Noor, I think the haircut looks great. I'd shave my head if I thought it would look good.
As for your book - if Lisa Cron is a help for you, then great. But, have you had anybody else read it? Maybe an honest friend who reads a lot to get the every day POV of how they feel about the section or the character that you're having an issue with, or a professional who might be able to give you guidance? I don't say this suggesting you're ready for a DE, I'm saying this because you might not be able to see the forest for the trees anymore. Your brain knows the story and fills in any gaps - and skips over the parts it's sick to death of looking at, so it might be difficult to find the fix yourself.
Maybe it's anchoring interiority with sensory details. Maybe it's showing/deepending the conflict between what your character wants with what they actually need. It's possible with some time and maybe a bit of space away from it, you'll be able to figure it out.
Thanks for these thoughtful suggestions Renee! I haven't had anyone read the draft. I think you're right that it would help me get some perspective. But I'm in (what I think is) a common trap: I'm afraid that poor execution of ideas in the current draft will make even good ideas seem bad. Also, I'm not in the head space to receive critical feedback because I worry it will batter my mental fortitude to keep going. But I am slowly starting to gather the courage to share--maybe if I find another novelist in an equally early stages of their draft.
Also, I've found some good resources on character development that I think will help. I've learned that I need to work on the "B" story line and explore my hero's internal struggle with their "helper" character. I also think I need to spend time just writing random scenes that won't go in the manuscript, like of my characters just living and making decisions, so that I get a better sense of who they are.
i feel you on "california is dream weather but not my dream." The summers and fall are best in the Midwest. I'll give California the spring - spring is too muddy back east, north of Kentucky the nights get too cold for too long, and south it gets damn hot too damn fast. NorCal springs are long, pleasant, dry, and filled with super blooms.
Winter is very dependent on what you want, I guess. If you don't like snow, California is great, I guess. I think Denver is a better place for "I like to drive to it" because the drive is much less. I actually think a wide band of the south, off the gulf coast, is sorta the worst for winter - not cold enough for pretty snows, but cold enough for crippling ice storms.
So to recap - summer and fall in the Midwest and Northeast. Winter is up to you - I get folks who don't like the northern winters. Take your pick then. But spring is the best in California.
I suppose I never fully appreciated spring in California. Maybe I should take the time to go bask in the "super blooms" next year. Thanks for that perspective!
I was literally just talking to my wife about how there's no solution to tab management... about to get Arc!
Noor, I think the haircut looks great. I'd shave my head if I thought it would look good.
As for your book - if Lisa Cron is a help for you, then great. But, have you had anybody else read it? Maybe an honest friend who reads a lot to get the every day POV of how they feel about the section or the character that you're having an issue with, or a professional who might be able to give you guidance? I don't say this suggesting you're ready for a DE, I'm saying this because you might not be able to see the forest for the trees anymore. Your brain knows the story and fills in any gaps - and skips over the parts it's sick to death of looking at, so it might be difficult to find the fix yourself.
Maybe it's anchoring interiority with sensory details. Maybe it's showing/deepending the conflict between what your character wants with what they actually need. It's possible with some time and maybe a bit of space away from it, you'll be able to figure it out.
Thanks for these thoughtful suggestions Renee! I haven't had anyone read the draft. I think you're right that it would help me get some perspective. But I'm in (what I think is) a common trap: I'm afraid that poor execution of ideas in the current draft will make even good ideas seem bad. Also, I'm not in the head space to receive critical feedback because I worry it will batter my mental fortitude to keep going. But I am slowly starting to gather the courage to share--maybe if I find another novelist in an equally early stages of their draft.
Also, I've found some good resources on character development that I think will help. I've learned that I need to work on the "B" story line and explore my hero's internal struggle with their "helper" character. I also think I need to spend time just writing random scenes that won't go in the manuscript, like of my characters just living and making decisions, so that I get a better sense of who they are.
Noor, as long as you know where you are and what you need, that’s what’s important. I think you have a solid plan.
i feel you on "california is dream weather but not my dream." The summers and fall are best in the Midwest. I'll give California the spring - spring is too muddy back east, north of Kentucky the nights get too cold for too long, and south it gets damn hot too damn fast. NorCal springs are long, pleasant, dry, and filled with super blooms.
Winter is very dependent on what you want, I guess. If you don't like snow, California is great, I guess. I think Denver is a better place for "I like to drive to it" because the drive is much less. I actually think a wide band of the south, off the gulf coast, is sorta the worst for winter - not cold enough for pretty snows, but cold enough for crippling ice storms.
So to recap - summer and fall in the Midwest and Northeast. Winter is up to you - I get folks who don't like the northern winters. Take your pick then. But spring is the best in California.
I suppose I never fully appreciated spring in California. Maybe I should take the time to go bask in the "super blooms" next year. Thanks for that perspective!
I've been contemplating giving Arc a try and I think you just convinced me!