Friday, January 6, 2012

Quandry

Or what to do with a character.

No matter how well I think I know a character, there are always surprises. This time, it's not the character who's surprising me, but myself. 

I wrote that a couple critiquers (my editor being one of them) suggested that the hero/heroine use more magic. I agreed and fully intended, once I finished the tale, to go back and add some stuff.

Easier said than done. Now that I know magic is to have a greater part in this story, and it's only logical really, I can't seem to add it as I'm going forward. I have this horrid impression that the Muse wants me to go back NOW and work on it.

This, of course, means that I have to spend some time with my character and find out how magic impacts her/his life. I know how it's done. That's an easy issue. But the day to day nitty gritty of this being as breathing for the character. It has to be. It's something new for her/him. That gives me the opportunity to grow with my character, which is a challenge and fun!

Thankfully, I've got the upcoming retreat. I intend to spend it working on the character, sitting around the fire daydreaming about how she/he is saddled with a gift. Is it a gift? After that, what impact does the magic have on him/her? What kind of subtle changes take place with that amount of power. Lots to think about. 

Life is mind-boggling.

4 comments:

  1. Characters can be fascinating and plaguesome. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It doesn't actually sound like a quandary -- more like you realized something and are going to take steps to deal with it!

    It's always a bit disconcerting to have to go back and change something throughout when you are really far along in the story, but it can be a really good exercise in making sure it all hangs together the way you want to. When a tale gets to be long, I think it changes as it goes along, and the beginning parts need to always be revisited regularly to make sure they match with what you are discovering in the later chapters. It might seem a tedious exercise to have to go back, rather like editing, but I think it's going to make the whole story better in ways you can't even imagine yet!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, Judy - characters can rule as house as well as a beloved grandchild!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Margaret, that sounds o much better. *g*

    I do go back all the time - that's the way I edit - but this is different in that I have to make sure that the addition is true to character. Most times it seems that editing has more to do with a misplaced comma or a river that's flowing north when it should flow south. *g* I know it will make the story better, but shees....

    Gosh I love writing. So many ways to mess up!

    Thanks, dear heart, for your continued support!

    ReplyDelete