Two! Months! In! A! Row! Never tell me the odds, kittens — I managed to rewrite TWO chapters TWO months in a row! Plus, I wrote an essay! Yay me!
These are meaty chapters, too. The two chapters I rewrote this month are like the midpoint of the novel and its aftermath. If you’re writing a manuscript or interested in writing a manuscript, the midpoint is usually where the protagonist has to stop reacting and start acting. Before the midpoint, events happen to the main character — they are not in charge of things, they are simply along for the ride. Suddenly, a major plot point happens and they have to take matters into their own hands.
But because I’m writing more of a five-act tragedy than a traditional three-act story, my midpoint is the climax of the novel. In a five-act play, the climax is the turning point. Because the suspense is high, the pacing changes as does my writing style. My sentences get shorter. Characters speak infrequently, but just enough to break up paragraphs. This keeps the audience on edge, so they never know what to expect next.
With the following chapter, I’m not answering every question or resolving every thread just yet. That’s what the denouement is for. The aftermath shows the protagonist trying to get past the events of the midpoint even though it’s impossible at that moment. It’s setting up for the falling action, which is going to be the catastrophe of the novel.
On to June: I have one more chapter left in part 3 (the climax/end of the epitasis) plus some minor doctoring before it’s off to my editor for feedback. That’s all well and good because I have a MUCH needed vacation coming up this month. Though I’ll be writing, I won’t be churning another 2 chapters out just for timing purposes. However, July’s looking like a good month for that, and so is August.
Good luck if you’re reading this and writing along with me!
