First, my birds. 🙂

I was having a blast with Cougar’s Mate, just going along nice and linear like, which means from Point A to Point B to Point C, and then something happened. I had the brilliant scene play out in my mind that was the whole ending. Or not.  I thought it was the black moment, and I thought it was the ending, but the characters did the unexpected, again.  What that means is that some of the other stuff I wrote that I had already cut out–the 10,000 words could be used, so I inserted them back in. But they have to all be reworked because they don’t fit now with the new beginning and the almost ending.

So what happens? Can’t sleep. I had another scene, so wrote it, but I wanted to write another scene. Too tired. Hoped I’d remember it in the morning. 1:00 and I’m thinking about the scene I didn’t write. It doesn’t pay to put the muse on hold. So I wrote it, turned out the lights, couldn’t quit thinking and had another scene come to me. *sigh*

The first 6 chapters are great, linear, from the first point through the end point. The end chapters are too, well, the almost end. And then, I have to rework and add a lot in between. Does this mean filler? Never. Conflict, mystery, romance, adventure. If it doesn’t add to the solving of the mystery, to reaching the ultimate goal and a HEA, it doesn’t belong.

When I was playing RPGs, Role Playing Games, I saved a lot. I do with my writing too. But if you don’t save an earlier version, that you might decide you like better, just like in a game, you might find you saved too late. Believe me. I’ve been in really tight spots of no return in a game, and the last saved game means no going back–or to a much, much earlier place where I didn’t have half the wonderful armor or weapons or magic skills, hadn’t solved a lot of the mysteries, and have to fight all the bad guys again.

My dad used to say he really hated to have to go backward when he was trying to move forward, like heading out, forgetting something crucial, and having to return for it. Or getting lost and traveling way out of his way.  That’s how I felt about having to go to an earlier game and start “all over”. I didn’t enjoy fighting all the monsters again, or finding all those treasures again. I wanted to find new monsters, new mysteries to solve, new treasures.

If you play a lot of these games, you’ll be driving through town and think:  I wish I could have restored to an earlier play. 🙂 If I’d only known the mess I was going to get into driving this route, I could just take a different one. If only I could click a button and I would be back at that point and just take the other road. I think there’s a story in that. 🙂

Or, saving. Wouldn’t it be neat if, like with that thought I had last night, just save it in a game folder? And then open it up in the morning, at a decent hour and it’s all there???

Okay, so saving and restoring are great game play techniques. If I didn’t have them, I’d be dead. Game over. Forever and ever and ever.

Now then there’s cheatin’. I’m going to tell you that if I try and try and try to solve a puzzle and I can’t go anywhere else to continue the game play because that’s a main quest and I have to do it, I cheat. I’m not saying I’m proud of it. But sometimes, I have to have a clue or three to get me on my way. There’s something called an Easter Egg that programmers add to games also, and so you can get a cheat item, unlimited money, magic potion, whatever.  I usually don’t do this. But I was playing Dungeon Siege and it was so glitchy, I kept having trouble. You can’t kill of the monsters and have fun exploring the area. You have to keep killing them. I love the mystery, finding cool stuff, solving puzzles. Killing over and over and over is not my thing. It wears me out. 🙂

So I got a cheat code that made me really powerful. And then I got to the place where I had to fight several wizards and they killed me! Over and over again. I was no longer all powerful.

You see, sometimes you can’t just save and restore and downright cheat. You’ve just got to put your nose to the grindstone, and… work. 🙂

And that’s what I’m going to do.

Have a super great Sunday!!

Terry