Comments on: the inevitable Suckage Point http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/ a writer in search of zen-like clam Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:29:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Julie http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4438 Julie Tue, 12 Sep 2006 06:36:21 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4438 Anna, you are totally OUT of the suckage point, all you have to do is finish the damn revisions. (Me? A broken record? Surely not.) Karen, it's hard to rewrite. You have to jettison your ideas of what "must" happen and somehow come up with better solutions. And for me, it often means just ignoring the first draft completely so I don't make the same mistakes. When I write something new, I always come up with the next step by thinking "what will make this better or worse?" (or, sometimes, both at the same time). When I rewrite something old, I tend to come up with the next step by thinking, "How am I going to change this next scene?" And that's not as productive as the other method. Good luck with yours and if you need to moan, you know where to find me. Lis, I'm so glad you liked Delicious. (Blatant self-plug: its sequel, Married in a Rush, is out next month.) I often hit a suckage point at the end, too. It seems like there is too much to wrap up and God only knows if the characters are behaving plausibly. When you're that close, you just need to get through it and then revise it (and, for me, NOT get caught up in revising the beginning, until the whole first draft is done and you have an overview). You're near the finish line...keep on going! Anna, you are totally OUT of the suckage point, all you have to do is finish the damn revisions. (Me? A broken record? Surely not.)

Karen, it’s hard to rewrite. You have to jettison your ideas of what “must” happen and somehow come up with better solutions. And for me, it often means just ignoring the first draft completely so I don’t make the same mistakes. When I write something new, I always come up with the next step by thinking “what will make this better or worse?” (or, sometimes, both at the same time). When I rewrite something old, I tend to come up with the next step by thinking, “How am I going to change this next scene?” And that’s not as productive as the other method.

Good luck with yours and if you need to moan, you know where to find me.

Lis, I’m so glad you liked Delicious. (Blatant self-plug: its sequel, Married in a Rush, is out next month.) I often hit a suckage point at the end, too. It seems like there is too much to wrap up and God only knows if the characters are behaving plausibly. When you’re that close, you just need to get through it and then revise it (and, for me, NOT get caught up in revising the beginning, until the whole first draft is done and you have an overview). You’re near the finish line…keep on going!

]]> By: Lis http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4437 Lis Tue, 12 Sep 2006 05:49:58 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4437 Can I join the suckage club? Mine doesn't hit till I get near the black moment and ending then its like the characters decide to go on a vacation without sending me a single postcard, unless its to tell me the first three chaps now suck and do something else with them. So I took a break from wanting to strange them and finished off DELICOUS. LOVED IT!!! Planning on rereading it again once I finish painting this week :) Can I join the suckage club? Mine doesn’t hit till I get near the black moment and ending then its like the characters decide to go on a vacation without sending me a single postcard, unless its to tell me the first three chaps now suck and do something else with them.
So I took a break from wanting to strange them and finished off DELICOUS. LOVED IT!!! Planning on rereading it again once I finish painting this week :)

]]> By: Karen http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4435 Karen Tue, 12 Sep 2006 02:39:36 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4435 Sorry about the suckage, Julie. :( I have a completed 70k word story I want to start over from scratch cos I love the characters and the basic premise...and the idea of rewriting that thing freaks me out. Don't know if I'm going to do it. Hopefully you've made some progress. ;) Sorry about the suckage, Julie. :(

I have a completed 70k word story I want to start over from scratch cos I love the characters and the basic premise…and the idea of rewriting that thing freaks me out. Don’t know if I’m going to do it.

Hopefully you’ve made some progress. ;)

]]> By: Anna Lucia http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4432 Anna Lucia Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:53:27 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4432 Heh. I'm not sure I've ever left the suckage point this year... ;-) Keep going, Julie! You can do it. :-) Heh. I’m not sure I’ve ever left the suckage point this year… ;-)

Keep going, Julie! You can do it. :-)

]]> By: Julie http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4430 Julie Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:06:15 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4430 April, I'm glad that my book inspired you! Maybe that's what I need to do...not read one of my books, obviously, but read something that gets me going. Thank you for the hint and the compliment! April, I’m glad that my book inspired you! Maybe that’s what I need to do…not read one of my books, obviously, but read something that gets me going.

Thank you for the hint and the compliment!

]]> By: Julie http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4429 Julie Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:05:00 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4429 I always have a suckage point, Michelle. I've recognised it now as an inevitable part of my process, painful as it is. Moaning is also an inevitable part. Thank you for your faith, as always. Sela, as long as we can keep the swords for backup. ;-) Nell...ah, the chocolate solution. I have been reserving that for a real emergency, but perhaps the time is now. Julie, writing something else is a great idea, and I know it works for other people--like you, you lucky thing! Unfortunately, with work and deadline, I only have time to work on this book now, until it's done. You're right, Spirit Willing was great fun to write...though I recall I reached a suckage point with that one, too. Jenna, I haven't tossed an unfinished one yet, and fingers crossed I won't for a while. I write quickly, but not as quickly as you do, so I can't afford to abandon ideas at this point. Good luck with the wedding dress--that sounds like fun! I always have a suckage point, Michelle. I’ve recognised it now as an inevitable part of my process, painful as it is. Moaning is also an inevitable part. Thank you for your faith, as always.

Sela, as long as we can keep the swords for backup. ;-)

Nell…ah, the chocolate solution. I have been reserving that for a real emergency, but perhaps the time is now.

Julie, writing something else is a great idea, and I know it works for other people–like you, you lucky thing! Unfortunately, with work and deadline, I only have time to work on this book now, until it’s done.

You’re right, Spirit Willing was great fun to write…though I recall I reached a suckage point with that one, too.

Jenna, I haven’t tossed an unfinished one yet, and fingers crossed I won’t for a while. I write quickly, but not as quickly as you do, so I can’t afford to abandon ideas at this point. Good luck with the wedding dress–that sounds like fun!

]]> By: April http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4428 April Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:04:21 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4428 Know what I did last week when I was at my suckage point? I read Delicious. And it was so fabulous that I couldn't put it down, so I read it inone night. But the next day I was right back at the writing. Guess I owe ya! Know what I did last week when I was at my suckage point? I read Delicious. And it was so fabulous that I couldn’t put it down, so I read it inone night. But the next day I was right back at the writing. Guess I owe ya!

]]> By: Jenna http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4426 Jenna Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:38:40 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4426 At least your suckage comes half way - there is no turning back once you've done so much. My wall is after chapter 3...when you can still toss it. Hence why I am playing with a plotless Cinderella/office/secluded island story. Pure indulgence. The wedding dress comes off today! At least your suckage comes half way – there is no turning back once you’ve done so much. My wall is after chapter 3…when you can still toss it.

Hence why I am playing with a plotless Cinderella/office/secluded island story. Pure indulgence. The wedding dress comes off today!

]]> By: Julie Day http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4425 Julie Day Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:17:01 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4425 Start writing something else then ideas will come to you for this ms. That happened to me. The last ms I was rewriting I got stuck on so I've put it aside and am now working on something entirely different, and lo and behold ideas popped in to my head. By the way, I'm really enjoying SWFW. It must've been fun to write. Start writing something else then ideas will come to you for this ms. That happened to me. The last ms I was rewriting I got stuck on so I’ve put it aside and am now working on something entirely different, and lo and behold ideas popped in to my head.
By the way, I’m really enjoying SWFW. It must’ve been fun to write.

]]> By: Nell Dixon http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/comment-page-1/#comment-4423 Nell Dixon Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:11:54 +0000 http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2006/09/10/the-inevitable-suckage-point/#comment-4423 In the absence of alcohol I find a very large bag of Malteasers to be almost as beneficial to the creative flow. In the absence of alcohol I find a very large bag of Malteasers to be almost as beneficial to the creative flow.

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