Friday, July 27, 2012
Tree Climbing and Novel Writing
My daughter is up in a tree. She can't figure out how to get past this one spot. She refuses to back down, and thinks through the problem, determined to go up and up until she reaches her goal.
I'm high up in word count, revision status, etc. I can't seem to get past this one spot. I refuse to go back, because I've done it too many times before. I think through the problem, determined to go up and up until I've reached my goal.
After my daughter can see over the roof of our house, and she climbs high enough to see Puget Sound (actually on of the bays), she asks if I can see her waving at me. I see a golden halo of her blonde hair against the branches of the tree and a flicker of movement. She starts to carefully climb down.
I'm nearing the end of my 100 Days of Revision. I'm not as far as I want to be. I have to get past through the last through rough branches in my story so I can see the horizon line at the end. Afterwards, I plan to ask for some editorial help for that careful climb down through the last bits of story.
My daughter is exhilerated from her tree climbing, and I hope I'll feel that way soon about my writing. At the moment, I've got tree sap and bits of bark clinging to my clothes, and I'm fighting a tangle of branches.
Ever climbed a tree and gotten stuck? Been in a sticky place in your story?
Do you refuse to back down or keep climbing?
Oh, and I'll only be around this morning early and maybe late tonight - it's my tree climbing daughter's birthday today. She's 11 and full of adventure.
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9 comments:
I climbed trees as a kid, but think I'd fall out of one now.
Keep working through it - you'll get to that horizon.
And every part of my first draft is a sticky spot.
I was fearless - I climbed trees, our roof, rock piles, anything I could find. I still enjoy the rock wall at our church's Harvest Fest.
Happy birthday to your daughter.
My daughter climbs trees just like that. She's fearless. And what a great analogy for revision. I'm just beginning a first revision with my newest MS.
Alex - Champion in the Darkness is the stickiest story I've ever written . . .I hope your revisions go smoother than mine!
L. Diane Wolfe - That so fits you - fearless!!!
Barbara - Thanks! Blessings on your revision work!
sweet analogy, following her up the tree and you up the word count!
keep climbing and have a spectacular weekend celebrating!
No never climbed trees as a child.
Yes, have had some sticky spots in stories. Couldn't resolve them. Present project (Fiction) has me 'up a tree'. Don't know how to move through the spot or how to get it to the end. I know how I want it to end; it's getting there.
Tree climing is a great analogy. Sometimes I find I've climbed a side of the tree where the branches are too flimsy (in other words, the plot is contrived or something deep is wrong). The only way forward is to climb down a bit, find a stronger part of the tree, and work your way up again.
And sometimes you have to move to a whole different tree to practice until you're ready to try the tough tree again. :-)
One time I had a good story on it's way. Then, all of a sudden I couldn't think how to get the character out of a muddle made by me. I gave up. Haven't tried writing a story since.....
Love the analogy! Hope you catch the excitement for your writing. :) Hope she had a good birthday too!
Blessings,
Karen
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