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| By Ardfern (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons Only not really. I'm kind of full up here. |
A little over a year ago, I was working on a story. I loved the characters, the world, the plot. All the pieces made me happy. Unfortunately, they just weren't quite coming together right. I knew something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what. Frustrations galore.
I went the route of tough love. Moved those characters to a special room in the back of my mind - told them to work it out and get back to me when they had.
Let me tell you, they took their sweet time. At first I was annoyed with their playing hard-to-get, then I was grateful. Some new characters were asking for attention and I was happy not to have them battling it out in my brain pan.
So, I focused on the new guys. They were much more forthcoming with their tale. So much so that I finished the MS right before celebrating the coming of the new year. I really love these folks and am happily drafting the next segment of their story. But the other night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, there was a little knock on that door at the end of my mind hallway.
Before I could even open it, they all started talking at once. They knew how to fix the story. I'll be honest with you, their timing could have been better. I was looking forward to the whole sleep thing and suddenly I was completely wide awake. They insisted upon it, seeing as I haven't figured out how to take notes in slumber yet (I'm working on it). The only thing that kept me from a sleep deprived fury storm was that they had really good ideas. Maybe even great ones.
And it all started with the main character saying, Yeah, I don't think I'm as old as you think I am.
For the last three days, it's been pretty much an avalanche. All the aspects that I couldn't quite connect the first time around are suddenly making sense as a whole. Major, all consuming rewrites need to be done on the work that I started way back when and a whole bag of new inserts must be crafted. The amount of work to get this all done will be massive. And big time exciting.
How about all of you? Any visitors in your mind motel making noise lately?
it is fun, and annoying, when characters do that. But usually when it happens those characters turn out to be the best. Though, it would be nice if they allowed time for sleep. They like sleep when they are having their adventures and get mad when they don't have time for it, but with their Authors? They seem to think we don't need it
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