Here's something I thought I might mention before it slips my mind forever. Observant readers might have spotted that I'm a keen writer of both fiction and non-fiction. At the moment, I'm working up the third (or is it fourth?) draft of a novel, which I'm hoping to complete some time before Christmas. (I'm not saying which year.)
There are many differences between the first draft and the most recent version. You know the drill. Characters have been ditched, added, changed. Plot lines have been tightened until they hum in a high wind. Hackneyed metaphors have got the chop ... And I've rewritten passive sentences.
Anyway, a couple of things weren't working. One was the death of a character. Dramatic, sure, but not quite right. The solution came to me while I was wandering around a rainforest up north. I sat down on the wet path, risking leeches (bad) and scrub itch (worse), and scribbled down the entire scene in my notebook. Nothing to do with the surroundings. Everything to do with a refreshed mind.
The second problem was the denouement. Well, I didn't think it was too big a problem until I had a dream last night that played out a much sharper scene. Perfect! Now, all I have to do is relive that nightmare and I've got the conclusion.
