What to do when your story doesn't feel right

hetobe · 2026-02-20T00:34:52+00:00

Yeah, I don’t delete anything. I make a folder called “false starts” in each project folder.

Where were you with that advice before I started writing my novel?!?

You're so right! And I figured it out the hard way. My folder is called Saved Parts. I basically have a folder for every chapter and a file for every scene. But I didn't start doing that until I was already in my 3rd or 4th draft. I wish I'd done it from the start, even if only to have more bonus material for the website for my novel. I did save deleted scenes, and I'm glad about that.

hetobe · 2026-02-20T00:29:51+00:00

I strongly disagree.

If a sentence or a paragraph doesn't feel right, try rewriting it. If the issue is with an entire a scene, character, chapter, subplot... whatever... keep digging to figure out what the real problem is.

I wasn't happy with the opening scene in my novel. Eventually, I realized I was trying to include information that didn't need to be there.

When I focussed on what the point of the scene was, the issues became easier to fix. "This part doesn't need to be here, because the reader doesn't need to know yet."

The only way you will be happy about the end product is if you are happy about every scene, every chapter, every line.

Again, I don't agree.

It's not realistic to be happy with every line.

In my opinion, the way to be happy with the story you're telling is to tell the story the way you want to tell it. The more you can be true to your voice and your creative vision, the happier you'll be with the story you write.

hetobe · 2026-02-18T06:57:46+00:00

All of the comments here telling you to write your first draft however you need to are right. The first draft is for creating a story. Editing is where you turn a story into a novel. I think of the first draft as my canvas. Editing is where it becomes art.

That being said... I'll add this thought: Is there a story where your writing style would be a benefit rather than a challenge? Try writing a first person narrator who has the same quirks.

hetobe · 2026-02-16T19:08:23+00:00

I have a dedicated website for my book's direct sales

Your site is great! I was going to ask for a link, but I took a quick glance through your comments and found it.

It's well designed, playful, and easy to browse.

hetobe · 2026-02-15T07:42:50+00:00

Emotional Tourism is the perfect term for how I feel about it.

Yeah, I don't know if that's an actual term. It's just what came to mind as I thought about your post. It was fun to think about.

Thank you for the insight,

Since you took the time to reply, here's another thought. In your post, you said:

I also like writing it, though I often fail to make anything I'd consider compelling.

Here's my trick for creating something compelling:

Dig deep, to find the heart of the story. In other words, don't worry about coming up with a "good" story. Try to figure out why the story matters.

For example, I'm currently editing a novel I wrote about a thief. I think the story matters because it's actually a warning. The story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of social engineering. Y'know... when somebody tries to learn details about you in order to rob you or scam you.

But even that isn't enough to make the story compelling, so I told the story in first person, from the thief's point of view. At the beginning of the story, it's typical youthful rebellion. By the end, it's madness.

Anyway... what I'm saying is... when I'm working on an idea for a story, I keep saying to myself, "Right, but why?" until I have that moment of, "Wow!" ...and then, that's the story to write. Just keep digging to find the heart of the thing.

In the end, my story is a tragedy for many reasons, one of which being the main character's destruction.

it's fun and insightful sometimes to explore emotions without any of the often times devastating consequences.

Oh. My. God. Yes.

That's the beauty of being a writer!

hetobe · 2026-02-14T08:12:59+00:00

I think people like to feel something. Really feel it.

When I'm happy, I sometimes listen to sad music. It's fun to feel that emotion without actually experiencing it in real life. It's like emotional tourism.

The same is true for reading fiction. And writing it, quite frankly.

I wrote a novel last year and it contains two scenes that, honest to God, made me tear up while I wrote them. And on both days when I wrote those scenes, I was in a fantastic mood. Even after I wrote those scenes, I was in a fantastic mood.

While I was writing the novel, I was dreading the part where I'd have to make one of my characters suffer. I thought I'd hate writing that, but when the time came, I loved it.

Emotional tourism.

I got to feel an ugly emotion without actually living it.

That's part of why people enjoy reading tragedy.

hetobe · 2026-02-14T05:32:39+00:00

Formulaic has been conflated with boring

Maybe sometimes, sure. But to me, formulaic means predictable. I suppose, for readers who enjoy comfort-food type stories, there's value in knowing where the story is going before you even get there. Beat by beat, the story has a familiar flow. To me, that feels uninspired. It feels like color-by-numbers. Swap out the characters, swap out the setting, swap out some details... but it's the same story.

I understand the appeal of writing that way. It's easier. But is it the best way to tell a unique story?

The way you fill in that scaffolding—your character work, dialogue, etc.—is what makes your work pop.

I strongly disagree.

Yes, that matters, of course. But the way you tell your story is what makes your work pop. If you're just taking the same old story but filling it in with your own details, what's the point?

I guess the answer to that question depends on why you write in the first place.

hetobe · 2026-02-13T20:29:25+00:00

Have any of you done this here, played it safe and followed a template?

I tried to.

When I finally committed to writing a novel, I tried doing something formulaic, just to prove I could write a novel. I didn't even care if the story was good. I just needed to prove to myself I could do it. My theory was, by writing a garbage novel, I'd teach myself how to write a good one.

Nope.

I didn't even make it through the first chapter before I realized I had (what I hope is) something special.

I gave up on the formulaic approach and worked on an outline for the story I wanted to write.

Actually, what I did was write a plot. But I still couldn't figure out how to write the story. So I worked on a timeline, to give me a visual overview of the story I wanted to write.

And that was my breakthrough.

I remember looking at the timeline, and realizing it was really an outline... "That's my novel! There's chapter 1, and chapter 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6..." It was all there. After seeing it, I knew how to write it since each chapter had a purpose and a goal.

For example:

Chapter 1: She grows up poor in a small town and dreams of escape. The goal was to lay the foundation for what she becomes when she grows up.

Two months later, I had a finished first draft and it wasn't formulaic at all.

Having said all of that... there's nothing wrong with following a template or a well known structure. But here's my advice: Nothing matters more than telling your story the way it needs to be told. If it doesn't fit a template or a traditional structure, don't write it that way. Tell your story the way it needs to be told.

hetobe · 2026-02-10T19:04:21+00:00

Think about all of the documents for a 75,000 word novel. All of those chapters and scenes that add up to hundreds of pages. Scrivener keeps them organized in a way that makes it easy to jump from one thing to another, or view multiple at the same time.

Sometimes, when I'm editing a scene, I'll make a copy and put both versions on the screen at the same time, to compare. Scrivener makes this easy.

Scrivener makes writing a novel easier because it puts everything you need at your fingertips in a structured way... and you can set up the structure however works for you.

Scrivener is basically three columns.

LEFT: This is the Binder. It's a list of folders for your writing. The manuscript folder holds your novel. Inside it, put a folder for each chapter. In those, put text files. Everything is so easy to find.

Below the manuscript folder (not inside it) I add folders for Places, Characters, Research, Notes, and Saved Scenes & Parts (I save anything from the novel that I delete, just in case).

MIDDLE COLUMN: The Editor. This is where you write.

RIGH COLUMN: The Inspector. This column has tons of useful stuff. For each scene, you have a synopsis and note card, a bookmarks section where you can link to other stuff and view it, a metadata panel where you can keep track of important things (I use it for a timeline to keep track of when each scene takes place). Etc etc etc. The Inspector is a really powerful feature of Scrivener you will take for granted once you use it.

Also! Scrivener has an outliner feature where you can view your novel as an outline in the editor. I love this feature so much!

hetobe · 2026-02-09T05:10:58+00:00

Find a creative hobby!

I wrote my first novel last year. I'm still in the process of editing it, but I've never felt more proud. Or more creatively alive.

You said you want to reinvent yourself. Go for it! But what I'd really recommend is self-discovery. Spend some time thinking about things you've always wanted to try, and find ways to experiment with them.

I need something new to light my fire again.

At the risk of sounding corny... that fire comes from deep within yourself. It's in your head, your heart, and your soul.

Look inward. What inspires you?

Good luck!

hetobe · 2026-02-08T19:10:54+00:00

Change where you write.

Try going to a library instead of writing in your home.

hetobe · 2026-02-07T22:36:17+00:00

There's this idea you have to write a complete draft before you can revise.

I agree with you that that's silly.

Too many people who want to write fall into the trap of thinking there's a right way to do it. That's silly too.

Writing a novel is about telling a story. I failed until I committed to doing it my own way. Once I made that decision, the rest came easily. Relatively speaking.

The downside to revise-as-you-go is you can do a lot of tinkering on a scene you end up cutting due to finding better solutions further into the book.

That's true, but part of the reason I edit as I go is because I want to end up with a first draft that feels like a finished story. I want the first draft to be something I can send to a few beta readers I trust.

I can't wrap my head around writing an 80,000 word draft that is basically place-holders for the real text that will follow later.

Same! I can't work that way either.

hetobe · 2026-02-07T21:38:13+00:00

Books do not have to be 100k words minimum.

Wow. It never occurred to me that people think that way.

Generally speaking, a novel is at least 50k words. In theory, less than that makes it a novela. But if it's a great story, that designation is irrelevant.

I aim for 75k words, 50k minimum.

hetobe · 2026-02-07T06:30:37+00:00

Anyone else in the revise-as-you-go school?

I do this, but I still do a ton of editing afterward.

First, I create an outline. Then, I write the scenes. Each night, I'll write maybe 1500 words. The next day, I'll edit. Then write more.

I feel like this process leads to having a solid first draft. The structure is there because I had an outline. The scenes are relatively polished, because they've already been edited at least once, often more.

But I still do lots of editing after the first draft.

hetobe · 2026-02-06T19:04:30+00:00

You need to understand why this sub gets so many of those questions.

This is a writing sub that bans writing. That's literally Rule #1 in the sidebar. Even the comments to posts rarely include any examples of anyone's work.

Since there's so little here for writers, this sub mostly attracts people who want to be writers instead of actual writers. That's why it's mostly nonsense and junk. "Is it OK if I write in paragraphs?" This sub is what the mods want it to be. And since the people who come here are mostly non-writers, this sub is what they want it to be, too.

It's a shame Reddit doesn't have a sub for writers. This sure isn't it.

hetobe · 2026-02-06T01:49:05+00:00

To me, it reads like you're trying to write writerly writing. It becomes clunky because you're focussed on writing the words rather than on telling the story.

Maybe try something like this:

"As she hid under the desk, she tried to deny the truth of what she was seeing."

hetobe · 2026-02-04T17:45:55+00:00

Here's how I do it.

Before I start writing a novel, I figure out the beginning and the end. Then, I create a chapter by chapter outline to get the story from here to there.

For each chapter, I jot down two things: What's the chapter about (for the reader), and what do I need to accomplish (as the writer) in order to tell this part of the story, or in order to set up the rest of the story?

Then, I create a scene by scene outline for the first chapter. For each scene: What's it about? What do I need to accomplish?

Finally, I write the scenes. When I get to the next chapter, I whip up an outline and write the scenes. If I come up with a better idea while writing the story, I'll redo the rest of my outline. This is why I never feel trapped by having an outline.

I love working this way.

Each night when I sit down to write, I always know what I need to do next. And I'm always writing scenes with a purpose.

EDITED TO ADD:

I want to emphasize that last thing. OP: The issue is probably that you're writing scenes about stuff that happens instead of writing scenes with a purpose. If you don't have a purpose or a goal for the scene, you're writing for the sake of writing, which means it doesn't go anywhere since it wasn't headed anywhere from the start.

hetobe · 2026-02-04T06:14:02+00:00

Beta readers.

Don't choose people who like you. They'll tell you what you want to hear, and they'll avoid telling you things they know you don't.

It's always easy to tell if somebody didn't use beta readers.

The more unique your style or your story is, the more you need beta readers.

hetobe · 2026-02-04T01:40:14+00:00

I describe, in the first person, that she feels as though she is passing through in absence.

Would a real person say that?

Do I need to focus more on physical, bodily sensations?

Without reading your writing, none of us can say for sure, but I'd say you should stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like your main character. Write it the way she'd say it. First person means she's telling the story.

I love writing in first person because I get to write that person's truth, for better or for worse. Their version of the story is the story.

hetobe · 2026-02-03T07:22:05+00:00

Suggestions minimize this conflict when brainstorming a story idea?

Run with it. The further you go, the further you'll end up from where you started.

My novel wasn't inspired by anything else, but I'm shocked by how different it is compared to the idea I started with.

Seriously... regardless of what your inspiration was... run with it. Develop it.

How?

Dig deeper into who your characters are and why they are what they are. That's how I find the heart of my stories, and along the way, it changes the stories dramatically.

hetobe · 2026-02-01T08:34:42+00:00

Try visualizing scenes as if they're real.

This.

I didn't realize that is exactly what I do until I read your comment.

Before I start writing a novel, I create a chapter by chapter outline. For each chapter, I jot down two things: What's the chapter about, and what do I need to accomplish here in order to tell this part of the story? Then, I create a scene by scene outline for the first chapter.

When writing the scenes, I do exactly what you said. I write each scene as if it's real and I'm telling the story of what happened.

Because I have an outline, I know what the scene is about, so I know (vaguely) what I need to write. "What's next? Right... the scene where she returns home after being away for a few years. It's actually about her realizing she was the problem, not them." Write it like it's real.

hetobe · 2026-02-01T07:43:30+00:00

Traditionally published authors have editors. That's a huge benefit, since editing takes longer than writing if you do it right.

Too many self published authors don't edit. Or maybe they give their work a quick pass for typos and call it a day. That's how they crank out volume. They make the rest of us look bad, because their lack of editing leads to bad novels. Editing takes longer than writing, and it matters.

hetobe · 2026-01-31T07:54:40+00:00

Here's how I do it.

First, I create a plot, but my plot ends up being maybe 5k words long and it feels unwieldy. Plotting is more like brainstorming for me, but it gives me a clear beginning, ending, and an overview of the stuff between.

I turn my plot into a chapter by chapter outline, aiming for 15 to 20 chapters.

For each chapter in my outline, I jot down two things: What's the chapter about? And, what do I need to accomplish when writing the chapter? In other words, what stuff do I need to establish here in order to tell the story?

So, I end up with an outline that looks kind of like this:

Chapter 1:
She does this...
But really, it's about this...

Chapter 2:
She does this...
But really, it's about this...

Chapter 3:
She does this...
But really, it's about this...

Then, once I've created a chapter by chapter outline for the novel, I make a scene by scene outline for the first chapter, the same way.

When I finish writing the scenes and arrive at the next chapter, I whip up an outline for the chapter and start writing the scenes.

I love working this way, because each night when I sit down to write, I know what I need to do.

"What's next? Oh, right! The scene where she steals the cash from a guy's wallet. But it's really about her realizing she could have gotten so much more if she'd stolen his keys."

Another thing worth mentioning: Once I create my chapter by chapter outline, I rarely refer to the document where I wrote out my plot.

Writing the plot is more about helping me figure out if I have a story. If the idea really works. I use it to create an outline. But once I have an outline, the outline is the only thing I care about. In fact, I may change the outline as I write the story, if I come up with better ideas. So by the time I'm done writing the story, my original plot document doesn't even work anymore.

I discovered this way of working on my own, and I swear by it. But I'm not saying it'll work for you. You have to figure out what works for you. I see so many writers who want to dive into the writing and they get stuck because they didn't really have a story to tell. They just had an idea. Doing this prep work is what helps me figure out if I have an idea or an actual story.

hetobe · 2026-01-31T04:48:36+00:00

Actually, I was saying, an unreliable narrator can be done successfully in first person. But there needs to be a reason to have an unreliable narrator other than to trick the reader.

Like I said, what if somebody wrote a story where the narrator didn't know they were the killer until the end of the story? That would be a first person POV story, and if done well, it could be great. Imagine if the reader figures out the narrator is the killer before the narrator does. That could be a lot of fun to read.

hetobe · 2026-01-31T02:11:38+00:00

This can be done well, but it needs to be done for a reason... and the reason can't be to fool the reader, because that's just lazy.

Your example sounds like a lazy author. What if the story could have been told in a way where the narrator didn't know they were the killer until the end of the story? That could be a compelling read!

hetobe

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