I've spent the last couple of days trying to do some more leg work for 'Blue.' I want this story done and edited and out the door. I'm tired of it. I'm not really tired of 'Blue' nor her characters, but I'm tired of it hanging heavy in the background. It's always there, even when I'm working on 'The Other Side' or 'Sorrysorrysorry'. It never lets me sleep.
My editor said I had to give a little more detail for one of my lesser characters. I'm chaffing at this. He's only there like you'd use someone who opens the doors or sets the tables. I didn't want to make him anything more than that. Until -- I remembered, I've got Book Two and Book Three to write. Who's to say this character isn't going to turn into one of those secondary characters who decides the book should be all about him. Now - I know neither book will be, but I think it might be wise to flesh out this guy, just in case. I've added a few bits and pieces here and there in Book One, but I'm working on a back story for 'Padget'.
Also, I was told that one of the characters I kill off somewhere in the first half of Book One doesn't resonate with her. She wants more. Good grief, now that I think on it, my editor is starting to sound like a kid at her birthday - opening present after present - and still wanting more.
No - she doesn't do that. She's usually spot-on with her thoughts and so, I'll add more of 'Harland' but only a little. I've got a back story for him already, but I will not put a lot in. She said if I flesh out my lesser characters that my main character will blossom. I'll remember that as I put some more touches of 'Harland' into the chapter before he dies.
As for my character study, I didn't have a 'picture' of Harland and found one last night. Perfect. I use a Google search using some criteria for what I think the character looks like, and then I hit 'images' and up pop pictures of kids who fit some of the criteria. None of these pictures will be used in the book; I just need something for myself - something hanging on the wall with the other notes - like timeline and lineage and such.
Phew! And then, I began working on Ch. 18, which is not an easy chapter to make changes. But it's not too difficult either. I must remember that.
I suppose all of this is kind of like spring cleaning. And this is an appropriate time of the year for such. I'l just take one 'room' at a time. *g*
Life is sunshine.
I spend a lot of time looking for images of things I want to write about accurately. It's usually scenery, but sometimes it's people, as well. It's interesting that I obviously have an idea in my head of what I am looking for, because I know the right image when I see it, but it's hard to write about that image when it's just in my head. I need something to look at while I'm describing! It seems to provide depth to a place or a character.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're making progress, even if it doesn't always feel like it when you are needing to go back to tweak this and that. Anything you can do to make your characters more real is worth the time and effort, I think.
Hello! *waves* Wishing you a glorious Easter with lots of characters spilling over into joy-filled moments! Yes - making progress - just a wee bit frustrated.
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