Saturday, September 29, 2007

The Block is Back

I'm having a hard time carrying on. I think the basic problem is that the sea voyage is just not as interesting to me, although I introduce a new, fairly important character and expand on pre-existing conflict.

Its just becoming something I have to press through, but right now I'm really having a hard time coming up with the motivation to do so.

I just looked back at the first chapter and the contrast between Silas now (at sea) and Silas then is startling - and not in a good way, I think he was more interesting back then.

Before the Great Re-Write I'm going to have to really sit down and think about his character and how he changes but, most importantly, how he is deep down - the kinds of rock bottom things that don't really change.

That's in the future, though, for now I have to keep slogging through this tough spell and stop thinking so much about how much work there remains to be done.

Work? Its supposed to be fun and enjoyable, right? Seems like it was back when Silas was on the Mississippi, but its not right now.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I haven't read to the most current post on your blog yet, so maybe you've resolved this, but here's a technique that works for me:

Put Silas in a completely different genre and write a thousand words. Put him on a horse in the old west or in a spaceship orbiting a strange planet. How would Silas behave as a character in one of those genre stories? Somehow for me, this gives the character a fresh start and I can see him more clearly. Whatever is essential to him will still appear in the odd genre, and that will be your guide to writing him better in the story you want to write.

Works for me, anyway.