DesinKalaScribe
Dreamer
Finally feel like I'm over the hump on my novel.
It consists of three primary plot arcs that are happening more or less in parallel. While the primary characters do not specifically interact with one another directly, they are all moving toward a shared north star, and the actions the others are taking have direct influence in shaping the world around them.
I started my first plot arc 3 years ago. This focused on Horas, King of Yaktal. I eventually drafted the Yaktal plot in full (20 chapters, 70,000 words). When I began the process of editing it, I hated it. Everything was wrong. Character archetypes were off, motivations made no sense. Characters just did things in service of a plot, rather than having cause and effect.
Scrapped it. Had to. It was dreadful.
On the second rewrite, it got much better. I reconfigured characters, (Horas was no longer a king), developed a more appropriate motivation, and had characters drive the plot. As I went through that review, and began to bring in overlap points with the other arcs, I realized I had a major issue with regard to timeline. There was very much a Star Wars/GOT "travel at the speed of plot" aspect that needed to be solved. And, I still had the wrong characters in POV.
After solving the timeline issues, and creating the appropriate narrative superstructure for the three stories, I got to work on a different character, Artiemo (the reluctant heir to Alshama living a life of luxury far away from home called back to duty). I really struggled with his story when I was first plotting this out, so I wanted to challenge myself to get this done. It turned out to be much easier to get in Artiemo's head this time around, and I crushed his arc in no time.
Then, I returned to Horas. His motivations became clearer, the political ramifications were better defined, and the side characters were more fleshed out. Today, after three years of grinding on this character, he finally got the story he deserves. And I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders.
Now, onto Catacyon, the tyrannical dictator of Feyama.
Cheers!
It consists of three primary plot arcs that are happening more or less in parallel. While the primary characters do not specifically interact with one another directly, they are all moving toward a shared north star, and the actions the others are taking have direct influence in shaping the world around them.
I started my first plot arc 3 years ago. This focused on Horas, King of Yaktal. I eventually drafted the Yaktal plot in full (20 chapters, 70,000 words). When I began the process of editing it, I hated it. Everything was wrong. Character archetypes were off, motivations made no sense. Characters just did things in service of a plot, rather than having cause and effect.
Scrapped it. Had to. It was dreadful.
On the second rewrite, it got much better. I reconfigured characters, (Horas was no longer a king), developed a more appropriate motivation, and had characters drive the plot. As I went through that review, and began to bring in overlap points with the other arcs, I realized I had a major issue with regard to timeline. There was very much a Star Wars/GOT "travel at the speed of plot" aspect that needed to be solved. And, I still had the wrong characters in POV.
After solving the timeline issues, and creating the appropriate narrative superstructure for the three stories, I got to work on a different character, Artiemo (the reluctant heir to Alshama living a life of luxury far away from home called back to duty). I really struggled with his story when I was first plotting this out, so I wanted to challenge myself to get this done. It turned out to be much easier to get in Artiemo's head this time around, and I crushed his arc in no time.
Then, I returned to Horas. His motivations became clearer, the political ramifications were better defined, and the side characters were more fleshed out. Today, after three years of grinding on this character, he finally got the story he deserves. And I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders.
Now, onto Catacyon, the tyrannical dictator of Feyama.
Cheers!
Myth Weaver
Troubadour
