Contemplating Chapter Changes – The Climb #664

Thursday 17^th December 2020

So I’m contemplating a big chapter change.

In terms of a ‘formula’ this chapter is the one where the ‘call to adventure’ has been made but the hero rejects it. Something has to happen to make them change their mind.

This novel has been an experiment in structure and whilst I’m wary of too much structure in a novel, I wanted a chance to play with it to see what the outcome of it would be like. Due to various factors, it’s been a bit stop-start when it comes to the first draft. With Xmas looming and a mountain of tasks I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to progress before the New Year. But in the schedule I’m putting together for 2021, I’ve given myself until the end of January to get it done.

Originally, in my plan, the basic idea was that the hero was given the call to adventure in the form of a job. My hero rejects this for *reasons* and it’s only when their partner loses their job that the need for money drives the hero back.

Originally the lost job was going to be something trivial: a row with a customer, the shop shutting… something quite mundane… but there’s part of me that thinks I should up the stakes a little and … well… maybe have their partner have a serious accident.

It’s not set in America and so medical bills wouldn’t be a factor, but there’s things like rent and the like.

I’m not against being cruel to my characters. Indeed, I relish it. But, I’m wondering how this change fits in with the various themes and plotlines of the novel. Would having them in hospital cause my hero to leave them to go on an adventure? Only if the need was very dire. Maybe if they could speak and their injuries weren’t life threatening?

This is the thing I find with stories. They are like dominoes, where you knock over one by making a small change and suddenly there’s a cascade. Lots of experience of rewrites has got me less fearful of this from a craft aspect, but in terms of story, I feel like I’m juggling twenty balls and have suddenly added a new one.

The change would definitely make the story stronger here, but does it screw things up going forwards? And seeing as I’m experimenting with formula, I don’t want to do the thing where I revise my outline whilst writing. I’d rather get to the end and then make the changes.

And of course, with all the various tasks for xmas – this was supposed to be a quiet xmas, why is there still so much to do? – my brain is distracted by a whole list of things I need to remember in order to be ready.

I’m starting to suspect that I’ll not get much, if any, writing done now until the New Year. I always forget just how busy Xmas is, even if – in my defense – I thought this being a quieter xmas would make the preparations a lot simpler and less time consuming.