Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Blood from a Stone and other Unlikely Places

Some scenes almost seem to write themselves. I sit down, and the words flow from brain to fingertips (at least I tell myself the words come from my brain, although oftentimes when I read my stuff back I think, did I really and truly write that???)

Other scenes are like pulling teeth with pliers. Such as my current one. It's not that I'm not enjoying this story. It's not even that I don't have a pretty good idea where it's all going. It's just... argh! Basically it all comes back to this bloody dead body I was careless enough to leave lying around in chapter one!! Talk about coming back to bite you on the bum.

I keep telling myself not to panic, that the girls in the basement/the muse/the little demon that resides in a crevice of my deluded mind will manage to sort something out when the time is right. But the thing is, I'm not used to writing into the mist like that. I generally have things planned out in advance, so while I might not know every twist and turn, I do know all the major roadworks along the way.

On the other hand, it is kind of exciting in a scary way NOT knowing how this is all going to resolve. At least I think it is. Then again, I might just be totally losing the plot...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, this body is causing lots of problems, isn't it? Can you jump a scene and go on to another - leave a gap and write "insert stuff here"? Sometimes love scenes slow me down so I write "insert love scene" and move on. That helps me, although since I make up stuff as I go this can be a problem because I've got nothing to go on with!

Good luck!

Christina Phillips said...

Shelley, I'd love to be able to write out of sequence, but unfortunately my brain won't play along and just sort of flounders around - well, more than it normally does, I mean!

Thanks for the good luck. I'm determined to nail this!!

Amanda Ashby said...

Yes, Christina as we all know that what happens when you say you can't do something. So should we expect some out of sequence writing from you next week!!!!!!

Christina Phillips said...

!!! Do you know, Amanda, I'd completely forgotten I always go and do that!!!

Anonymous said...

Go on, Christina. Live dangerously. I mean you have a body. Why not go out of sequence, too? ;)

Christina Phillips said...

Oops! Too funny. For a moment there Shelley I thought you'd told me to go and have an out of body experience!!!

Sandie Hudson said...

Christina if I can write a love scene that a) I don't even want in my book because it is suppose to be a Sweet not Sexy (damn Tyler wanting sex.) and the fact that if I did have it in my novel it is two chapters too soon, (Just like a man wanting everything sooner rather then later.) then I'm sure you could jump a body for a little while. Go on just shut your eyes and think what would I do after the dead body bit. You can do it.

Good luck I pop back to see how you're going later.

Hugs
Sandie

Christina Phillips said...

Hi Sandie, thanks for stopping by! The body has now been resurrected *sigh* It's a good job I don't write murder mysteries, I'd be a nervous wreck!

Anonymous said...

LOL - my comment is a bit ambigious!! But hey, whatever works, I guess ;)

Sara Hantz said...

Losing the plot??? You???? Well.... then again....... why don't you throw a second dead body in the mix that will really move the plot forward

Christina Phillips said...

Shelley it is working - slowly!!

Sara, LALALALALALALA I'm not LISTENING to you!!!