Characters Revisited

As you well know, I hate editing. At least, I did.

Today, thinking upon character development, I discovered that editing can be fun - to a degree. Having to do it over and over, I get closer to my characters, to my story, and to the world I'm creating. It suddenly seemed fun, exciting, and worthwhile.

I can take worthwhile any day! Can't you?

A few folk wanted one of the characters named. Now, I was going to wait till towards the end of the book. The character is only important at the beginning and the end. So I didn't name her yet. Well, if folks needed her named - then perhaps I should do it, I thought.

Naming could be a posting all to itself. I found a name that 'matched' the names of those in the same family, same land, and found it worked. In fact, it was a surprise and I love it.

Ah - isn't that part of the joy of writing. The surprises that come to us out of the blue. (pun intended)

The character's name is Agrona - which means carnage. And carnage is the perfect name for the woman. She brings death and destruction to those under her care. I just love the irony of it all.

The finding of the name was pure chance - if I believed in pure chance. But I don't.

Ah, my friends, life is good.

Perspective

Worrying about points of view can really depress this writer. I am still learning the process. I’m still struggling. Sometimes other characters in the novel step on my toes and shout, “Hey, I’d like to say something.” I shoot them down, of course, but feel a wee sadness.

Something happened the other day that made me think further on the ‘correctness’ of keeping my POVs down to a minimum.

I love to give correct change. I don’t know why. It titillates me. When the bill is, say, $3.14, I love to give a five dollar bill, one dime and four pennies. That way, I can rid the little change purse of those annoyingly heavy coins AND receive paper money in return. It’s a bit of a game I play, too, to keep my math skills hopping.

I sometimes get annoyed if the clerk has difficulties realizing what I’m doing. Taking an extra minute to think about it has always made me wonder if folk’s math skills couldn’t be better.

I can be a snob. And I’m shown it time and again.

I volunteer at the local art gallery. Friday, the woman who works the counter couldn’t come in. I volunteered to help. Lo and behold, some woman comes up to buy a key chain and gives me ‘correct change.’ The piece was $12.97. She gave me $13 dollars and two pennies. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. She laughed with good nature and told me I owed her a nickel back.

Back to perspective – So because I think I know what’s happening and who it’s happening to and who it is that’s speaking – doesn’t mean I am communicating that to my readers.

I am chastised. But very happy.

Life is good. Humbling, but good.

Characters and Such

I have so many things I still want to share from the conference and some insights arrived at during this past week, but I found this quote and had to go with it.....

From Franny Billingsley: http://www.hbook.com/newsletter/index.html

“When I begin writing, my characters are bits of protoplasm that I move about the narrative board. But as I write, and write and write, I begin to understand them: I understand what makes them tick, understand their perceptions of themselves, their childhood wounds, their deep-down desires — the desires they hide even from themselves (this last mostly true of Briony). And once I come to understand these things, understand them in a deep-down way myself, the character’s voice begins to emerge in surprising ways.” 
 
I got quite a kick out of reading this. It is one of the reasons I read mags about writing, blogs about writing, go to writers’ conferences, and take classes in writing.

I still feel the neophyte. I wonder constantly if I’m ‘doing the right thing.’ I question my process of writing.

And then I see things like above and connect with the thought. The insecurity vanishes for a time. And all is right with the world.

Of course, the insecurities come back – but by that time, I’m signed up for another course, or another conference, or the next issue is out…..

Life is good, incredibly good.

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation can be useful. Wrote four short stories for my Gdaughter while trying to sleep the other night. She loves them. Mysteries for seven-year olds.

Yes - I'm still writing  Haven't written anything on 'Blue' but I plan to remedy that tomorrow. I've got the day off and I am bound and determined to write another chapter. I have some chapter exploding to do, but I'll wait until I get the next chapter done.

Plan to update about the rest of the conference - but it's pretty intense and I've got to get up the temerity to put it out there.

Life is good - if you don't think too much!