As I wind up an editing/minor rewrite of my manuscript I see something I can't avoid: Chapter 18 needs help from Chapter One. Said help needs to be written.
It's not a huge surprise. I've known since at least Chapter 14 I needed to seed a bit of backstory to make Chapter 18 work.
Why didn't I knuckle down and get it done?
Because my Devil writer's helper said, "It's not necessary. You've written this so well the reader will fill it in. Leave something to their imaginations. They'll create with you. They want that."
Soothing, kind words.
The kind of kind words that appeal to the ego and to the laziness. A most potent combination.
My angel writer's helper has been screaming at me for the past four chapters. "You've done a lousy job building up to this. It comes out of nowhere. Remember Gr. 8 English? Deus ex Machina? It was bad, remember?"
Angel helper sounds miserable, but she's taking the place of my muse who went out for a walk to cool down a few months ago and hasn't returned. Muse hates it when I don't listen.
Devil helper is still whispering the potent, seductive words, but angel is winning. Angel is correct. A small scene in Chapter One will lay the pipes and electrical connections necessary for the reader to go,"Oh, yeah."
I've put it off as long as I can. As soon as I finish editing the final few chapters I'll get right to it.
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6 comments:
I love that puzzle-piece-put-together that authors go through as they create life and story from words. It is a miracle of a process and I would love to be able to do that.
Perhaps you can, Tabor. Why not give it a shot?
It's one of those things where you put it off, then, once you do it, you're happy you did and wonder why you put it off so long. Can you tell i do that, too?
Yes, it is, Messymimi.
I thought I was the only one that devil visited!
That devil gets around, Bossy Betty.
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