ISWSG: Trouble In Paradise

I've been so busy writing a novel, taking care of a newborn, doing the day job from home thing, and revising a short story for some requests that I totally forgot today was IWSG. A comment on my last post reminded me, and I'm glad it did.

See, I was already frustrated. I usually don't like for my WIPs to be read. Not until their complete, but I'm writing this one for a class. I've got some really good feedback, so it's been good in that sense. Except I got to this major plot point--something I thought was really profound and would amaze people--and heard "it's such a coincidence" more than once. The frustrating thing is I can't change the plot point. It's one of the things that made me love this book, and I thought it was fate. From the beginning. From the time I wrote the first chapter, I thought this was fate. To learn others didn't disappointed me.

Then there is the issue with tense addressed in my last post. For the first time ever, I'm writing in present tense, and in spite of blog posts and articles that say present tense is easier, I'm finding it HARD. So hard, that I gave up. I started writing in past tense. I'd rewrite the first eighty something pages. But it only took me two paragraphs to figure out that this is a fast paced novel with a lot of things going on--things I don't usually write about. With a pacing I don't usually write at. Present tense just seems appropriate. So present it is.

New comments say my pacing is rushed. It is. I could feel it. I didn't no how to get from point A to point B, so I leaped. When I have an outline, it never feels organic. This is why I hate outlining. Still, this time I have such a strong plot(my downfall) that I hate to abandon the outline. However, characterization and emotions have always been my strong point so  to hear I missed the mark there makes me want to jump off a cliff.

Sometimes, I just wish I could writing something amazing. Something where all the marks are met. It seems like I'm going to be completely rewriting the last 45 pages of my 92. While worse things have happened, I really thought this ms was coming together better than that. Now I'm lost. I don't know if it's better to try to continue writing at the pace I'm going and know the emotion isn't there(pretty bad since I write romance), or try to start rewriting from where I missed the mark. It's frustrating too, because for example, one of the things I'd heard before at cons and in past manuscripts is don't repeat info. This time it seems like people are begging for repeats.

Geez. What's a girl to do? I think I'll just read. I'm in no mood to write tonight.