Wow! It’s hard to believe but I haven’t posted on here since pre-Covid days. These past two years have certainly been a whirlwind.
I have much to update. In March 2020, I signed with an amazing agent, who fell in love with Boudica and Aiden’s story enough to offer me representation. We worked together for a few months, and she gave me some incredible advice that, I think, has helped me more than any other advice I’ve ever received (more on that later), and I set forth on a journey of rewrites.
Sadly, though (although this was an exciting and wonderful turn for my agent), in late 2020 Chrysa retired from her agenting career to focus on her upcoming wedding and the next chapter of her life.
I have to say though, I’m so grateful for the time I spent working with her. To be able to share my story with someone who believed in its potential was a dream come true, and I gained useful insight into a problem that has plagued my writing since day dot.
My main characters are too polite and too passive.
Ever since I first put my writing out there, one piece of feedback I’ve consistently received is that my pacing is off. How to fix this, though, I could never seem to work out, no matter how I tried. I studied plotting books, looked at the structure of books and movies I love, tore my story to shreds and rebuilt (several times) but to very little avail.
It wasn’t until Chrysa pointed out I’d written Boudica too passive in a rewrite that the penny dropped. My main characters are too much like me 😛 hahaha But truly, I’m being serious. And when I told Dave what Chrysa had said he laughed and said the exact same thing. Anyone who knows me knows I’m an introvert who avoids conflict at all costs. I don’t like to rock the boat, and I will run and hide rather than face discomfort. And unfortunately this personality trait of mine has impacted negatively on my writing!!!!
So, even when I was ticked the plotting boxes (I strive to follow the three act structure – Save The Cat is my bible), my actual story wasn’t as compelling as it should be because I wasn’t putting my MC out there in the action. Things in the plot would happen, and then Boudica would sit in her room while other people went out and slayed the dragon, so to speak.
While working on my current rewrite (rewrite #7), I have kept this in mind the whole time, and I think (fingers crossed) this has made a huge difference to my pacing.
Now, I know I’ll never be able to make my novel exactly the way I want it to be–there is always something I can improve upon–but I’m hoping, this time, it’s good enough. And by good enough, I mean good enough for me to let go.
I must move on. I have to leave Boudica and Aiden behind and dive into the world of Danica and Astrid. I need to finish a different book to the one I’ve been working on since 2009.
So, that is the plan – my 2022 goal. Finish my current rewrite then set it aside, and finally finish my portal fantasy. The first draft is written, all I have to do is flesh it out and make it pretty 😀
Yanicke Forfang 