Comments on: Characters http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/01/25/characters/ The Hottest Gay Romance Authors Are Here... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:01:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Kimber http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/01/25/characters/#comment-508 Kimber Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:32:50 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/01/25/characters/#comment-508 It's true for me too that the characters are always in charge, directing the action, dictating how the story must be told. I'm just their humble scribe. *g* I've said here before that I'm a seat-of-my-pants writer rather than a plotter which often means I do a lot of rewriting especially at the beginning of a project. It's essential that I get the beginning right before I can move on with the story. Until I know how the couple meets there's no life in the telling. It's like playing with cardboard cutouts. But once I *get* the beginning, watch out! Lol! I had been noodling with an idea for a story based loosely around a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night but hadn't made much progress. Then the other day I read another author's blog post and suddenly I knew what that all important first scene had to be. Once I knew that I wrote 2,300 words on the story which, to that point, had been little more than the germ of an idea. And now the boys are clamoring for me to write more and get their story on the page. It's a beautiful thing. It’s true for me too that the characters are always in charge, directing the action, dictating how the story must be told. I’m just their humble scribe. *g*

I’ve said here before that I’m a seat-of-my-pants writer rather than a plotter which often means I do a lot of rewriting especially at the beginning of a project. It’s essential that I get the beginning right before I can move on with the story. Until I know how the couple meets there’s no life in the telling. It’s like playing with cardboard cutouts. But once I *get* the beginning, watch out! Lol!

I had been noodling with an idea for a story based loosely around a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night but hadn’t made much progress. Then the other day I read another author’s blog post and suddenly I knew what that all important first scene had to be. Once I knew that I wrote 2,300 words on the story which, to that point, had been little more than the germ of an idea. And now the boys are clamoring for me to write more and get their story on the page.

It’s a beautiful thing.

]]> By: Maura Anderson http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/01/25/characters/#comment-507 Maura Anderson Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:10:35 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/01/25/characters/#comment-507 I do think there is such a thing as having a talent for any particular thing - writing included. I see a variation of this in my Evil Day Job as a software engineer. Most people can learn to write code but it's much more difficult for some and the code they end up producing is good but not great. They just don't have a talent for it. Over my journey to publication, I have come to believe in a sort of bardic/storytelling talent. I seem to have it to some extent because it comes relatively easily to me. Not that I don't have a lot of places to grow and learn, mind you :) And my characters always win, too. As Troy in Giving Thanks is proving - despite my storyboard and plot, my muse/instinct suddenly had him do something I'd not planned ahead. I listened and I think it's a better story for it. Just longer than I planned :) I do think there is such a thing as having a talent for any particular thing - writing included. I see a variation of this in my Evil Day Job as a software engineer. Most people can learn to write code but it’s much more difficult for some and the code they end up producing is good but not great. They just don’t have a talent for it.

Over my journey to publication, I have come to believe in a sort of bardic/storytelling talent. I seem to have it to some extent because it comes relatively easily to me. Not that I don’t have a lot of places to grow and learn, mind you :)

And my characters always win, too. As Troy in Giving Thanks is proving - despite my storyboard and plot, my muse/instinct suddenly had him do something I’d not planned ahead. I listened and I think it’s a better story for it. Just longer than I planned :)

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