See Opportunities

 

When your writing isn’t working out, don’t panic. Set it aside and walk away for a short while. Put the kettle on or take the dog for a walk. It’s not always easy to step back, but even if it’s for a day or half a day it can really help. A moment of light reflection or distraction can work wonders.

When you feel ready to return, ask yourself to see the possibilities; find some alternatives. There will be a way out of that corner you have written yourself into. Somewhere in there will be an opportunity to tweak the story so that it flows again.

If not, be brave. Take the step to side-line the plot you currently have. Repurpose the prose and try a different direction that will still move the story along and take the characters where they need to go. Often these literary leaps of faith prove to be the defining moments in our stories.

Embracing the New

 

Ring in the new. Ring out the old. As another year draws to a close, we are often talking about what a new year will bring and the elements of the old year we are pleased to leave behind. We begin to sift through our lives to uncover what worked, or did not work for us over the past year. It is a time of reflection and redirection.

This is also the main concept of rewriting and editing your novel. As you revisit your work, you should ask yourself what new things you can bring to your work – what can you allow in and what must be relegated to the reject pile? How can you make this draft of your story better than the last? What IS working and what is NOT working?

As in life, so with your writing always be open to new ideas and changes you can make. Consider amendments that will alleviate plot problems. When something isn’t working or you are at an impasse, ask yourself if there are any new themes you could embrace. Can you alter the fate of a character, or at least a part of their journey, to enable the story to flow better?

Never be afraid to allow new ideas to form and changes to release you from blocks or setbacks in your writing. Be brave and look for alternative solutions. Ring in the new if the old is no longer viable. See light where there had once been darkness.