Change comes from within. Or something.

I've been kind of mopey about working on my first chapter. It doesn't help that I'm sick with the whole coughing, sore throat, stuffy nose going on. My husband sat me down and asked what the problem is. I told him my manuscript sucks. He said he doesn't understand why because the story idea is good and the scenes he's read are good. I tried to simplify my answer in one sentence to explain AGAIN why there is a problem: Seth doesn't change. When the story begins, he's ALREADY changed.

To my non-writer husband, the problem is simple then. I started the story too late. And... he's right.

I hear again and again about writers starting their story in the wrong place. They start too early. They start where there isn't any action. They try to set the scene and don't engage readers like they should. I went all wacky here and started AFTER the action. I let Seth change off-screen. WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THAT?

I have big revisions to do. HUGE. But I'm excited about this project again. Nervous as hell, but excited. Because this is fixable. I can do this.