I did a lot of writing last night. I’m revamping a scene where my protagonist is in some dank underground dungeon. I planned to add in just enough retrospect to make his novel-long revenge plot against another side character make sense,* and I just ended up unofficial flashbacking and telling the whole freaking story.
Given I’m not done writing this scene, but I’m close. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to put all that in there, or if I should keep it to a brief flash of memory. Meh. Beta readers, anyone?
But I’m enjoying these scenes, which is good! They’re sucking my brain back into the heart of the story, so TWS planning has been very light. I mean, how can you focus on lunar-cycle shapeshifters when you have intimacy-fearing circus-boy terrorists to play with?
Excerpt of the day:**
“Of course I don’t understand!” She grabbed his wrist, her grip cool and surprisingly tight. “Ever since I met you, you’ve been alone. You train alone. You sleep alone. You plan and fight and cry alone. You won’t even let people touch you.” She released his wrist, withdrawing her hand. “When will you wake up and realize that you’re wrong? You’re not alone, Flad. But you shut me and the others out. You—”
“Where is this coming from?” Flad asked, standing. “Hollows, Lod, where are you getting all of this drama?”
CSH, chapter 17
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*About half of my alpha readers didn’t understand the motives behind it, so I had to make it more obvious in this draft.
**Loved editing this scene.
Dank underground dungeons are the traditional place for flashbacks.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think telling the Whole Freakin' Story is probably best, I suppose it's not possible to chop it up and throw it throughout a plot advancing scene? Escaping the dungeon has a lot of 'cut' points for different stages of the escape preparation where the character could flashback in the tedium.
Be careful of flashback tedium, however. Flashback always seems more interesting to a writer than it is to a reader. You've got to make it a combo-punchout: flashback, reverse-reveal, back to present, monster-punching-in-the-face-escape-with-newfound-old-knowledge!
ReplyDeleteAt least, that's how I conceive of it. Melee combat.
-bn