Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Scene Arcs

Well, maybe I should call this chapter Arc. I just finished writing a love scene yesterday. My agent asked for hotter so I gave her hotter. But after I wrote it. I got all paranoid. Is it too hot? I mean, we are talking teens here. Sent to CP Shannon and got a big NO! Whew.

But am having trouble with the chapter as a whole. I think this is one of the problems with rewriting a book. The uber talented Jaci had to do it with Demon Island. When you get given a wonderful idea that changes so much of the book you are both "Yay" and "*&%$" cause it means rewriting a good portion of the book. Not just revising and editing. Rewriting. Changing the focus, the plot and character. I have found that isn't too difficult in the first half of the book, because of the way books start off building to the climax, but now that I am on chapter seven, I am realizing that more and more is going to have to be rewritten. Which is fine, but that also means slashing scenes and subplots that I adored.

In the original chapter seven, the boy and girl have a fight that helps explain some of the boy's inexpliciable behavior in the first six chapters. Well, since I added the very hot love scene, I needed to get to the fight from a different angle. But now I have the love scene and then the fight and the orginal seven ended up with them having a real date. I think it's too much to ask from one chapter. It seems rushed. So... what now, what now? Slash date. They can sorta make up. But no date.

Okay on to chapter arcs. How many people plot their chapter point by point? How do you make an arc? What the hell is an arc anyway? Cause I have a slam dunk synopsis, but it's time to start the serious rewriting and make the book more like the new synopsis. I need to understand this concept. What about Character Arcs? I think I get what it means on an intuitive basis, but for the purpose of improving my craft, I need more.

Thank you people. Oh, and if the above post seems a bit scattered, it's because I was up sick all night. With an unmentionable (only because I hate the word. It's creepy sounding, not gross.) milady.

5 comments:

Lexi said...

Plot a chapter point by point? Now THAT sounds creepy! I'm a pantser and have no regrets. Good luck with your story and all the arcs!

Lexi said...

PS- Hope you feel better

Rachel Vincent said...

Um, I do plot, but not using arcs. I'm not even really sure what that means.

I have one major event per chapter, and sometimes a scene will span more than one chapter. And I try to end most scenes with a hook.

I'm interested to hear someone else's explanation of an arc.

Jaci Burton said...

An ARC is how a character changes from the beginning of the book to the end. I usually use it only in terms of the character ARC of the book and even I'm not really very good at it sometimes, but there is typically growth or change of the character from where they started at the beginning of the book to where they are at the end of the book.

I try not to plot chapters point by point. I use the synopsis to write the book, but how the chapters flow just depends on what happens as I'm writing...I prefer a little more fluidity in my writing that way.

uber talented? I so owe you a drink whenever we meet, Teri *g*

Sounds like you do have a handle on what you're doing, and yes, rewrites suck the big one. ugh.

Hope you feel better.

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