My first novel, The Ways of Khrem, was actually something of a hybrid between a novel and an anthology. It had three distinct parts, each taking place one month after the other, in a fantasy world running on it's own lunar calender. Under those circumstances, keeping my timeline straight was easy.
Argiope is a true novel, set in modern day Texas, and covers a span of a little less than a year. Unfortunately, while doing a read through last night, I discovered I have screwed up the timeline. And it matters. I guess that's the peril of writing without an outline. So I'm going to have to sit down and draw a timeline, plot out the points of different events, and go back though the story I have so far and fix everything. It shouldn't take very long, a day or maybe two, and it's far better to do it now instead of going forward and making a complicated mess even worse.
Sigh, the joys of first drafts.
Of course, it's Halloween weekend. Lots of kids and things to do...and little time to write. But sometimes living these experiences and sharing them are part of writing too. There is always the temptation for the writer to retreat into his own world and write...and resent intrusion while doing that. But at the same time, it is from the life we get our stories, and we need to keep ourselves open to that to keep our writing alive...and our spouses happy.
Ah well, Happy Halloween!
No comments:
Post a Comment