What Does Work

This week I've been discussing the mess of a chapter three I made of Elswyk's Moon. And it is a mess. A hot mess. A disaster…

Okay, I’ll stop.

I can sit here and belittle my writing. It’s easy to do, especially considering the evidence… Right. I said I was going to stop.

There are two really positive things that came from this, though. First, I recognize the problems. When I first "finished" the novel, I looked for beta readers. The little feedback I got back was not helpful. I knew it wasn't quite right, but I didn't know what else to do. So, I shopped the novel around. I got no response.

Now that I've gotten some more experience, I see what is wrong. And I've learned enough to know what to do to fix the mess.

The second positive thing is that there are some things that do work in the chapter.

I did need to show where Elswyk starts. Her life transforms so completely during the course of the novel. Chapter three shows Elswyk at work. We meet her coworkers. We see what she thinks her life is going to be. And that is all good.

I also needed to introduce the best friend. She plays a vital role, especially in the lead up to the climax.

And the basic plot for chapter three works. Sure, there are whole sections that can be jettisoned. However, the bones that I started with can remain. I just need to fill them out with a little less than was there before.

Chapter three. A mess. But it can be fixed. And that’s a good thing.

Now, on to chapter four…