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Black Moment
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Okay, so last night I was supposed to sit down at the computer and write my book’s “black moment” – or, as I am calling it in this relatively light romance, the “gray chapter.”
Instead, what I did was mess around surfing the internet for a few hours. Then I went to bed.
It’s like I just don’t want to go there. I don’t want to put my characters through despair, and I don’t want to feel it with them. (And I’m being completely overdramatic, because as I said, their black moment is really more of a dark gray.) Intellectually, I know that letting them suffer makes for a more emotionally-satisfying ending. Still, I have this – I don’t know, I suppose the word for it is fear – about actually writing it.
Why is this so hard? Those of you who have gotten to this point before and written through it, what advice can you give?
February 13th, 2007 at 5:37 pm · Link
**crickets**
February 13th, 2007 at 7:24 pm · Link
I am totally having the same problem! I’ve already put them through so much that any sort of black moment just seems cruel…
February 14th, 2007 at 6:38 am · Link
I’m rewriting my black moment. I must be odd because I love it! I think of so many ways I can make it better because I know the payoff is so well worth it. Plus the true black moment is really about my hero’s REVELATION and since my poor heroine has been through enough in my novel, it definitely was his turn.
I guess that doesn’t help with your grey moment but there it is.
Think of the payoff to HEA, maybe that will help.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:34 am · Link
I don’t do black moments well. For one thing, I simply don’t think in those terms when I’m writing. The phrase “black moment” makes me think down and bad where I tend to think climax, which is up and good, but hard. Hmmm… why did that come out sounding funny?
Anyway, I’m working on revising a black moment now. It’s rough going because I can’t seem to find exactly the right combination of events to really bring out what I want to say. I’ve already replaced it twice, and am replacing the climax yet again. It simply doesn’t have enough power yet, and left out too much.
I find it a LOT easier to give the black moment a lick and a promise on the rough draft. If I didn’t push through with the intention of coming back to fix it, I’d never get a book finished.
Alice
February 14th, 2007 at 7:49 pm · Link
I write scenes out of sequence, and certain very upsetting parts of my books often don’t get done until I have no choice but to write them. This one scene in a project I was working on a few months ago made my hands shake so much that I could barely type. No wonder I put it off as long as I could!
You’re not alone, Eve! 🙂
February 16th, 2007 at 8:52 am · Link
I guess I’m always afraid the moment will be too black, my characters will say “to H*ll” with each other, and I’ll be left with an unfinished book!
February 19th, 2007 at 4:16 pm · Link
Well dearest Tess (Vangie), what a pleasure to find you posting about your creation ‘Goddess’….
I read the excerpt from your story and I absolutely cannot wait to read it in its entirety.
I have no advice regarding black (or blue) moments,nor grey ones for that matter. I have always disliked them so despite them being considered a good publishing strategy I say don’t put one in. (Do not take this advice! It would ruin your career taking counsel from an angst weenie.)
Anyway, I just wanted to offer a little LL and HG wave to one of my very favorite authors. Your presence is missed, my dear!
Many blessings to you as you launch your debut novel out into the hands of the reading public. You will do beautifully!
February 20th, 2007 at 2:23 pm · Link
RITA!!!
How wonderful! How did you track this blog down? (and here I thought I’d covered my tracks so neatly. 🙂 )
I would not even be writing this book if not for you … send me an email from my website, please! I want to catch up!