"If you follow all the rules, you'll miss out on all the fun." -- Katherine Hepburn
Life throws you curves! It's great when you can enjoy them, like a child riding a roller coaster. The faster, and more unexpected they are the better. Dips and curves are the whole idea of the ride. So it is with your characters, who by now you know very well. Your job now as a storyteller is to throw them into the "curves" of life.
I'm reminded, as I prepare to travel cross country, that planning a long piece of writing is a lot like planning a road trip. When you prepare for a road trip you obviously know your starting point (beginning) and you know your destination (ending). A lot of writers, myself included, get lost in the middle - and that's where the meat of the story is.
A friend of mine recently asked me what she should do with her characters (who, by now she knows inside and out). Well, it's really basic and difficult at the same time. Give your characters a strong desire (like getting across country) and then put as many obstacles in their way as possible (i.e., your hero must take his two large dogs - that don't always get along - with him in a sportscar.)
Your characters must start in one place (whether its a phyical place or emotional state) and end up in another. The audience needs to see a progression (or degression). How they get there is what makes your story interesting.
A treatment or outline will serve to indicate the major points along the way. However, the trip won't be without its fair share of surprises. You'll stumble along and find treasures that you didn't expect much like you would on a road trip. (i.e., your hero's GPS has lost all sense of direction).
There's no better way to learn writing than to read the writers that resonate with your sensibilities and excite you the most. I was thrilled once again with Paulo Coehlo's writing. I've read the majority of his work and recently finished "The Witch of Portobello"
was no disappointment. It's only the second novel I've read this year. I'm quite a bit behind my goal of one a month. See.... shit happens!This week's suggested website: Absolute Write - (www.absolutewrite.com) Absolute Write covers a wide range of topics and is a good resource for any writer. This site's thousands of pages feature articles, classifieds, interviews, message boards and writing contests.
This week's writing prompt: Give yourself five uninterrupted minutes of quiet time. Write a postcard to yourself from your dream vacation destination. Describe the wonderful (or horrific) time you're having.http://absolutewrite.com/
