I wrote today....
...more of my 2nd or 3rd novel (honestly, I'm not sure if this section fits in the first story or the sequel yet but time will tell me that). I like these characters; and I also hate them. I'm just not sure I can pull them off for one book or two or three as it's supposed to be a trilogy - but I'm trying my best.
Creating characters is easy. It's also very difficult; they have to have the right amount of substance to them without being overly complex. How do you write someone, breathe life into a character that isn't like you? The main character is this book is a female and for now I've named her Ellen - my middle name. It both fits her - because a few of her characteristics come from me - but it also doesn't fit her because she's so different than me. I struggle with her name every time I write it; and yet I secretly love it.
I'm pretty set on her counterparts name, Michael. It is the only name that fits that character, and it is a good balance to Ellen. But her antagonists? Those have changed multiple times. At this point, I've used anything from street names to looking up the most random, unpleasing sounding names. I'm sure I'll settle on them soon but its something that does irk me. I don't want to have to go back and change every time I name them in the passages.
Anyway, I used a hard copy of this story and was only going to type it into my new laptop when I pretty much changed almost everything I had previously written. Can I tell you just how annoying that is? When you write something you originally like but years later change it so much that you don't recognize the first attempt at all? And yet, isn't that exactly how life goes? What we think sounds good or how things should go isn't always as good as we think they are. Someone comes along and changes what we thought was the perfect story. The path we thought was perfect veers so clearly off course that you can't see the original one. It's gone.
I've been thinking a lot about that in the last 3 1/2 weeks. At least 25 more days of "sheltering in place" is in store for me. Essentially, my bosses have decided to handle the past three weeks on their own so as to give us time to work through this. Though there are plans for us to be more involved online with the daily dance videos and classes, we've had the opportunity to "take a break" and rejuvenate ourselves, while making sure to do our part of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve." I have been somewhat productive with house projects, feeding my inner chefs desire to cook, and catching up on what it's like to be outside. But what it's really done is made me question the part of me that I locked away - my inner author.
Today, it became clear that writing - especially creatively - will always be a part of me. And it is of no coincidence that almost every Hallmark movie, TV shows and articles that have popped up in my email or facebook feed somehow leads me to writing in some shape or form. To be honest, I think that I have truly messed up in this area of my gifting. I am sorely lacking the skill that I once had; and those skills should've grown exponentially by now. I truly have neglected a God-given talent and joy to the point that I have no belief in myself - and that saddens me. That realization jolted me awake today. I know I can be a great writer; I know that these stories and characters that are stuck in my head on a daily basis is a gift from God; I know that there is a reason why my mind is so active and creative. And I have done nothing to share it - because I lack confidence in the one thing growing up I was actually confident in!
So, my answer today was to take the first minuscule step and type in an excerpt from a story into my computer so I can have something to work with online. To get something started. I did that; but ended up getting taught a lesson along the way. It seems that everything I do, God has a lesson for me. Well, God, I'm ready for the next one. You've given me the time, the opportunity and the ability to follow through. I'm listening - it's definitely the one thing I CAN do while sheltering in place.
Creating characters is easy. It's also very difficult; they have to have the right amount of substance to them without being overly complex. How do you write someone, breathe life into a character that isn't like you? The main character is this book is a female and for now I've named her Ellen - my middle name. It both fits her - because a few of her characteristics come from me - but it also doesn't fit her because she's so different than me. I struggle with her name every time I write it; and yet I secretly love it.
I'm pretty set on her counterparts name, Michael. It is the only name that fits that character, and it is a good balance to Ellen. But her antagonists? Those have changed multiple times. At this point, I've used anything from street names to looking up the most random, unpleasing sounding names. I'm sure I'll settle on them soon but its something that does irk me. I don't want to have to go back and change every time I name them in the passages.
Anyway, I used a hard copy of this story and was only going to type it into my new laptop when I pretty much changed almost everything I had previously written. Can I tell you just how annoying that is? When you write something you originally like but years later change it so much that you don't recognize the first attempt at all? And yet, isn't that exactly how life goes? What we think sounds good or how things should go isn't always as good as we think they are. Someone comes along and changes what we thought was the perfect story. The path we thought was perfect veers so clearly off course that you can't see the original one. It's gone.
I've been thinking a lot about that in the last 3 1/2 weeks. At least 25 more days of "sheltering in place" is in store for me. Essentially, my bosses have decided to handle the past three weeks on their own so as to give us time to work through this. Though there are plans for us to be more involved online with the daily dance videos and classes, we've had the opportunity to "take a break" and rejuvenate ourselves, while making sure to do our part of "social distancing" and "flattening the curve." I have been somewhat productive with house projects, feeding my inner chefs desire to cook, and catching up on what it's like to be outside. But what it's really done is made me question the part of me that I locked away - my inner author.
Today, it became clear that writing - especially creatively - will always be a part of me. And it is of no coincidence that almost every Hallmark movie, TV shows and articles that have popped up in my email or facebook feed somehow leads me to writing in some shape or form. To be honest, I think that I have truly messed up in this area of my gifting. I am sorely lacking the skill that I once had; and those skills should've grown exponentially by now. I truly have neglected a God-given talent and joy to the point that I have no belief in myself - and that saddens me. That realization jolted me awake today. I know I can be a great writer; I know that these stories and characters that are stuck in my head on a daily basis is a gift from God; I know that there is a reason why my mind is so active and creative. And I have done nothing to share it - because I lack confidence in the one thing growing up I was actually confident in!
So, my answer today was to take the first minuscule step and type in an excerpt from a story into my computer so I can have something to work with online. To get something started. I did that; but ended up getting taught a lesson along the way. It seems that everything I do, God has a lesson for me. Well, God, I'm ready for the next one. You've given me the time, the opportunity and the ability to follow through. I'm listening - it's definitely the one thing I CAN do while sheltering in place.
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