Monday, August 10, 2015

The Wrong Story

Summers are generally a time when I can really dig in and savour my writing time. I usually have full hours at a time that I can devote to my craft and my stories. This summer, however, has been extraordinarily full with far too many things to count. Which I though explained why my writing was going so slowly.

Apparently not.

Today, I decided to put aside the rewrite I've been struggling with and work on a different story that's been marinating for a while - a NaNo draft from last year. A story that is set in the same world as the Struggling Story. One that should happen after Struggling Story.

Apparently not.

I pulled up the story, and, as per my usual method lately, thought through the story without actually looking at more than scene titles, then wrote the first chapter out.

The first 3k flew out of my fingers. Not slowly, not grudgingly, not painfully.

So, instead of my crazy life killing my creativity, I've realized I've simply been working on the wrong story.

Struggling Story will go back in the stew pot and simmer for a while longer while my subconscious works away with it, and I'll focus on this draft that feels right.

How about you? Ever realize you're working on the wrong story?

26 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

At least you realized it was the wrong story before the summer ended!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Jemi--Glad you're on the right story now! I'm sure the simmering-in-the-pot time will help. :)

DEZMOND said...

was it marinated with dill and garlic? :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

Yes, I can totally relate to that. Hope you get some more writing in before school starts.

Mason Canyon said...

Jemi, sometimes you just have to step away from what you're doing and let something else take over for awhile. Good luck with both.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I just can't seem to keep up my blogging during the summer vacay from school. However, I wrote up a storm otherwise. My intentions were to work on a novel that's in its first draft. Guess what? I wrote something else. Gee.

Misha Gerrick said...

I do so all the time. Sometimes, we just make things really complicated for ourselves, when something as little as working on something else actually solves our problems. :-)

Jemi Fraser said...

Alex - exactly! I still have a few weeks to dig in and enjoy :)

Elizabeth - I hope so too - that story is giving me fits!!!

Dezzy - never dill! *shudder* :)

Natalie - me too! thanks :)

Karen - it truly is! Hoping to be on more of a roll now!

Mason - that's exactly it - wish I'd realized it a few weeks ago! :)

Teresa - good for you! I could write first drafts forever and ever - but that editing this has to happen too :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Misha - exactly! Have to learn to listen better to those niggles :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

New stories always get my creativity flowing. Have fun with it.
Susan Says

cleemckenzie said...

How can we decide which is the wrong one unless we do what you did? Great idea. Switch your track and see what happens.

DMS said...

I have not realized that before, but I haven't tried your switcharoo method yet. :) Love the idea of switching- it makes sense to me. Hope the writing continues to flow and so glad you found the right thing to work on. :)
~Jess

Shelley Sly said...

I'm glad you figured this out about your story! I've definitely worked on the wrong story, or told the right story in the wrong POV, or otherwise found some reason why a MS isn't working. But we grow and learn from our not-meant-to-be manuscripts. Good luck with your new draft!

Jemi Fraser said...

Susan - I am! :)

Lee - and so far it's working!

Jess - me too - much relief has ensued :)

Shelley - thanks! I'm hoping to get back to that other one, but it keeps getting shifted to the back burner!

Ava Quinn said...

So glad your words are flowing again! My summer months are usually pretty barren of writing with the Urchins home.

Anonymous said...

This has happened to me many times. Even with enough energy and time, I can't force out a story that's not meant to happen right now. I have some low tension, blah drafts that I plan on rewriting later, because I'll probably be able to figure out how to fix them. I work on what I'm most passionate about.

Jemi Fraser said...

Ava - I bet! For me, it's usually the best time to write!

Medeia - that makes me feel SOOOO much better! you're so productive, so maybe I'm on the right track :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Ava - I bet! For me, it's usually the best time to write!

Medeia - that makes me feel SOOOO much better! you're so productive, so maybe I'm on the right track :)

Dawn Simon said...

Yes! The book I'm working on now is one I'd left to simmer. Time and more experience sometimes give you clearer eyes, you know? I'm happy for you! Enjoy the rest of summer!

Heather R. Holden said...

Oh, glad to hear you were blocked just for that one story and not writing in general! Hope you have fun with this draft, even though it's not the one you originally planned to work on! And heh, yeah, this kind of thing happens to me a lot, too. My muse is far too fickle!

Beth said...

Ooh, how exciting! Hope the rest of the manuscript goes the same way!

Jemi Fraser said...

Dawn - thanks! The new things I've learned since writing the one I'm working on now are fabulous. It's going to be much stronger this time around :)

Heather - I was relieved! Fickle muses appear to be quite common!!

Beth - I hope so, too :)

Golden Eagle said...

Hope your writing continues to fly out of your fingers!

I've worked on projects that made writing seem difficult and then had no trouble writing something else. I'm usually fine with it, unless the thing I'm struggling with has a deadline!

Anonymous said...

I love those moments when the writing seems effortless! I am glad you're working on the right story and have revitalized your writing.

Jemi Fraser said...

Eagle - me too! No deadlines, except my own, which are pretty fluid :)

Stephanie - those moments are amazing!

Michelle Wallace said...

Makes sense.
I've noticed that writers who work on more than one project at a time never seem to suffer from boredom or writer's block. When they encounter a blockage, they switch from one ms to the next.