I spent the whole day – like 8 hours – revising the one scene in my book my agent wasn’t crazy about. Banged out about 2,500 words. Hit a wall, backed myself into a corner. And then couldn’t write myself out of it no matter hard I tried.
Trying to completely revise one scene that doesn’t work – which happens to be sandwiched between two other scenes that do work – is like trying to fit the last piece into a jigsaw puzzle only to realize it’s the wrong piece and doesn’t quite fit. I can’t change the beginning of the scene because it’s connected to the previous scene. I can’t change the end of the scene because it’s connected to the following scene. All I can do is work with what’s in the middle, and that’s a lot harder than it sounds (and just as confusing!).
So I stepped away from the computer. I made dinner. I actually cooked, even though it’s just me this week and I’ll have leftovers for the next three days. I caught up on my backlog of DVR’d TV shows. Then I cleaned up the kitchen, fed the cats, and had some dessert.
And then finally, finally, as I was enjoying the sweet sinfulness of a Godiva dark chocolate truffle, I had a breakthrough.
The solution was to make a few minor tweaks to the scene as it originally was. And once I started, it only took about forty-five minutes to complete. I spent all day over-thinking it, and once I stopped thinking about it, it practically solved itself.
Or maybe it was the chocolate.
Like I said the other day, I’m slow… but I get there.
And now I feel really, really good about this book. I’m just about ready to send it out into the world. Have I ever said that before? I don’t think I have.
And it pleases me to say it, yes it does.
Yay for you!!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones, but they can be difficult to see. Glad you found your way.
So happy to hear you're ready to send it out into the world!
I'm sure it was the Godiva Chocolate! Teri
Teri, it really might have been the chocolate. Godiva is a powerful thing.
Jen, thanks for talking me off the ledge today!