BIAM Update- Building Bridges

For those of you who have been watching my word count with baited breath (yeah, right) I was not a total slacker last week, my internet was down for two days and that was all it took to get me out of the habit of posting my numbers. I’ll try to do better this week. On the other hand, it’s amazing what you can get done without the internet distraction.

This past week I have been building bridges.

When I begin writing I generally have a pretty good idea of where I’m going with the first several chapters. I also know a lot about some of the major scenes that will carry the plot forward. I write these first, then go back and begin filling in gaps. Last week I decided it was time to fill in a lot of the left over gaps.

My manuscript was well over a hundred pages long but it lacked some of the satisfaction that can give because as I’d scroll through the text I’d run into “Not Done Yet” places more and more the further I got into things. So, I set a goal to close all those gaps. I built bridges between all of my previously written scenes, some just small transitory notes, some more major event sequences. It’s not as exciting as writing the major scenes but it is still very fulfilling. Now when I scroll down to the place in my manuscript where I left off, I don’t have any wide white spaces with small notes about things that need to be added. I have a complete manuscript finished to the point where I am currently working.

OK, so there are a few left over scenes that are tacked on the end. For instance I’ve already written one scene just because my emotions at the time were similar to what I wanted my character to feel in that moment. I wrote it. I also know exactly how this story ends. I wrote that when I wrote the beginning.
It always amazes me how many different ways there are to create a story. It is truly an art.

I don’t have all the answers yet on how to solve my “Not Done Yet” syndrome but there is one area of my life that I am determined to over come it in. Yes, I have fears and slow days, and I’m easily distracted, just like anyone else. I’ll never get it all right and I’m far from perfect; but, if I could choose one thing to focus on about myself that makes me the best “me” possible it would be my writing. Housework and projects will always fall to the wayside in my ADD mind and life but I am determined to keep building bridges, to keep finding my path, to keep writing- a little further and a little better every day.