I have to echo the take a break from it that's already been said. I've been sitting on one novel I finished in December. About a month ago, I reread half of it and realized that one novel was meant to be two. I tucked it back on the back burner until my brain coughs up what's going to need to go into those 35k words to double them in size.
I also have to echo the importance of a beta reader. Critique is painful. It's really hard to let someone read what you've written and point out the flaws to you (even though you know they're there). But it's important, and no published writer out there does it without having someone who reads their work first and offers critique. I have a more recent novel I just finished, and I've heard back from two of my four first readers, and one was... well, she was the one I knew I needed opinions from most, and she entirely tore apart one of my major subplots because she couldn't find a reason for it to be in the book. Now, this doesn't mean the subplot is bad, or wrong, but that if she couldn't see why it was there, I hadn't done my job as a writer in laying the groundwork for it to make sense. I knew there was a problem with that particular subplot and talking to her made solutions take form in my mind, and I've been jotting down notes for the last few days, trying to figure out how I can rework it.
But having someone to talk to, having another pair of eyes, this is critically important. Let it rest. Absorb critique. Let the back brain figure out how to fix it, and then (as has already been said) attack it one major problem at a time. Look at characterization first maybe, and while you're fixing that, take note of the plot hooks that are unwoven so you can figure out what to do with those on the next pass. Continue to refine the characterization in the second pass, while you work on plot, because it will be affected by it. Just keep slowly refining your process.
For the record, I have a habit of taking months and/or years to revise things. Sometimes letting things sit really does make it come crystal clear. At least it does for me.
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Date: 2010-07-16 10:58 am (UTC)I also have to echo the importance of a beta reader. Critique is painful. It's really hard to let someone read what you've written and point out the flaws to you (even though you know they're there). But it's important, and no published writer out there does it without having someone who reads their work first and offers critique. I have a more recent novel I just finished, and I've heard back from two of my four first readers, and one was... well, she was the one I knew I needed opinions from most, and she entirely tore apart one of my major subplots because she couldn't find a reason for it to be in the book. Now, this doesn't mean the subplot is bad, or wrong, but that if she couldn't see why it was there, I hadn't done my job as a writer in laying the groundwork for it to make sense. I knew there was a problem with that particular subplot and talking to her made solutions take form in my mind, and I've been jotting down notes for the last few days, trying to figure out how I can rework it.
But having someone to talk to, having another pair of eyes, this is critically important. Let it rest. Absorb critique. Let the back brain figure out how to fix it, and then (as has already been said) attack it one major problem at a time. Look at characterization first maybe, and while you're fixing that, take note of the plot hooks that are unwoven so you can figure out what to do with those on the next pass. Continue to refine the characterization in the second pass, while you work on plot, because it will be affected by it. Just keep slowly refining your process.
For the record, I have a habit of taking months and/or years to revise things. Sometimes letting things sit really does make it come crystal clear. At least it does for me.