When the Work-in-Progress Progresses Slowly

All writers have times when their writing moves slowly, and I am in one of those times. It feels like I have been editing my work-in-progress forever.

Maybe I should have expected this—the first draft came together very quickly during NaNoWriMo last November. A quick first draft probably means there are a lot of gaps in the plot and sloppy writing.

I immediately plowed into editing after the rushed first draft. I described in April how I have been shaping the novel. I’m still doing that, like a sculptor adding and carving off clay in smaller and smaller bits.

It’s getting easier, but there are still issues with inconsistent character development and repetitive mentions of back story. So I’m carving away.

Despite these difficulties, there are days when I really like the book. It’s a coming-of-age story about a boy trying to discover who he is after he learns of a secret family tragedy. I like this kid and his family, and I want them to come to terms with their past. (Spoiler alert: I’m the writer, so I get to decide if they do.)

But my critique group has mixed reactions to the book. Some of my critique partners like the focus on the main character’s angst. Some of the group members want more action and think the angst is too repetitive.

I am torn. This is a novel set in the mid-19th century West, and I understand the modern reader’s expectations of Westerns. The plot does contain encounters between whites and Native Americans. There is a cavalry unit. But the particulars of the history I’m retelling mean that there are more fears of battles than actual skirmishes, more threats of attack than actual mayhem.

As I edit, I try to be mindful of how today’s readers will approach the story, as well as staying true to the history of the particular place and time of my novel. There is plenty of room for conflict—internal and external—in the history as it really happened. People are people regardless of the historical era. And wherever more than one person congregates, conflicts can arise.

To escalate the tension and show how my young protagonist and his family are developing, I include squabbles between friends and siblings, a married couple with differences on family issues and priorities, a cantankerous neighbor, and an overbearing military commander. I hope these keep readers interested as my main character learns about unsettled territory in Oregon and the tedium and hardships of military life, all the while learning about himself and his past.

I think I need one more pass through the novel before I’m ready for beta readers, which will probably take me until Labor Day. Then, while they read and comment on it, I will start the polishing and formatting. I still want to publish this book in 2021, but whether I will make it is in doubt.

When has one of your projects gone more slowly than you anticipated, and what did that teach you?