Sometimes, writing a draft is like getting lost in the forest.
On a recent weekend in the country with our church in Tallinn, Estonia, I decided to take a short walk on the trails before breakfast. Like the boat ride to Gilligan’s Island, it turned out to be a little longer than I thought.
The intention was to walk about ten minutes down the trail and then turn around. I visually noticed some things on the trail to help me remember which way, but I thought I was only taking one trail, so turning around would be no problem.
When I turned around, I was faced with more options. Walking in one direction makes it seem like you are on one trail, but when you pivot, multiple options appear and they all look alike.
I must have taken a trail that was going the opposite direction to where I wanted to go, because by the time I decided to consult Google Maps, I was a 40 minute walk away from our retreat site. My twenty minute hike turned into a two hour tromp through the forest. The good news: I made it back, with just a few twigs in my hair. Bad news— I missed breakfast (and it was pancakes)!
Sometimes when we’re drafting, we get lost in the forest.
We intend to hit the plot points that we know we need for the story to have shape, but that backstory seems important, and maybe we need to see where this flashback takes us on the trail. By the time the draft is done, it is a meandering 100,000 words and seems not to follow any type of story arc at all. Has this happened to you?
Well, I may not be a competent forest guide, but I am a great novel whisperer. If you find yourself in need of a guide to help you untangle your plot and get it on the path to an engaging story, let me help.
Sign up for a chat today, I am waiting to hear about your novel. Together, we’ll make sure you get back to the lodge and that your story works, maybe even in time for pancakes.
