“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” – C.S. Lewis
Progress is a relative term, subjective, and in the eye of the beholder. If you take a quick peek at my notebook, it will tell you that I have worked diligently this week in an effort to nail down a set up for my work in progress. However, if you delve a little deeper, you will see that I’m floating untethered in a turbulent sea of uncertainty.
I’m sure this is a normal phenomenon in story planning, and I have no doubt that it’s the natural order of things. It’s a learning process, after all. However, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling frustrated. It’s a dizzying thing to take two steps back for every step forward.
On Friday, I was convinced that I had come up with the perfect midpoint plot twist that would turn the entire story on its ear. It was fabulous. The greatest idea I’ve ever had. I was blinded by my own brilliance.
One step forward.
Today, I hate it.
So, I changed it.
Now the midpoint doesn’t jive with the set up.
Two steps back.
Okay. Enough with the whining. Let’s get down to it, shall we? How did I stack up this week?
Last weeks goal: Finish up character profile for Ivan and continue working on setup outline.
Goal = met – I guess. I did finish up my character profile, though I think with the new midpoint, I will need to make him less douche-baggy.
Next week’s goal: Figure out this midpoint thing and get it to jive with the set up.
Did I make progress this week?
Yes, I believe I did.
(Cue the obligatory golf claps now)
Thanks for the update. Makes me feel like my two (or three or four) steps back are ok.
*waves a lighter like at a rock concert, carefully avoiding all the notebooks and notes lying around Peggy’s writer’s den*
I like progress. 😀