Elizabeth Bear: Oh, I just figured out how to get unstuck on this manuscript. My protagonist wasn't moving towards anything so I just need to throw everything out and start over. Well, better to figure that out at 9000 words than 109,000 words.

Oh, I just figured out how to get unstuck on this manuscript. My protagonist wasn't moving towards anything so I just need to throw everything out and start over. Well, better to figure that out at 9000 words than 109,000 words.

Phew, back up to 4000 words, and this is now going much better. Remember, kids, part of being a professional is being unafraid to throw out stuff that isn't working.

Hopefully, you saved it instead of deleting it. I’ve heard of stories created from the tossed out parts from other stories. Reduce, reuse, recycle. ♻️

I save to a new dated file every day. :D This may seem excessive but the most I've ever lost to a computer crash is a single day's work.

Congratulations, kinda.

I had that happen at 51k words

Oh boo. That stinks.

Eh, I got a second, better novel and a short story out of the supporting characters' backstories, it's all good.

Oh, there's an easier way. Just make a macro that appends "because she wanted [thing she wants]" to the end of every sentence that begins with your protagonist's name.

You're a true professional!

Huzzah for protagonist protagging!

Oooh noooooes

UGHHH!!

...con...grats?

Do you mean internally or in terms of plot?

I mean she was just running away from things and coping with problems, not moving towards an immediate goal. "Make your character want something, even if it's only a glass of water." -- Kurt Vonnegut

Running away and coping with problems both sound like active expressions of a character’s needs to me.

They generally don't do as good a job of driving the plot and engaging readers, in my experience, as moving towards a goal.

Realized this at 65k words. Ended up focusing on another project instead of finishing the first one. 🥲

I once rewrote every bit of a novel except the prologue and epilogue. It took me years to work up the courage. I feel you.

at least you have a very well developed side character now

I took the same character and put them in a different situation. ;D

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