Debi Graham-Leard

After fighting back pain for several weeks, I’m coming back to my novel with a renewed zest. A scene that’s been giving me some trouble has finally got a solution. And that solution came from a combination of different comments from three different readers in my writing groups. The light has finally dawned!

The problem with the scene was based in the fact that it was mostly dialogue between a secondary character and the first antagonist, with my protagonist standing off to the side mostly listening with a small amount of internal thought. The solution was to bring my protagonist into the dialogue, accomplishing several things:

1. created another innocent suspect

2. explained some backstory between the protagonist and the first antagonist

3. revealed the subtle beginnings of change in the antagonist

My point is that you never know where the solution to a writing challenge will appear. Sometimes, while listening to or reading critique from a writing group member, I’ll think to myself, “What is she talking  about?” But then her words will fester below the surface for a while, then suddenly bubble to the top and gift me with a solution to a difficult scene.

But each change to a scene will probably require changes to the scenes that come after, as each cause creates an effect. This can sometimes drive me crazy, but I tell myself that it can only improve the story.

It was bound to happen. Several weeks ago, my back started aching like you wouldn’t believe, so I began spending a lot of time walking around moaning, or resting on the couch with a heated pad. I have since been diagnosed with arthritis and a partially herniated disk… oh, joy. But I’ve got some painkillers that take the edge off so I can sleep, and will begin physical therapy tomorrow morning.

Needless to say, working on my novel has been the last thing I’ve felt like doing since mid-June. But the other day, I was ready to jump back in. To get myself back in the mood and the story, I began to read from page one until I reached the most recent section for revising. Amazingly enough, I am still changing a word here, a word there, adding or deleting sentences… even after all the revisions!

I’ll continue working with both writing groups to keep the critiques flowing, but will handle this via email rather than driving to the physical meetings until my back pain is under control.

I’ve read in several of my writing craft texts that it’s not a bad thing to take a break from your novel, although I believe that advice is meant for AFTER it is completed. Oh, well, I never was one to follow the rules exactly!

I’ve been wrestling with the return of a character as a ghost for some months now. It finally dawned on me that I no longer enjoyed sitting at my keyboard to work on the story, because I had no idea what to write. Bringing back Parker’s ghost seemed like a good idea at first, and I thought I was adding a twist that would make my story more interesting than your normal cozy mystery, but Parker made everything way too complicated. And so I have simplified my life, and relegated him to his burial place near the big rock…RIP. He now lives only in Gwen’s heart.

Perhaps I’ll write a ghost story next time.

What a weight has been lifted from my shoulders! I can now get on with the telling of the mystery that began this whole process, and it feels good! The most important task right now is to get this story finished so I can participate in the agent pitch at CrimeBake in November!

To do that, I need to step up the review process.  The novel has shrunken to just under 300 pages. So I’ve canvassed my readers asking if they’d be willing to read a few more chapters at a time. Luckily, they said YES!

After hearing comments from Monday night’s writing group, I decided to move a character introduction scene to an earlier place in the novel by about 30 pages. This action marries the new prologue to the plotline quicker, and allows me to get on with the rest of the story. But now, I have to change subsequent scenes to adjust… yikes!

But that’s what has happened during the creation of my first novel… when I changed something in one chapter, it had a domino effect on the chapters that come later, requiring more thought and additional revision.

But I’m still having fun with it, so not to worry! I only hope the finished manuscript reveals a story with a twist that readers will enjoy.

At yesterday’s writing group in Plymouth, Pam suggested that my new character is quite a shock and a surprise, and thought he would be more easily “bought” by my future readers if there is more foreshadowing of his appearance. We discussed the fact that most agents and publishers frown on prologues these days, but many books I’ve browsed recently begin with a prologue, and they were published, so why not mine?

What I have found is that my cozy mystery is morphing into something a bit different, but I’m not at all dissatisfied with that turn of events. These days, a novel needs to have a twist to get attention, and I believe this new character will make my novel just a little more interesting.

So I’m busy writing the prologue and adding hints in earlier chapters that foreshadow the appearance of this character. The creativity makes me eager to continue the writing.

To borrow an old cliche, “Only time will tell.”

Heading down to Plymouth to meet with my other writing group this morning. And It’s a beautiful spring day for the drive… for a change! I always jump off Route 495 and take the back roads when I get near the southern end of Plymouth… delightful scenery as I maneuver past cranberry bogs.

There are only three in this group, but boy, do we accomplish some serious editing in two hours! We have settled into a system of concentrating on just one submission in each session. Progressing page by page, even paragraph by paragraph, we offer not only critique, but specific suggestions to clarify the story, from changing a word to transplanting information into future chapters to converting a narrative passage into dialogue.

Each time, as I walk back to my car, my head is usually spinning with ideas, and I can’t wait to get back to my computer and begin the revision.

Thanks to Pam and Shirley for making this group so delightful and valuable to a first-time novelist!

AHA! Last night, I attended a seminar called “Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em: Create Great Characters” at the Hearth ‘N Kettle in Weymouth, MA. Afterwards, I had a wonderful conversation with Deb Kurilecz–the workshop leader–about my character dilemna. She offered a few suggestions in addition to asking if this character would continue in a sequel or make a one-time appearance in my first novel. I have not made that decision, but it would be delightful to have this particular character re-appear in another story!

I know, I know, I’m not telling you enough. But I don’t want to ruin the unfolding of the story by revealing too much here on my blog page… so sorry!

Recently, a member of one of my writing groups [I belong to two], plus a family member who is reviewing my chapters, mentioned difficulties with one of my characters. I take all critiques to heart, firmly believing that if someone finds an element disturbing enough to mention, there must be something there that needs to be fixed.

My difficulty stems from my own enchantment with this particular character–I don’t want to tell you which one and ruin it for you–so I am letting my subconscience fester on this character’s origin and purpose within my story. Hopefully, I will wake up one morning soon and the answer lightbulb will be burning brightly above my head.

To help me through this writer’ block, I am attending a seminar in Weymouth this evening about building characters. Sometime during the evening, I will venture to ask if anyone in the room has ever written a character similar to mine and if there are any suggestions to deal with the conflicts.

Over the weekend, I ordered a book from Amazon that delves into this type of character, and am hoping I find an answer there. The book is supposed to arrive in my mailbox this week.

My fingers are crossed that I can resolve this character problem quickly … changes will effect many other scenes throughout.