Work In Progress

 

Four months now since I finished my current work in progress.

Though I was happy with my original draft, I had a strongsense that something wasn’t working. Unusually for me, I sent the manuscript toa couple of trusted friends to gather their opinions. The hope was that they wouldhighlight the issues I felt were there, confirming my suspicions, and I’d havean easy sail through the next attempt.

The feedback was excellent. And I was right about myreservations.

I was also wrong about several other points and they wererevelations.  

The process of using the perspective of others has beeninteresting.

First of all, in spite of knowing that every comment wasvalid and was exactly what I was after, it still stung. The ‘lots to like’ and ‘reallyenjoyed’ were small comfort and the salient points were sharp.

The stinging moved on to another feeling. The crushing sensethat I can’t write anything anymore. That maybe I’ve lost whatever skills Ipossessed and would just have to accept the passing of a major aspect of mylife.

Thankfully, that lasted for only a short while.

Next step, the question of how to make the changes.

In order to solve some of the problems, key aspects of thestory needed altering. Relationships weren’t right. The work was too shallow.Several events seemed unlikely given the situation. There were even questionsabout the whole premise.

Being lazy, I wanted to find the simplest fix. A band aidmight do it. A few extra sentences here or there, a dialogue change or two, a twistingof a key moment to slightly alter the shape. And then the realisation that if Iwanted the story to be as good as I can make it, the lazy approach wasn’t goingto cut it.

I chatted this all through with another good writer friend.He’s always there and has the understanding of stories that most humans don’tpossess. Even without giving him much detail, a couple of cups of coffee laterthere were a few suggestions that I could hold on to in case they might beuseful.

Then came the waiting. The suggestions needed to swirlaround in my unconscious for a while until they emerged from the clouds. Whenthey were almost in focus, I began again. The first chapter was cut and I madea fresh attempt at chapter one. That’s almost in the bag now. And, of course, anew opening means there are new possibilities about the ways ahead.

More waiting.

Two nights ago, just before drifting into sleep, I found myselfthinking about the book. An almost fully formed suggestion appeared that managesto link the loose threads of new thinking to the core of the original plot. Itwas a wonderful moment. One of those Eurekas. I could wake up and write it downor I could drift back into sleep (surely I’d remember it in the morning);falling asleep proved far more attractive. Morning came and I did remember,which is when I forgot. Thankfully, my daughter Kitty asked me about my writingin the evening. It all came back to me. I still didn’t write it down, but it’spretty fixed in my mind as a way to proceed and I’m sure I can make it.

Now all I have to do is sit at the laptop and type.

The good news is that I have a week to myself coming verysoon. My family will be returning from holiday at the end of the month, while Ihave ring-fenced another seven days as a retreat of sorts. If I don’t makesignificant progress in that time, then I’ll only have myself to blame.

I think I can pull it off. I’m still lazy and want to keepas much of the original draft as I can, but that’s acceptable. After all, theoriginal idea is still the one I want to put across to future readers.

All being well, if I work hard and pull it off, maybe I’llbe putting out something half decent in a few months. If it’s not up toscratch, at least I’ll know that I did the best I could with the germ of theidea.

Here’s hoping.