn't rethink the second arc without it feeling like it's jumped ahead and has missing content. It's like watching Naruto Shippuden without Naruto, you know?
Again, the issue is that I hate this arc and I hate writing it out, but it contains so many key events and information that taking it out is gonna ruin the flow of everything. Of course, that means the option now is to re-do it as much as possible and try to flip everything into being something I like... and I just, can't do that? I try to think about it but suddenly I forget what I wanted out of the arc in the first place and can't picture anything I like.... it's a piece of work. It's so frustrating that this is the first arc and that it's so important... I want it to be good but if I forced myself through it it just can't turn out good. How can I expect readers to force themselves through 30+ beginning chapters just to get to the good stuff? I can't do that.
What should I do...?
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Gluma
I’m no writer but hm, what is it exactly that you don’t like writing about the arc? Is it too slow, too much exposition, no dialogue, etc.?
Like I said, writing isn’t really my thing, but whenever I do dabble in writing a story, I tend to write notes on what I want to achieve in a chapter before even starting anything. From there, I just write normally and, if I’m taking a break, add extra notes and comments on what scene I’m gonna write and how I’m gonna do it. Those added notes and comments could obviously help with directing the story but they could also be used to show your personal opinion and what you specifically don’t like in what you’re writing :o idk, those are just my two cents
I think what I don't like about the arc is multiple little facts.
1. It feels not as exciting, it's not in the heat of the content of my story + I can't figure out how to add action scenes since any scenario I tried didn't make sense or felt forced + every time I tried to figure out the events it just didn't make sense or felt forced. A lot of that might just be a me issue since I'm not good at writing, but I feel like it would be easier of the premise I have to work with was more interesting in the first place. It would very much likely be a my fault thing though.
2. The characters are not a version of them I liked more, this is my characters 2 years behind the main timeline and they are different and weaker.
3. I can't figure out the enemy's motives because none of it makes sense with the situation, again, that's a me thing.
Everything just felt forced, cringy, and whenever I read over my planning charts or parts of my draft it's obvious I tried hard to make a lame base into something with more action or more exciting. The primary thing I don't like is just that it's so hard to write, which is indeed my fault.
I think my issue is that I don't know anything anymore. I sorta know what I wanted to achieve? Like what I want the readers to learn, what I what to reveal about the characters, what scenes I want, what relationships I want shown, but at the same time, I don't know what my aim is anymore either? I don't know the vibe or how the themes are executed or such? I can't put it out into words, it's weird.
I think I'd like to try your method, it sounds very organized. I think in my case though, I'd get frustrated when it turns out the scene is going how I wanted to, then I question what I wanted out of the scene in the first place, and then I force myself through the scene just to get it done (cause I know my habit I'd just keep rewriting the scene till the end of time and never be satisfied). But, I'll try it out. It looks like if it helps you clear up what you what you want, it may help me clear up what I want, and maybe I'd be less indecisive.
Writing this reply out, it just looks like I just have some issues ngl :sob:
by axium; ; Report
sobbing rn because my phone kept deleting my entire comment and this is just a painful rewrite of what i originally said. sorry if I sound vague in some spots; i had to rewrite this THREE TIMES im gonna go insane. oh and sorry again for the potential comment spam i keep hitting the stupid button too earlyFirst thing, I think you're being a bit too hard on yourself D:
Second thing, I don't know know your story nor characters so I apologize if the advice here is something you cannot use!
•For the first point, it sounds like you're struggling with pacing :o I'm basing this advice off of this Reddit post, although I personally would advise against doing what the first couple of comments said, since it sounds like you specifically might enter an endless loop of rewriting (but if you wanna try it, go ahead). Quite a few comments mention writing stuff that's off track from the plot and/or giving the characters time to process all that's happened, which I think you should try! Giving characters scenes where they intermingle with each other and/or interact with the world/people around them can be very fun to write, imo. Side-journeys can also be great for characterization and world-building, too! Since it seems like you want to get to the meat of the story, this can also be a good opportunity for foreshadowing future major plot events, like recreating a similar event but less dramatic/serious (heck, you could even use it as a comparison for when the character goes through development and faces the real thing). One other thing I wanted to mention is that there's a comment that specifically focuses on action scenes :0 you should look at it! Basically, they're saying that you should consider the setting the action is in and the description of a character's movements. Instead of writing "Character A punches Character B, but Character B dodges it and punches back," (AKA the "X happens -> Y happens -> Z happens" style) you could try to focus more on the details. How is Character A punching? Is it quick and light, or is it more heavy and grounding? How exactly did Character B dodge the punch (I think a good experiment would be to describe Character B's dodge without using the word "dodge")? The comment also has some overall good advice on pacing issues, too :OOO
•For your second point, the aforementioned advice might help with that (since writing entertaining/enjoyable scenes might warm you up to the character lol) but it also could tie with my advice for your third point: Here, it sounds like you might have to ponder a bit more on your characters (specifically, the enemy) and/or the world they're in. I think an antagonist's/enemy's motives are pretty vital for a story and without that being established first, the story only gets hindered as it continues on :o My advice is gonna sound SUPER cheap but I genuinely suggest it: Maybe consider doing those online character sheets...?? For example, those long-ass lists of questions that range from basic character questions to more in-depth ones (ex: your character's morning routine, favorite food and why, childhood moments, etc.). While I don't think every single question is necessary to answer to,
(who cares about your character's favorite sleeping position)some sheets tackle a character's dreams, goals, wants, and motives, which you could answer with your enemy character. I unfortunately can't think of any specific character sheets but I'm sure you can look some up. Also, I mentioned possibly rewriting your world purely because you mentioned your enemy's motives not making sense within the situation. I don't know the specifics of the situation, but if the characters' world is involved, you could focus on changing that to align with your enemy's original motives instead of changing them. And to connect this back to the second point, I'll say this: If you truly dislike writing that version of the character to the point it's a pain to write, maybe...possibly...consider rewriting that character...? Since you said you have a tendency to rewrite things a lot, take this suggestion more so as a last resort than an actual consideration, tbh. Still, writing should be fun :o and it's not good if a certain aspect of it is ruining that enjoyment for you•Finally, I do personally think you would benefit from some sort of organization system :0 I don't know if my way would be especially helpful to you or not, though, as while I do agree that writing down what you want to achieve first is a good way to keep on track, that doesn't really combat your indecisiveness :o... I would have recommended getting a beta reader (AKA someone who looks over your work. I think it can be pretty much anyone, since the whole point of one is to read your story with a fresh, new pair of eyes) but I also know not everyone is comfortable with that nor has one available. So, you can take a look at this Reddit post, though a lot of the advice is basically "write everything down first, rewrite all you want later." It isn't bad advice, per say, but it sounds like that specific technique isn't working well for you...? Though, there are some insightful comments in that post, either way! Sorry, I'm a bit outta luck here since I never really got into that perfectionist mindset ^-^' but I hope I gave you a starting point on where to look for possible solutions!
Like I said before, I'm not really a writer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Though, funnily enough, I just got back into writing a story
(its a fanfic LMAO)so I totally understand your struggles, nonetheless. Wishing you the best on your story <3by Gluma; ; Report