Wednesday, September 24, 2008

End of Week Goals?

Wow, I was so excited to choose a story, that I forgot to set goals for this week.... and have gotten nothing done.

So by the end of next week I plan to:

1. Fill out my basic outline, since I have thought through most of the major plot issues this shouldn't take too long.

2. Apply Laura Cushing's 100 Questions for Character Development to my main character and decide if I should do that for all, most, or none of my other characters.

3. Reread Legacy after ignoring it for a week and a half, and assess how it can be improved for the next draft.

I have to admit, at one point I thought I had a good handle on the characters and setting, but no plot. After thinking through my plot a bit more this weekend, now I'm a little afraid to dig into the characters. I'm continuously coming to terms with the fact that I'm creating all of this, rather than having some ephemeral muse whispering it all into my ear.

It's not that it is hard, because the creation part is really fun. It just feels much more fallible when I'm inventing stuff than I imagined it would if I was just "inspired," meaning a story would emerge whole on Ruby, my laptop, after a really good free-write. How's that for deluded?!

Maybe that is why I've never really embraced writing before... I've put writers on this mystical pillar of intuition and inspiration, and simply hoped that someday I wake up on their level, with amazing stories pouring out of my head. I overlooked the amount of work it takes to open yourself to inspiration and wield it as a tool for creating an interesting story.

Geesh, and I'm just getting started!

1 comment:

Anna said...

this was great!!! I had to giggle...

I talk my characters out, scenes that may or may not be in the story, but that helps me to understand them better.

this morning the not as snippy as yesterday 16 year old was knocking on my door, as I was muttering away. she didn't hear me, but I did warn her if she finds me yammering to no one in particular, I'm just being creative... hee hee...

the mood is better, ta love for the comment! hug those little ones before they start wanting their own bottle of Midol!

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