A couple of weeks ago when I was right in the middle of figuring out "The Challenge" scene in my wip, I came across the quote from George R.R. Martin in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
"I do sometimes think I've thrown too many balls in the air. Why did I have to make it the Seven Kingdoms? Wouldn't Five Kingdoms have been sufficiently complicated?"
And I realized that's what I'd done. Sometimes when we're starting out, we want to WOW our audience. Maybe bigger isn't always better. After two weeks of focusing on said Challenge scenes, I think maybe I shouldn't have built it up so much before I knew what I was going to write. Too much pressure to fulfill that damn promise.
Oh well, it's done now and we'll see if it lives up to expectations, but I think I learned a lesson. Think before you write.
Great advice, and some I need to remember!
ReplyDeleteThis is something I do, too, Margie. I build stuff up in my head and then, when I'm actually doing the writing, I think - what a fool I've been. Hope you get Bix's challenge sufficiently beaten into submission.
ReplyDeleteGoing through that same thing right now. But I'm confident it will work out.
ReplyDeleteThat is great advice. I know I've built up to my black moment before only to have it emerge as barely gray. It's a great lesson.
ReplyDeleteI just love the quote. It was kind of gratifying to know an accomplished author like Martin struggles with the same things we do.
ReplyDeleteAnd I got to post a pic of Ned Stark. Win-win