And by that I don't mean cans and plastic. I mean stories. Do you rework stories or write brand new ones?Last year I subbed a requested book to Silhouette after making extensive revisions to the plot based on an editor's suggestions. About the same time, I fell beneath Donald Maass' evil influence (kidding, love the guy) and filled the book with tension, conflict and characterization. Way too much for my 50K word category book. The hero ended up being way too unlikeable because I didn't have room to balance his darkness with something light. The heroine wasn't sympathetic because I couldn't go into depth about her backstory and develop her the way she deserved to be developed.
I let the plot overwhelm my story and didn't sink far enough into the characters.
I knew when I sent it that it wouldn't be a good fit for category. I wasn't telling the right story. I was trying to fit these wonderful characters into a very tiny box. I said at the time that I would expand it into a single title. And that's what I'm going to do.
Some of the plot is going to stay, but I'm going to approach it from a different angle and let both the hero and heroine develop more. Their love story won't change at all. They are still the same people. But I'm going to let them interact with other characters more.
So, do you recycle? Or do you move on?
Today's goal: Setting goals for a major rewrite.
Yesterday's achievement: Sent last Golden Rose judged entry back
What I'm grateful for: Characters that capture your imagination.
Quote: "I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way." -Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967), Incidentals (1907)
