That old Kenny Rogers song kept playing in my mind last night while I was staring at the monitor wondering what would come next in Joshua's Hope. It made no sense, and as much as I tried to shut the music off, it just kept running through my mind. Have you ever been there?
Frustrated, I turned away from the monitor and keyboard and flipped on the television and watched a bit of Deal or No Deal. But that song kept repeating in the background. I summoned my muse and asked her what was going on. That's when she hit me with the hammer. "You're trying to force the story. It isn't working. It's like playing poker. You need to know when you have a losing hand and throw in the cards."
She was right, of course. I had been forcing it. And it didn't work. So I took a deep breath and began to think about what needed to be cut. The entire last chapter! It was too soon for this particular scene to take place. Immediately I knew what needed to take place, and that old song stopped playing.
Yeah, now I'm playing dice. I'm rolling on.
Ever had a similar experience? Care to share? I'd love to hear!
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