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wednes ([personal profile] wednes) wrote2007-12-28 04:47 pm
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What's my problem THIS time?

As many of you know, I take December off from writing. After the thrill-a-minute pace of NaNoWriMo, I like to "relax" and deal with the holidays, letting my stories stew in their juices for a bit before digging in to the second draft. Upon rereading On Writing, I've learned that Stephen King also thinks this is a good idea. Cool enough, right? Wrong. It's almost January, which means time to start writing again. I am dreading it. Wanna know why?

Here's the problem, I have two novels which are roughly 3/4 of the way done, and I have no fucking idea how to finish either one of them.

Novel one: I know what I want to ultimately happen, but I don't know why that ending is good, or particularly truthful. Truthfulness is especially important in this novel because there's murder and monsters and evil super villains and stuff. The characters are compelling, and there's even a bit of sex in it even though I hate writing sex scenes. I really like the characters, even though I don't know where some of them will end up. I think my super villain might get exploded or something cool like that.

Novel two has plenty of murder and something like sex and lots of cool, authentic character development, but I have no clue how I want it to end. It needs some kind of shocking or ironic twist, or something really unexpected to happen, because right now it's fairly predictable. I love my serial killer though he is a wankering dickhead.

I'm going to end up pulling both of these novels apart and starting again. They are both strong starts and totally worth salvaging, but I'm not feeling particularly inspired by either of them. Then it becomes a question of writing when I don't want to and just hoping the muse comes a knocking, or putting it off and starting what will surely become yet another unfinished project. Then again, anything would be better than a rehash of that awful Cat's Apprentice. I hate that book more every time I look at it, and in less than a year it's going to be published. I don't know what the hell I was thinking...

The Recipe For wednes

3 parts Savvy
2 parts Vitality
1 part Uniqueness

Splash of Seductiveness

Serve over ice

[identity profile] spun-lepton.livejournal.com 2007-12-29 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
Just write the endings and don't worry whether they're good or bad. You'll have ample opportunity to fix or fine-tune afterward. The most important thing is to get it down on paper and done.

Along with my Foodies script, I'm at a very early stage of writing my first horror novel. So, I might be running questions by you on occasion. :)

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2007-12-29 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that's totally what I need to do.

Good luck with your horror novel!

friends

[identity profile] katharinakatt.livejournal.com 2007-12-30 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I often use friends to brain storm for me. That's how I ended up with the end of my first book. I knew I wanted this big fight on a roof top, and I needed some way that the main bad guy died. One of my friends.. she said.. why not lightning?

It ended up perfect. Right in the middle of the fight you knew the bad guy was winning and CRACK.. he gets zapped and falls (they were fighting in midair - vampires can do that) directly on a thick lightning rod.

What's that smell?

Anyway, go ahead and brain storm with your friends. It really does help.

Re: friends

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2007-12-30 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Not a bad idea. I have some pretty zany friends.

BTW, I don't suppose you'd be willing to write a review for my Sadie novel. I'm trying to amass some reviews for my press releases, and for help setting up book signings.

Re: friends

[identity profile] katharinakatt.livejournal.com 2007-12-30 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure. I love the Sadie novel. :D

When do you need it by?

Re: friends

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2007-12-30 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Anytime in the next month is fine.

Do you need me to send you a .pdf?

Re: friends

[identity profile] katharinakatt.livejournal.com 2007-12-30 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I think I still have it, but feel free to send it to me again. katharinakatt (at) gmail

Re: friends

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2007-12-31 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks! I'll do that.

Re: friends

[identity profile] katharinakatt.livejournal.com 2007-12-31 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Got it. Will see when I can get it to you. It should be simple, I just need to set aside some time to actually do it. :P

Re: friends

[identity profile] wednes.livejournal.com 2007-12-31 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Cool. Thanks!!