Does anyone else get that? You get to the end of a draft, and there's just something off about the book. It's good, but it's not great, and it needs to be great. That's where I am with Somnia Online: Anomaly (Book 2) right now. Luckily, one of my editors has helped me realize what I'm missing, and now I'm working to adjust the story so it reflects more of what it needs to. This is probably (not definitely) going to delay my release. It could be just a few days, or it could be a couple of weeks. But it's better to release a book you're happy with and you know is great a little later than anticipated, than to release one that's mediocre on time, right? RIGHT?! Anyone else?
The books I hate are usually the ones that do the best. Heh. But yeah, it's easy to get caught up in changing/editing/fixing...
Not really caught up in editing. It's more like - I know there's something missing in the first half. Everything that happens in this book NEEDS to happen, but there's something missing, and I couldn't put my finger on it, and it was driving me crazy. A fresh set of eyes found it, and now I can fix it. And I'm oddly calm about being able to get it right.
The way you describe it, mate, sounds you are in a great spot: you knew there was a problem, now (with outside help) you seem to know why that is, and how to fix it. I mean, rather than "doesn't feel quite right", I'd feel, like, "Eureka, frag yeah!!" =)
Haha Good Point! Yes, it does feel good. And as I'm working on it, I can feel that this is IT! Like I've got what it was missing. Huge relief lol
I completely understand the feeling. Usually I can't proceed with the story if I don't feel like I'm totally on the right track, so when that happens I have to go back and 'fix' it before I can continue. (I can't write scenes out of order, so I haven't run into the problem where I feel like the whole book isn't right -- just "the story up to this particular point")
That's fantastic. For me I knew the first 11 chapters were missing something. The rest was solid with a good balance, but those first 40k were bugging the crap out of me.
Yes! I can't write scenes out of order either. I envy those who can. I made all the plot thread advancement things happen, but knew there was something missing. Like it was necessary, but not quite right. I thought I'd fixed it, but it kept nagging at me, and then my editor was like oh, do A, B, and C, and it'll work. Was like a lightbulb went on in my head hahaha
For me, I could have kept editing things I didn't like until Cthulhu rose again, but at some point I just had to draw the line and hit publish. But if the feeling is that strong, that something's just off, better to be safe than sorry I guess.
Novels/(Screen)plays/Games are never finished, just torn from our fingers by those merciless Sisters, the Deadlines... =)
I've been writing Fate Stayer for five years because it doesn't feel right... One day, I really want to finish writing it.
Quick question: Have you read Matt Bird's The Secrets of Story? There's so much there about storycraft that no one ever tells writers. We know a lot of it instinctively, but he makes it plain. And yeah, I think we've all gotten to the end of a first draft and thought, "What IS it this is missing?"
That’s one of the benefits of working hard enough on a book to see the end of your second or later draft: you know the story so precisely that you know what final touch is necessary to realize its true potential. Congrats on getting that far in the process. I hope the execution is thrilling!
