Sounds like it's time for a second opinion. Got a trusty beta who will tell you what's wrong with it?
My trusty writing partner is in the midst of a rewrite-resubmit (WOOT!) so there is no way I'm hitting him up for this right now. He's been begging to read it for almost a year now. My timing couldn't be worse.
I would let it sit for a few days, first. Then take a look at each of the POV stories as separate entities. Which one appeals to you more? That could be your main storyline (while acknowledging that both are important). But work on the main storyline first, seeing where the weaknesses and strengths are; once you have that one solidified, then move to the secondary story and work at dovetailing that.
Shadowwalker, this concise post of your provided me with such clarity that upon reading it I almost immediately realized the main problem with my book.
I wrote the two POVs separately (an approach that helps me maintain POV character voice, but apparently has a huge downside
) then pieced them together. The protagonist was always supposed to be Character A. But Character B has a bigger personality, bigger problems and more to overcome than Character A. Yet the book is structured as Character A's story. It's not that this couldn't work, but I see now that this is the major sticking point and why it's not working as is.
The story falters after Character B is killed. His death is a great scene that sets Character A on a crucial trajectory of growth and change (which is why I've felt stuck with keeping it). But I've never felt that Character B's plot threads were resolved in a satisfying way, and the ending falls flat without him.
For overall story structure, Larry Brooks' storyfix.com blog was a major lightbulb moment for me. He also has a couple of worksheets/checklists that are useful for looking at the big picture.
I will definitely look into that.
I've preached about quiet time before, have you tried the "no car radio" thing? might help you detangle things a bit to just have a lot of dead space. How long have you been blocked?
I will try this, too. I've been in a standoff with this novel since February. I've given it huge chunks of "drawer time." I've pulled it out and edited chapters, but my problem with it has always been "the bigger picture."
It's like I'm reorganizing closets and wondering why that's not addressing my architectural problem.
I'm trying to come to grips with the idea that you are seeking answers out of a box. I'm speaking metaphorically, and probably out of turn, meaning, out my ass. I know you aren't saying that, but I'm sensing you wish you could find some magical key to unlock whatever's holding that novel back. You wish Scrivener's had some utility to help you see the forest. . .my problem, Devil, is that I am not willing to admit that one's writing can be deconstructed and then reconstructed, according to some utility or theory or formulaic model.
I'm not sure how you got this from my post. I know there isn't a quick fix for the quagmire this novel is in. What I'm seeking are some different approaches, since the approaches I've been using (pantsing it and endless editing) haven't resolved the problem.
...fix it.
It almost sounds to me, that you wrote scenes and parts, but not a complete story. You described the parts (the trees), but not the forest.
What I seem to have is two complete, intertwined stories that don't hang together well, and both character arcs have unsatisfying endings. Ooh, the truth hurts.
I don't have much of a problem with "who's story this is". Mostly because my WIP is centered around a single man, while 90% of the content isn't from his perspective. So that question, I've had to champion. Maybe that's a worry you're just pushing around for no reason.
This thought helps a lot. I have to accept that at heart it's Character B's story and probably the biggest flaw is that it's mainly structured around Character A.
It sounds like there's a hidden flow problem. Somewhere there's a should happen that didn't.
Or a shouldn't have happened that did. I'm going to work on an outline where Character B either doesn't die, or doesn't die at the point where he dies now. I think that will open up a lot of good possibilities for a more satisfying ending.
Showing it to a trusty beta might help. Putting it aside for a month (I know that's tooth grinding) may give you enough perspective.
I'm big on putting stuff aside (I call it "drawer time"), but I think I may have put this aside almost too much, to the point where I'm not in the thick of it. I wrote it in the summer and fall of '11 and wove it together early this year, and I've taken it out and beaten it up off and on, mostly off, through the remainder of this year.
It's also possible that there's one little detail niggling at you, Princess and the Pea like that's making the whole thing uncomfortable.
I think it's that one big detail of Character B's death. But yes, I'm aware there are a few tough peas under the mattress that also need to be dealt with.
That's rough, Devil.
Your hating the ending is interesting. Why do you hate it?
Because Character B deserves a better ending than he gets, and Character A's ending isn't satisfying without Character B.
I hadn't released to it to my beta readers because I was so unhappy with it
This is precisely why I haven't had it beta'd. It's not ready.
I did have my husband read it early this summer. He loved the characters, the time period and a lot of the plot but he also felt Character A's story jumped the shark after Character B's demise. That's probably the diagnosis.
From that point in the story think of all the options your characters have and how the different decisions would change the ending or the flow of the plot. Maybe one will lead you in the direction you're looking for.
This is where I need to start. I must stop editing individual scenes and make an outline. Then I can retain whatever scenes fit, rewrite some others to make them work with the outline, and write the rest from scratch.
You might have to rewrite a lot, but if you take the time to do this, you might be able to rescue those great characters and scenes.
Yes, I have a major rewrite ahead. Fortunately, I still love these characters enough that I can look forward to it rather than dread it.
I had this same problem with my current WIP. Mine's not complete yet, but I had to take time away from it (writing a short story, in my case) and come back a little later in order to figure out exactly what wasn't working. I found that I was too close to my world and my characters to see the story objectively.
I think a big part of my problem has been that when I give this sucker drawer time I am coming back
without a new perspective. This is why I came here looking for some different approaches.
Thanks, everyone. Your posts have been most helpful!
