It's amazing how moving one scene forward in the narrative can have a cascade effect throughout the rest of the book. It's like knocking over a line of dominos that you didn't even know was there.
My reasons for making this change are sound. As it was before, the narrative was jerky and lackluster. Not exactly something I shoot for in my books.
Staring at the computer this morning, however, I'm less than enthused about my so-called brilliant idea. Already, I've identified at least four chapters that are a jumbled, incomprehensible mess because of what I've done. It's like a rabbit hole that just keeps on going.
The actions and setting in the next few chapters remains the same, but the motive behind the scenes, how they get from point A to point C shifts. Essentially it's a rewrite of what is already there. I use the building blocks that are already in place and incorporate what I can, but it takes time and energy.
A lot of people think finishing a first draft means polishing what is already there. Don't I wish. Really it's just the beginning. I always think of a first draft as assembling the ingredients I need. A little bit of this. A little bit of that. The second draft is where you make those ingredients work together to create a comprehensive whole. The third draft is where you make the language shine.
Full disclosure--every writer has their own method. Finding it is half the fun. This tangled ball of yarn is mine.
My only consolation in all this is that whenever I do something this extreme, it always results in a much better story. I just have to keep telling myself this isn't as bad as what I did in Age of Deception, and that turned out alright.
Grumble, grumble, grumble. Enough complaining. Back to work I go.
