For the past year, I’ve written. Lots! But I’ve concentrated on Friday Ideas and picturebooks.
But not novels. I’m starting a novel revision, with editorial input, and it feels rough. I did four new introductions last week and none of them felt right. So, I”ll do four more today, more as practice than anything else. Playing the scales of a novel, instead of a picturebook.
Picturebooks say one thing–emotionally.
Novels say several things, in complex interwoven ways.
Scales for a novel involve thinking carefully about what you set up and the ramifications for later chapters. It’s anticipation, awareness of ripples of sound and meaning, connections. There’s room to stretch out emotionally.
Picturebook scales are more about evoking visual images and evoking emotion with an economy of words.
I”m still doing Friday ideas, believe me! I’ve written seven picturebooks this year, instead of just the one like last year. But I’m ready to flex those mental muscles that are needed for novels!
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I just spent three hours deep in revisions for my novel’s opening, so I know what you mean here about emotional stretching, laying down threads to be picked up later, and trying over and over and OVER again to get those first notes right. It’s been a frustrating process, but I’m hoping it will be worth the effort, and that all the work I’m putting into the beginning now will make the middle and ending easier to handle. If not, I don’t want to know!