Inside The Writing life: Those Moments of “Grr-Argh”
![](http://helenlowe.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Buffy1-150x109.jpg)
A different sort of “grr argh”
In writing a multi-book story, there are always moments of what I, borrowing from the Buffy ‘verse, describe as moments of “grr-argh”—which in Buffy is what happens when the unwary encounter a vampire. Well, the vampire goes “grr-argh” (or some variant thereof) and the unwary runs away screaming (if they’re lucky…)
![](http://helenlowe.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/HeirofNight_New_USA-93x150.jpg)
Inclusion…
In less elevated environs, such as those surrounding the writing of books, they could also be called moments of hair-tearing, or alternatively, head-desking.
Continuity errors are a reliable source of such moments, i.e. when the author realises they can’t do x-y-z here, as long planned, because way back whenever, the character or characters did a-b-c under the same or near-similar circumstances. So to do x-y-z now would be inconsistent: shock, horror. (Actually, I do in fact, regard continuity errors with ‘fear and loathing.’ Just saying.)
![](http://helenlowe.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/GatheringofLost_New_USA-94x150.jpg)
…in any of these…
Another moment-of-headdesk relatively recently was discovering that a minor but fun anecdote/fact I have consistently edited out of the previous three manuscripts because it wasn’t vital to their storylines (and reducing overall word count always a pressing consideration), would have made a really great set-up for something not quite so minor in WALL #4… Headdesk indeed!
![daughter-of-blood-by-helen-lowe](http://helenlowe.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Daughter-of-Blood_Front-Cover-93x150.jpg)
…could’ve been good…
This should not, by the way, be confused with that far more major dilemma “writing oneself into a corner.” It just means the author (yep, that’s right: me!) has to work a little harder in this case, to build the setup within this book. Still, definitely a tad frustrating, although probably unsurprising given it is a multi-book story.
Heigh ho… Or to put it another way, just another regular day in the life literaire. 😀
—
.
Previous Inside The Writing Life Posts:
Oh no! Something great will appear in your brain, just like all those other times you have to think your way out of trouble. We are with you in spirit.
Thanks, Jacqui: appreciated. 🙂 The main precursor event is present in earlier books, so have linked directly to that and so far is reading ok: fingers crossed. And otherwise: onward. 🙂