[stylist] When pruning leaves gaps

[helene ryles]

Thanks Jim,

In this case I think I did the right thing. My problem is that I keep
creating too many sub plots. I hope some writers like a bit of comlex
story lines. But then everything gets in a tangle. The chapter I
omitted just didn't work any more. It had to go. I think the new
chapter that I wrote to replace it is better.

Someone said to me that easy writing made difficult reading.  Also
that being a writer was 10 percent asperation and 90 per cent
persperation.

This is the hardest bit for me. To make it all fit in. I want people
to really WANT to read this book.  Soon I'll be wanting people to read
chapters to tell me what you think of it. Since I think (fingers
crossed) that I am at lasta nearly finished. Although I can't be 100
percent sure since 'nearly' for me as been going on since before
christmas. I keep giving my work a final read through and I'm still
finding bits that I feel aren't good enough although I'm satisfied
with most of it.

Helene.

On 14/04/2009, James Canaday M.A.  N6YR <n6yr at sunflower.com> wrote:
> well,
> Helene, it depends on your image of the work and the goals you
> have.  you may wish to have chapters that jangle the reader, come as
> surprises, throw the reader off, or lead down the proverbial rat
> hole.  sometimes the work you write is intended and imagined in your
> head is a boat floating calmly under sail, much harmony at many
> levels.  other times, your story might be running the rapids, dashed
> about by a racing stream.  or, it may have a motor and beat the water
> with a rhythmic drive and beat up river against the flow with each
> inch of progress, spray flying!
>
> as I said, I have trouble pruning, sometimes it feels like it would
> be easier to remove a finger, or certainly one of those expendable toes.
> jc
>
> Jim Canaday M.A.
> Lawrence, KS
>
> At 07:57 PM 4/12/2009, you wrote:
>>Thanks Tamara,
>>I find I'm having to rewrite the whole of chapter 29 since it just
>>doesn't make any sense now I've edited stuff out, but on rereading it
>>the ideas had flaws in them anyway. It seemed a good idea at the time
>>but now seems a little silly and out of place. I think the new chapter
>>29 will be an improved version when I can rewrite it.
>>
>>Do other writers get that, idea's that seemed good at first then you
>>go over it and think "Na, that doesn't work at all?"
>>
>>Helene
>>
>>On 12/04/2009, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> > Helene,
>> >
>> > Oh, yeah!  And I have also found that I will cut something, then forget
>> > to
>> > remove a reference to it in the dialog of another plotline, then, which
>> > I
>> > suddenly realize will make no sense to the reader...  One of the dangers
>> > of
>> > a long piece of fiction, I guess.  A time or two, I've caught instances
>> > of
>> > that happening in a book I'm reading, which is very confusing until it
>> > suddenly dawns on me what happened.  /smile/  Usually it's when a
>> > commercially popular sequel got rushed through editing.  So I guess we
>> > all
>> > do it.
>> >
>> > Good luck!
>> >
>> > Tami Smith-Kinney
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> > Behalf Of helene ryles
>> > Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 10:06 PM
>> > To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> > Subject: Re: [stylist] When pruning leaves gaps
>> >
>> > I am still pruning away any unneccessary clutter from my novel. Some
>> > subplots can very neatly be cut out. At other times it seems that when
>> > you try pruning it leaves gaps.
>> >
>> > Has anyone else found that to be the case?
>> >
>> > Helene
>> >
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