There's an awesome event at the end of my novel-in-progress. It's so awesome the entire magic system developed from it, and a huge chunk of the book leads up to it. But after several months of struggling during revisions, I realized I had a problem.
That awesome event wasn't working with the novel I had written.
I knew I had to cut it, but I didn't, because it was, well, awesome. And I loved it. And I'd pictured this event in my mind so clearly I could feel it.
But it wasn't working.
I spent a few months trying to make it work before I accepted that it had to go. It really killed me, but I couldn't make the story what I knew it could be without cutting that event. Once it was gone, and I re-outlined the new ending, my revisions got back on track and the novel was much stronger.
Even if getting there felt like I was cutting off a body part.
How I Knew it Wasn't Working
The most obvious clues were my critique partners saying, "this ending feels like it's part of another book," and "I really don't care what happens in X." This event took place in a separate location from the bulk of the novel and happened to people the reader didn't know. Of course they wouldn't care.
(Here's more on making readers care)
The other clue was the way the rest of the novel kept heading in a different direction, and resolving that awesome event didn't resolve (without a lot of contrived plotting) the core conflict and main goals of the protagonists. And even with the contrivances it was iffy.
The last clue was my own instinct. I knew it. I could feel it.
Clues You Might Need to Cut a Critical Event From Your Novel
1. Your writer's instinct says so.
We often know (even if we don't want to admit it) when something isn't working. This is a different feeling than those "is this working?" doubts we all get from time to time.
2. You're doing plot gymnastics to make it all work.
Plot events should flow from one to the next. Things should feel inevitable, not forced. If you're banging your head on the keyboard to fit the pieces together, that's not a good sign.
3. The reasons to arrive at that event aren't plausible.
The motivations and reasons are weak. They might be there, but ask one or two questions and the whole thing falls apart. Often you'll answer yourself with "because that has to happen for X to happen."
4. Resolving that event leaves a lot of loose ends for the story.
Especially true if the event is in the third act of your novel. This happens because it's not connected or integral to the rest of the story. It feels like a major part of the book, but it doesn't resolve the things the characters need fixing.
5. No real stakes for that event.
Odds are there are stakes, but they're likely to be the large, yet vague "lots of lives at stake" type. On first glance they seem high, but the reader (and often the characters) don't care if it happens or not. They're not invested in it. It's not personal to the protagonist.
(Here's more on what to do when plots go astray)
What You Can Do About it
1. Cut it.
It'll be hard, but the story will be the better for it. Allow yourself to follow where you plot naturally leads.
2. Move it.
While this wasn't an answer for my event, sometimes moving it to another part of the story can give it new perspective. It might work better as a trigger to another event than as a result of one.
3. Change who's in it.
The same event might work better if it happens to/with different characters or people.
(Here's more on crafting better plots)
Realizing there's a fundamental flaw in your plot is never fun, but if you look at it objectively, you can usually find the answer and fix the problem. Even if that's banging on the delete key in a big way.
Have you ever cut a major plot point because it wasn't working? How did you handle it?
13 comments:
What to do when a major part isn't working?
Curl in the fetal position and cry. Then eat lots of ice cream and spend time in denial...
Oh, you mean HELPFUL things. :D Because that's what I normally do.
This is a great list. Normally it's the big twist that doesn't work for me, and I have to move it up to the midpoint or sooner. This is a great guide!
I'm faced with that now--my book had a split personality in the tone. Both halves were great writing (even agents said so) but never the twain shall fit. I've had enough time away that it won't hurt quite so much to cut it, but it's still hard enough.
I wrote a lovely little story once that unfortunately topped the scales at 150,000 words. Started trying to trim it but I was ending up with holes in the plot. Then I realized I had too many story lines mixed together. I separated them out and set some aside for a totally different book (just need some different characters). Rewriting the remaining lines. Works much better this way.
Needed this now. Thanks so much!!!
Thanks Janice and commentors. I'm struggling with this myself right now. I know I have to cut a large chunk from the first draft, since the rest of the story has changed drastically in revision. I just don't want to *sigh*
What about the option to take the disconnected event out, set it aside, and use it to write a new story?
Then, if you fix the original and have that new story, you then have two stories.
I know I play with different permutations of different character types in my stories. And then there's how the traditional fantasy and urban fantasy series actually end up having some comparable characters—like each one has a cat shapeshifter, an accidental murderess, a lunatic, someone freakishly hard to kill, and someone who's prone to mental breakdowns. (…Actually, all those got tossed into one character, in my traditional fantasy stories.)
Anyway, my one urban fantasy series is actually my second one started (but first with a novel done), because I came up with the novel's MC and some "cool" scenes, realized she wouldn't fit in the one UF world, and therefore made another one that would let her exist. :)
Great things to consider. I'm working on something where I added a huge bunch of complications. Part of me feels that it works; the other part can't remember why I added the complications in the first place. I wonder if not remembering why you did something in the first place might also be a consideration for cutting or changing something as well.
I do know, that I had cut a whole bunch of stuff I loved, previously, that other people loved as well, but absolutely didn't fit with this second permutation...
This might explain why I still haven't finished it. So many options!
It's easier to cut an element from your work if you consider it to be 'relocating your darling' rather than straight out 'killing'.
Besides, nothing's ever wasted in writing... that awesome plot element could be used elsewhere....where its awesomeness is appreciated.
Elizabeth, that's my Plan B :) I like testing the twist in the midpoint. Another good spot for a big moment.
Angelica, ooo that's a real toughie, sorry to hear that. If it's just the tone, maybe it won't be so bad to revise. It's not "cutting" so much as rewriting? Good luck with it!
LD, that describes my first novel perfectly, so I feel the pain. That's great that you figured out how to make it all work before it drove you crazy.
Amelia, most welcome!
Marcie, save your original file so you have it, then cut away. You'll probably end up delighted and wondering why you were ever scared to do it :) And if not, then you still have that original draft to go back to.
Carradee, you can certainly do that as well. There's no one option for anything in writing. Shifting characters like that is a great way to hold onto them and still get them out of the way if they aren't working for one book.
EP, I've cut things because I couldn't remember why I did them, so yes, I think it can be. If you can't see why they matter when you read it, that's another red flag they might not be needed. Maybe try looking at ways to make the stuff you and your beta readers loved fit with Perm 2? It'll probably take some tweaking, but now that you have both versions maybe there's a middle ground there that does work.
Jo, indeed. Those "saved cut scene" files are great for that.
Oh oh oh. I had to do this a week or so ago. I cut some 50 pages and rewrote them completely. It hurt so bad. But what i did was preserved a lot of extraneous stuff and I'll use it for it's own side story. That way it isn't totally lost, but it isn't gumming up the works, either. Great post!
Very useful advice, Janice, many thanks! I think cutting back our novels is something most of us have to do at some point or another. I certainly need to do that (I've even got a book out, published on Amazon, that is crying out to me to take it down and cut it back...which I plan to do asap!).
And yes, you're right, one has the feeling suddenly that the plot has taken a wrong direction, that another story has intruded and it needs to be trimmed out (and saved for another use of course). it's more of a feeling than a certainty, which is why it's so hard to take a decision and go ahead and cut!
Kaitlin, good for you! Great way to recycle.
Claude, we always know. I've learned to trust my gut, and even with this one I let it go father than I should have.
I so identify with this. I've been working a novel and have changed the plot umpteen times because the awesome scene just didn't fit. One time it needed way more action. The characters needed more stress. Another time I was way too many "and then" moments. Boring. Great advice!
Post a Comment