The dreaded half and half

Hi everyone. Guess what I did?  I wrote a half and half.  What’s a half and half?  It’s a story where the first half kicks awesome butt and the second half gets the awesome butt kicked out of it.

I knew this before I sent it out to my beta readers, but sometimes I’m not sure if my doubts are my own insecurities beating me up, or if my story is really bad writing.  This time, it was really bad writing.

And not only one, but two beta readers told me the same thing.  In fact, they both pointed out to me the exact same spot the story fell apart, why it fell apart, and what to do about it.  If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were sitting side by side comparing notes, that’s how almost identical their comments were.

Well, I suppose if I’m going to make mistakes, they should be glaring ones.

 So what was wrong with it?  The plot.  It fell apart.  There were pot holes – no, make that sink holes – everywhere in the second half.  Both of my betas said the first half was excellent and they offered minor suggestions to make it tighter.  In the second half, my main character acted against his nature.  I threw in danger when there shouldn’t have been any…in the form of Yetis.  One beta compared the scene to Disneyland Adventures Kinect game. (and this is supposed to be an adult fantasy romance? Oh, no no no.  Make note:  the Disneyland Yetis have to go).  There were characters that walked on and off scene with no reason why, scenes that just happened because…?  (Heck , I don’t even know and I’m the author).  Face it.  There are times when the excuse “Because I can” doesn’t work.

Why did all this happen?

Because I was trying to make the story into something it wasn’t.  I was forcing it, trying to get the story to conform to a mold.  I was looking at a deadline and I was trying too hard to interject an element in the story that really can’t be rushed.  The result?  An ooey gooey mess that now has to be written all over again.  Once again, I should have listened to my gut and not my head.

After giving the story a two-day rest, I started it back up again and I’m writing the second half the way I should have written it all along.  I’m writing for me, not for what I think someone else wants or expects.  I figure others will either like it or they won’t.  I can’t please everyone, so I shouldn’t try.  All I can do is write from the heart.  Once I do that, the rest will fall into place.

So what about you?  Have any of you written a half and half?  Please share your literary blunders and how you overcame them.