rough draft of Battle Scars is done!

“The first draft is nothing but your ingredients. Once you have them in front of you–a beginning, a middle, an end, and all your characters–then and only then can you write your novel.”–Tiffany Reisz.

I call it my rough draft. Rough, first, whatever. I took a different approach to Battle Scars. I’d worked from an extensive outline for Keeping the Family Peace. This time, I just plunged in. I had a few lines on each of 7 cards on the corkboard in Scrivener. So last week, I finished pt. 3 (which is THE END)! (I think I’d previously mentioned I’ve broken this novel into 3 parts.) Finished!

ONE STEP FORWARD…

And you know what happens next.

TWO STEPS BACK.

Gotta love writers group and beta readers who bring multiple perspectives and their own writing experience into a critique. I love ’em. Truly I do.

The beta readers just finished reading pt. 2. Writers group heard this particular scene, which also drew comments from the betas. Hence my 2 steps back.

Beta #1: the 2 main characters (MCs) reconciled too quickly after the break-up scene.
Writers group comment: are we near the end of the book? That reconciliation feels like the climax. (Well yes, they did. But no, it’s not. ๐Ÿ™‚  My thoughts, not hers.)
Beta #2: yeah, drawing out the reconciliation is a good way to keep the reader hooked

I’d considered this earlier and had not been able to figure out when/how/where the MCs could get back together except right where I’d place that particular scene. I had the plot lines for the rest of the book laid out – in skimpy detail – and it wasn’t happening for me. When I finished the rough draft of pt. 3, I still couldn’t see it.

LET THE REVISIONS BEGIN
On Saturday, I started working on revisions so pt. 3 is “readable” for my betas and for writers group. I was ignoring their comments. Oh, they lurked in the back of my mind. I almost dreaded the revisions to the early chapters of pt. 3 – I’d flown through those chapters in my first attempt to get words down on paper. I had a lot of bracketed notes, a lot of comments to myself on that early draft. Ch. 1 wasn’t bad, but I think I stared at ch. 2 for an hour before the scene gelled.  By mid-afternoon today, I’d finished both ch. 1 & 2 of pt. 3! (Are you following all this? Bless you if you’re still here.) I thought they were coming along really well.

Then I went back to read my beta readers’ comments again.

RETHINKING THE LOVERS’ MAKE-UP SCENE
I re-read the scene. There was an obvious place where Henry’s & Stephan’s dialogue could be reworked. (Yes, folks, this is historical fiction with a m/m romance sub-plot. And no, it’s no 50 Shades. Sensual, yes. Erotic, no.) I skimmed the next few chapters, identified other scenes I’d have to change. Not too bad. Then I glanced through the chapters in pt. 3 looking for the right moment to bring the two lovers together. (I do believe in happily-ever-afters.) Was there another climactic moment there? Well, of course there is! At that point (3 chapters from the end) I really AM getting close to the end of the novel!

NEXT PLAN
I’ll ready pt. 3 for writers group & betas with these new plot points in mind.

Life is good.  How are you?


Keeping the Family Peace update: I just ordered my print proof copy via Amazon’s CreateSpace. I’ll be holding my book in my hands on Friday! With luck, it will be in distribution, available in print by early February. If you can’t wait, buy it as an ebook now at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords (for other eReaders).

  1. Catherine Hedge Avatar

    Wow! Congratulations on finishing your first draft, holding your book in your hand, AND having the courage to rewrite!

    1. Char Avatar

      And thank you for your encouragement along the way! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. jadey Avatar
    jadey

    Glad it’s all starting to fall into place. I always figure: you are telling a story, so, no matter how much you write yourself into a corner, there’s always a way of writing yourself out of it! My style of writing (no forward planning whatsoever) has proved that time and time again! Best wishes for the rewrite. I look forward to reading the third and final part.

    1. Char Avatar

      Hopefully it will be headed your way in a couple of weeks. I’ll still have the difficult task we’ve chatted about over email when I begin revisions of this draft, i.e., getting more into Henry so his decisions seem logical, reasonable, etc. I want to show more of Joan’s spunkiness earlier, too. May change the opening to show how the boys first meet in Portsmouth. Decisions, decisions! Fun times ahead.

  3. Marie Loughin Avatar

    You had trouble with a chapter and had to stare at it for a whole hour?! It can take me a week to get through the rough patches. Now I’m all grumbly.

    Congrats on your progress!

    1. Char Avatar

      Would it make you feel better if I said 2 hours? Oh, I’ve had those ‘week’ stretches, too. Ugh. But at least when you get through your rough patches, you’re much closer to a final draft than I am. I call this 1st round a rough draft. The 1st draft is what comes AFTER beta & writers group comments. Then, at least one or two more rounds of revisions… Would be nice to get it right the first time. I can dream, right? And maybe the more I write, the closer I’ll get to that! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Char Avatar

    Reblogged this on Pen In Hand and commented:

    On Char’s writing/editing/revision process…

  5. awriterofhistory Avatar

    Well done Char on finishing part 3. Such a long journey this writing and editing process is. Are we there yet? Just like kids on a family road trip!

    1. Char Avatar

      *sigh* We are no where near there yet, Mary. ๐Ÿ™‚ Though I did get some feedback from one of my betas on pt. 3 tonight. I’m off to see what she thinks!


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