Monday, 4 November 2013

Writing a Story Book for Children... 15 Chapters done...

Having a break from routine is good but sometimes it can be difficult to get back into the flow. Since coming back from Malta I have struggled to get back into the flow of working on my book but today I made good progress.

I had completed the first section of my children's novel, 12 chapters and over 22,000 words before going on holiday and I took a print out of it with me to give it a first full read through. The book has fallen into the distinct sections without really planning it that way. I had to tackle the challenge of having 2 characters that went in separate story lines for a while. I had to consider whether to alternate chapters to follow the 2 stories or whether to write one story to a point and then rewind in time and write the other story to the same point. Neither really worked for my novel so I chose a 3rd option. 

I followed one character's story to a point, then let the 2 characters meet up again. The 2nd character's story of what had happened while they had been apart was told as a conversation between the 2. 

I am now at the point where the 2 characters are ready to move forward for the final section of the story. 

My story timeline is still working well and I have not had to alter it since I began writing, it is definitely worth spending the time in getting that right from the beginning and to keep referring back to it on a regular basis, but I have found that I have a few more chapters than first expected. 

I've just completed Chapter 15 and I'm all set for the main character's journey home with a few adventures and surprises on the way. I know I still have a long way to go but it's well on the way to getting completed.

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