Then... I got a fabulous email from a fabulous writer who made me think seriously about where my current mss RHRT was going. I haven't felt 'right' about this story from about chapter two but I do feel there are the bones of something good there. It's been bugging me a lot, until this fabulous writer pointed out that I need to go deeper into the characters and one way to do this was to add a SECRET!!
Ooh I love a SECRET story and I think she's spot on. If I give my hero a SECRET, it will also strengthen his motivation tenfold and create an urgency the story needs but lacks at the moment. PRoblem is I'm stuck on the secret and until I find out what it is... I can't really write any more of the story!!
ARGH!!!!
On a totally different tangent... how do you guys research. Do you do it all pre-writing or post-writing or when it comes up mid-writing. I don't know WHY I do these sort of things to myself but I've just sent my h&H off to dinner at a teppanyaki grill Japanese restaurant when I've NEVER actually been anywhere near one myself!!
8 comments:
Hahahaha! Rach!! Sorry, I'm laughing in complete sympathy you understand. Witness my silly heroine getting into a helicopter when I had never been in one (although I have now)!
Mine always come up mid-writing and I often have to stop and do some looking on the interweb. :-) Though if I'm starting off a new story and it needs some research done, then obviously I'll do that first.
Hope you find your secret! Probably just involves a bit of hero archaeology...
Well my WIP is set in Cannes in the height of summer so I'm thinking I REALLY need to go back there, you know, just to pick up some extra details :-)
Good luck with your secret. I think Jackie's right, archaeology is required - delve deeper into your hero's internal conflict and I'm sure something will spring to mind...
LOL - have to laugh because I just ditched my current WIP to start a fresh new one (loosly inspired by watching handsome ne in suits in the Qantas club lounge) and this hero has ONE massive secret, problem is - I don't know what it is...yet.
OK - re research, generally do it as i go, but if nneded i do some ground work to begin.
I had to come up with better motivation for my heroine and did the '6 rule' or whatever it is called. I asked 'what if' 6 times and discarded all those naff ideas before I came up with one that I think works so much better. Only problem is it changes my heroine totally so my edits are actually rewrites! Oh well, at least I feel happier about the story now.
As for research I tend to do it when it comes up in case I get my characters to do something that is entirely improbable. Problem with that is I end up looking at emails, blogs, etc. and then my kid free time is over :-)
I love a good secret too! Have fun researching the restaurant ;) I know the feeling that your work is missing something but the bones of it is good Rach! I'm right there with you! Can't wait to hear what secret you come up with.
A secret is exactly what he needs, The bones of your mss are better than good, they are fantastic. But a secret will just motivate him up out of his seat and to where he needs to be. I research on the run and make notes that I have to go back later if I have to be more thorough. Georgian Cider glasses, that is what I am currently researching. I don't know an awful lot about them, except that if you have a set...try not to break them.
Ah Rach, find yourself a teppanyaki restaurant. They are so much fun. Then keep the receipt for when you sell the book!
I wish we had a teppanyaki restaurant in Coffs.
Thanks everyone for amusing me with your research stories.
Janette - have you found your secret yet? I'm still pondering mind... hence ditching the mss for a while :)
Joanne - good luck on the rewrites - sounds like you and I are on a similar path.
Felicity - thanks :)
Diane - don't think I'll find a teppanyaki restaurant near me either. Funny thing - my h&H on my roadtrip story pass through Coffs. I'll be sure they wave hello!
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