Bored! Good Godfrey. What a terrifying question. How could I possibly be bored with a story that combines the best parts of The Count of Monte Cristo, Twilight, The Fugitive, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? No! No! Overwhelmed, perhaps. Not up to the demands of my material. Surely not bored.My friend suggested that I abandon the project (same as I did the last four) and start something new. Problem is, I don't have anything else in me right now. No, instead I am going to take my annoying little strumpet of a protagonist by the hair and kick her hind end until she thinks of the next thing to do. That's her job, right? The characters are supposed to take over.
So here goes. Maybe I'll drop her in the river again. Cold water is said to be stimulating. I'll let you know how it works out.
Kate Gallison
When this happens to me, I get all the characters together for a heart-to-heart. The usual result is that one of them gets deleted. This scares the hell out of the remaining characters. They tend to be easier to work with after that.
ReplyDeleteAh. Your approach is that of a ruthless CEO, Charles. Mine is that of a cruel stepmother. I expect you get better results. We'll see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteKate, I am the manipulative type. When my characters don't behave, I give them something to hope for--a love affair, generally, or the relief of some woe in the offing that they will get if they behave. The only advice I have, really, is for you to talk to that "friend" about something else, but NOT your work. Quit? NO!!!! The troublesome project is the one that will be great in the end. GO FOR IT!
ReplyDeleteWe'll try the love affair, then. If that doesn't work it's into the river with her.
ReplyDeleteWas it Raymond Chandler who said, "When things get bogged down, have someone walk into the room with a gun?"
ReplyDeleteThen, as Chekhov insisted, fire the gun.
ReplyDeleteBut only if you display the gun in the first act. So. Put a gun in the first act and send her to bed with the vampire. That oughta do it.
ReplyDelete