Scenes You Hate To Get Rid of But Must
About to go to bed. What I really like about some DVDs is the extra stuff, the director's take, character/story development. I've been watching the 2nd Disk of the Incredibles and listening to the Writer/Director Brad Bird talk about those scenes that he loved but didn't really fit in the film -- or the story.
This happens. Something that you absolutely adore, a scene you think needs to be there to make a particular point, a scene that ALL your critique group loves...but it is essentially extraneous or everything works better without it or takes up too much space that more important scenes need. Or the set up is too long and the payoff too small for the story.
I've had these. Particularly with regard to Heart Thief, which I think I told you I was writing before HeartMate sold, and changed from a romance to a sf/f story. Added lots of sf/f stuff. Then I sold HeartMate and Heart Thief had to be massively revised to become a romance, removed most the sf/f stuff. Some of these cut scenes can be read on my Worlds page under Heart Thief, because though I had to let them go, it soothed me to put them up there.
I'm sure some scenes from Keepers will be cut and go up on the Worlds page, but until I get to the end of the book, I don't know which ones -- though I have a lurking idea about one.
In Protector, there was a little bit about Calli and Marrec's squires, meeting them, hiring them, etc. that got cut due to space. Scenes
Well, as I said, it's been a long day and I worked on 3 chapters and am about 90 words short of my goal, but I can live with that. So I hope I made sense above.
Moral of the blog, no matter how much you love a scene, if it doesn't add to the story, take it out. Put it on your website, keep it in your files.
May you know where you're going today.
Robin
This happens. Something that you absolutely adore, a scene you think needs to be there to make a particular point, a scene that ALL your critique group loves...but it is essentially extraneous or everything works better without it or takes up too much space that more important scenes need. Or the set up is too long and the payoff too small for the story.
I've had these. Particularly with regard to Heart Thief, which I think I told you I was writing before HeartMate sold, and changed from a romance to a sf/f story. Added lots of sf/f stuff. Then I sold HeartMate and Heart Thief had to be massively revised to become a romance, removed most the sf/f stuff. Some of these cut scenes can be read on my Worlds page under Heart Thief, because though I had to let them go, it soothed me to put them up there.
I'm sure some scenes from Keepers will be cut and go up on the Worlds page, but until I get to the end of the book, I don't know which ones -- though I have a lurking idea about one.
In Protector, there was a little bit about Calli and Marrec's squires, meeting them, hiring them, etc. that got cut due to space. Scenes
Well, as I said, it's been a long day and I worked on 3 chapters and am about 90 words short of my goal, but I can live with that. So I hope I made sense above.
Moral of the blog, no matter how much you love a scene, if it doesn't add to the story, take it out. Put it on your website, keep it in your files.
May you know where you're going today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 12:07 AM
2 Comments:
I guess you have to do the cutting and weeding for the overall quality of the books; however, I appreciate and love reading these scenes in your website, they enrich the backgrounds of the books. Thanks!!!
Thanks, reader. I like to "give back", and also it helps soothe the pride.
Robin
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