Sorry for not posting as much here lately. I've been using every single free second to work on a new novella. I've put aside the YA fantasy novel I'm working on for the moment. I've reached the 300 page mark on it and only feel that I'm about halfway through writing it, and it's becoming a slog. I am a believer in the idea that if you're bored while writing something, that boredom will translate itself to the reader. And I don't want that.
Part of my motivation to change things up comes from a book I'm reading, a little-known gem called The Hunger Games. Yeah, right: maybe it's little-known in Siberia, but that's about it. Anyway, the writing is so crisp and the pace so awesome and the stakes set so high that it forced me to take a hard look at my own writing. By comparison, my YA fantasy novel feels like an elephant retaining water who decided to drink a trough-full of water while wading in a swimming pool. It's bloated and stilted; a page-turner it is not.
So I'm switching gears, outlining a YA-type-o'-book about a teenage boy who is ripped away from his family and inserted into a world unlike any he's known. We'll see where it takes me. I'm going to try really hard to stick to an outline this time.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted.
It's a shame about the 300 pager. Hopefully you can get back to another time and fix it. I've found outlining has improved my writing by far and I'm less frustrated when I can't get something to fit properly. Good luck with the new project, it sounds interesting already.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm about the last person in the world who hasn't read The Hunger Games. I read the first chapter and then put it back on my TBR list. I keep telling myself, maybe later.
Thanks T.L., I appreciate your comments. I know, I'm finding that I really should've stuck to my outline with the fantasy novel. I've got like ten billion characters and I keep losing track of things. I'm going to be rigorous about sticking to my outline on the novella. I really appreciate your encouragement.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunger Games is a truly awesome book. I'm about halfway through it. It drags for a little while at the beginning (she goes through a fashion show thing and an interview process and some training that I found boring) but man, when the games start, the pace is super fast. Just give it a chance and if you're anything like me, you'll really like it.