Plot Inconsistencies? Use This #WritingPrompt to Help #GetWriteOnIn to the Solution

Nov 26

Written By

All right, guys.

National Novel Writing Month 2020 is coming to a close, but it’s not over yet.

You may be struggling to get to the finish line, and the could be a sentiment true for any time during the manuscript writing process.

Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in your head about all the things you know you should have done instead.

So…

Where did you go wrong?

It’s okay to make mistakes in the first draft, it’s just not as okay to let those mistakes keep you from moving forward.

So where’s the plotline you know shouldn’t be there?

What can you do during the editing stages to make sure it helps strengthen your story?

How can you work around it now to finish out the first draft before you worry about all the things that need fixing?

Don’t get too hard on yourself for this, but take some time admitting to yourself where you went wrong, then get write on in to finishing out the manuscript.

All mistakes can be edited, and we’re not there yet, folks.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

There’s so much of this story I can’t wait to change once I hit the editing stages. Most of the development will go toward the magic powers, especially the ones keeping everybody in the cave. As I went through the first draft, I discovered they ate humans and that was part of what kept them there. Something in the human flesh took away their memories and kept them away from the exit. That’s definitely something I’ll have to look more into.

Everyone’s individual powers need work, too. When I went into this, I didn’t realize Vaeda would end up with necromancy. I suppose that makes sense, but there needs to be so much more development around it. Go’Ranashu is the only one who doesn’t really have anything extra special about him, apart from the fact he’s the only one unaffected by Yaga. That, however, is a plot hole, because, if his mind doesn’t get altered, why can’t he find the way out?

None of this bothers me. The whole point of the first draft is just to get through it, and if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t even know about Vaeda’s necromancy. I think that adds a lot to his character, and I’m happy with how that came around. There’s just so much more about the relationships and the magic that needs development. But boy, am I ready to take a break from this before I even start moving in on that.