28 January 2015

When Things Have to Change

Sometimes when you can't quite figure out how to fix a story, eventually you will come to realize that things have to change. Maybe a certain element just isn't working. Maybe the characters aren't doing what you want them to, or even doing things that don't feel right for them. Whatever the reason, change can be scary. You've already put a lot of effort into writing your piece and you know editing and changing things is going to be even harder. You might even be stubborn, thinking that your story is perfect or that you can somehow salvage those parts that aren't working. But if something isn't working, then it never will, no matter how many times you stomp your foot and insist you got it right the first time.

The first step is simply knowing that something has to change. If something feels off to you, then it will most likely feel off to a reader. But that certainly doesn't mean that you will be able to catch everything that isn't working--you may need a beta reader to do this for you. Or you may just need to step away from your work for a while, then go back and read it over. Things may seem different with a different perspective.

For me, at least, I knew the last third of my book wasn't working. I had never really pictured it going in a different direction, so it was hard to finally accept that big changes needed to be made. I was fine with small changes--cutting a scene here or there, even if I liked it. But actually changing what happens? That never really occurred to me. I always just thought if something didn't feel right, I could just find a way to write it better. But even if the words are perfect, if they don't fit where you put them, it still isn't going to work.

Accepting that things have to change is a little bit harder than simply knowing. You have to let go of whatever isn't working, understand that making these changes will ultimately make the story better. You can consider all of your options at this point. It might even be exciting at first. I know most writers probably like the thrill of writing the first draft over the grueling process of editing. Once you accept that things need to be changed, it's a bit like starting over. You can write these parts from scratch, consider making changes that you never would have thought possible when you first started writing.

Perhaps the hardest part is knowing how to change things. When you cut a scene, what should you replace it with? What should your characters be doing instead of what they did that didn't feel right in your first draft? The answers might not come to you right away. You may have to think about it for a long time before things start to make sense. But hopefully once they do, you'll know that making these changes in the first place was the only solution. Your writing will get better and the story will make more sense. And maybe next time having to make those big changes won't feel so scary, since you know eventually it will all work out.

Have you ever had to make big changes to a story? Was it exciting or terrifying? 

15 comments:

  1. I changed who my character ended up with, and it created ripples of things that had to change through the last third of the novel. I'm happy I made the changes, but it wasn't easy.

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  2. When I find myself struggling to put words on that page, for me it means the story is going in the wrong direction. I'm grateful for this, so I can go back and change what is needed before it needs a major overhaul. And it always turned things around for the better in the end. :)

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  3. Oh yes, I've had to change a lot of things over my revisions, including part of the main character. I'm not a very good planner. I tend to bounce a lot of ideas off of my sis-in-law to work out why things aren't working. But writing again is sometimes fun.

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  4. Change is rarely easy especially if it involves something near to us. I try to avoid change as much as I can unless it's in a direction that I really feel good about.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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  5. Isn't the first step for everything admitting that you have a problem and something has to change? Haha! :P

    I have had to make big changes to a story, which I plan to blog about soon. My editor asked me to change the point-of-view from first to third and then to age then main character from a teen to an adult. You can imagine all of that work, right? Well, I was lucky that it was for a short story. If it was for a novel-length story, I would've said "forget it!" But making changes are usually for the good of the story.

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  6. Isn't the first step for everything admitting that you have a problem and something has to change? Haha! :P

    I have had to make big changes to a story, which I plan to blog about soon. My editor asked me to change the point-of-view from first to third and then to age then main character from a teen to an adult. You can imagine all of that work, right? Well, I was lucky that it was for a short story. If it was for a novel-length story, I would've said "forget it!" But making changes are usually for the good of the story.

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  7. I don't necessarily have the advantage of knowing if something feels off. I could be going full tilt in a certain direction, and it's only later that it might seem not quite right, or someone points out what's wrong. Slightly deflating... but it's never going to happen that we get things right the first time, is it? It's a good feeling if we do get things back on track though.

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  8. I have had to made major changes to a story, and I've been putting off making major changes to my current WIP. I find it's terrifying to start, but gets to be exciting once you've hit on the right change.

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  9. Sounds like you're diving back in to your novel?? If so, congratulations and good luck!

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  10. So far I've not had to make a big change once it's written. I did do a major change in an outline right before I started writing though. Like you said, it didn't feel right and didn't fit. Scrap ending, end differently.

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  11. It's always terrifying for me to make those big changes. Yet I've chopped whole chapters. In the end, it's worth it. Good luck!

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  12. Since I can never seem to follow an outline, I've learned to not spend too much time on my first draft. Once it's all down on paper, I can figure out what works and what doesn't, and since I haven't agonized over making my chapters perfect, it's much easier to get down and dirty with the story and slash and revamp to my heart's content.

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  13. Only two. One was to first novel. The acquisition editor (who I respected very much as a writer) sad that my original ending was too sad and that I should lighten it just a tad, so I did. Sold it with the new ending, but I still like the old one though.

    The other was to a novella that I got in the on deck circle. Had problems coming up with a suitable ending and I was in serious danger of writing myself into a permanent corner. Finally came up with an ending to finish the story. Didn't like it a written, so I expanded it, which in turn allowed the entire novella to make sense.

    Father Nature's Corner

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  14. On the advice of a professional critiquer, I took out one of my chapters in a middle grade manuscript. I knew all along that the chapter was a little "iffie", because it didn't have my Main Characters in it- only the parents and what they were doing. And, that seems to be a no-no in writing a middle grade novel. I really liked that chapter, but it had to go. And, a few weeks ago I completely changed a picture book I had written. I finally faced the fact that the main character didn't solve the problem. But, it is so much better because of the changes.

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