One piece of writing advice that I've always tried to recall at moments of despondency is 'push on'. That's right: don't stop and think for an instant or you'll lose your enthusiasm and the first draft of whatever you're writing won't get finished. That attitude has got me through two NaNoWriMos in one piece and with a completed draft at the end of them. I've been working on a little something new (nicknamed 'horrible mad story' in my head) and had just crossed the 6,000 word mark yesterday when I realised a fundamental aspect of a primary character wasn't right. A combination of research and common sense told me I needed to change it because it affects what's been and what's to come. But my instinct rebelled against going back and rewriting at this early stage. What to do?
Well, it needs to go. How can I write the rest of the novel with consistency if I know there are bits to change earlier on? The best case scenario is that it'll be a bit disjointed; the worst case one is that it'll lead to something completely fragmented and I'll have to rewrite it excessively anyway. I really might as well do it now, right? Sort out the basics and then I can move on and hopefully finish a first draft quickly.
Trouble is, I'm nervous. If I slow down and retreat I could easily lose the momentum for this story and believe me when I say I HAVE to write it for the sake of my own sanity. But I know I can't justify writing lots of stuff that I know I'll have to completely alter later. I don't have time to play around like that. So I have to rewrite it. Oh, good!
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