Melody: Look at Talvi! He’s gorgeous! 🐈⬛
Me: I agree completely. But know what else is gorgeous? That outline he’s posed in front of.
Melody: Outline? Oh… That’s mine, isn’t it?
Me: It is!
Melody: Didn’t I already have an outline? Why did I need a new one?
Me: You had an outline in Scrivener for a draft that sprinted into a dead end and a bunch of plot beats for various arcs in a virtual notebook, many of which were not hit when they should have been in your second draft. This is all of those beats and their needed progressions woven together in a scene-by-scene guide. Complete with Chapter Titles. All the way from ‘No One Is Happy’ to ::spoiler:: ‘Everyone Is Happy*’. *Everyone save some unlikable people who no one wants to be happy anyway.
Melody: Okay… So this is better?
Me: Uh-huh. Getting it all out where I could see it from one vantage point helped me make sure none of the arcs were ignored for too long, let alone dropped completely like they were in the last draft. And helped make sure I didn’t do the opposite either and spend too much time on certain arcs.
Melody: How much did you change about me?
Me: For your first half, not much. Although I did slash the start of an arc that took a lot of time to establish something I think I can get to plausibly simply by having the main character in it stop to think before triggering the arc. And I cut a few scenes that repeated things we’d already established. And added a few partial scenes to bring in certain arcs earlier. But the first half won’t have too many new words in it despite a scattering of scenes that will be original to this draft.
Melody: Alright. And the second half?
Me: That leads with a chunk where you’re going to keep about half of what you had while getting fifty percent new scenes. And then the last third or so will be entirely new. And shouldn’t end with me saying there’s no point in getting all the way to The End even if I could do it gracefully because I need to rewrite so much of the middle.
Melody: So was the last draft pointless?
Me: Not at all! The exploring I did in it helped me see what you need to be. And, at least as importantly, what you don’t need to be. It was a necessary stage. If nothing else, it wasn’t until that draft that I realized how much I like Ohshi. And I’m happy to be able to say this book will have more nonbinary rep than the last one. Ohshi’s even ace, like me!
Melody: Ohshi’s the wingless birdkin who helps Etsian with…. Um… Stuff that I will not spoil. Yesno?
Me: Yep! Ze started as an antagonist’s henchman who didn’t appear until three quarters of the way through the first draft, but in the second draft ze demanded a bigger role. Ze’s still support cast, but ze’s integral to the plot now. And is in the very first scene. 🙂
Melody: Sounds good. What else did you change?
Me: I cut some of the things that seemed unrealistic or forced, toned back stuff that seemed too melodramatic, and came at the External Action Arc from a different perspective that allowed me to plan something I think I can write. And something that will fit in as an arc in a romance novel rather something that really should be the focus of any book it’s in with the romance arcs being secondary.
Melody: Makes sense. I’m a romance, not a thriller.
Me: Exactly. Oh! And I made the primary antagonist sane. Still not a good person. But sane now, and no longer over-the-top villainous.
Melody: Good. I was hoping you’d fix that.
Me: Yep! So I’ll be off to work on Act I revisions for the rest of the week. Toodles!
Melody: No! Wait!
Me: What is it?
Melody: How are you feeling? You really worried me last week.
Me: Yeah, last weekend was rough. After I talked with you and Harmony, I took a few days completely off from writing. I didn’t even participate in any of the excerpt shares on social media that I like so much because I closed my work laptop Saturday and didn’t open it again until Thursday. I didn’t even open my virtual notebook until late on Wednesday.
Melody: The break worked though? You’re better now?
Me: Better is a relative term. I’m still clinically depressed. But the ideations have faded away and I’m feeling optimistic that last week was the low point of the summer.
Melody: And you’ll take another break if you need it?
Me: Absolutely! But I’m eager to tackle your next draft. And I read a fun book I’d like to review. And the next issue of Ethernotes is due out at the end of the week. So I have a lot to do!
Melody: I’m glad your mental health has improved. Thank you for taking care of yourself!
Me: Thank you and everyone who reached out for caring. Every message helped! 💖
Melody: 💗💗💗
Me: And now I will be off to work on Draft 3!
Melody: Awesome! I look forward to my impending makeover!
