My Favorite Kind of Heroine: Making Characters Do What They Fear the Most
So it was like any other Tuesday morning. I lolled in bed until almost 7 before hurrying into the shower, brushing my teeth, and dressing. I had breakfast nuked and set on the coffee table when I remembered I left my glass of Mountain Dew on my nightstand. I padded barefoot through the muted morning darkness and as I turned to walk back into the hallway, I saw it.
The black slithery line squiggled like lightning on my carpet and headed into the distinctive location of my bathroom.
I had a motherfucking snake in my motherfucking apartment.
I imagine to the average person, a snake the size of a bloated earthworm is no big deal, and to my herpetological-loving boyfriend, he’d probably argue whether it was actually a snake, being it was a whole 10-inches long and more anorexic than my pinkie finger; however, I would not be swayed. I was freaked the fuck out.
I hate snakes, and by that, I don’t mean I hate them and then go to the zoo to look at them in the Reptile room. I mean I hate snakes. I don’t discuss them; I don’t look at pictures of them; I don’t draw them for Pictionary. I don't google snakes. I don't play with plush ones at the stores. If you thrust a rubber one in my face, I will strangle you with it. The basilisk in Harry Potter flips me out, and it’s computer generated. I’m not joking; I hate snakes.
But don’t worry. Like all things that can scare me, I had a strategy planned, should the need ever arise of me having to deal with a snake in my domicile. I was going to call for someone to take the snake out of my house. It was going to be completely Samuel L. Jackson, jumping up and down on my couch, screaming into my phone, “Get this motherfucking snake out of my motherfucking apartment!” Then I was going to continue jumping up and down, screaming, until someone got it the hell out of my apartment. Simple, easy to remember.
Except I realized immediately—adrenaline rushing a pragmatic train of thought through my brain—I was going to have to deal with this problem. I knew immediately I wasn’t going to be able to just call someone to come get it. Waiting would cause me more problems. Like it disappearing again and not being found. A snake continuing to be in my house, unfound, would be an infinitely BIGGER problem.
I’d have to trap it. Then call and freak out at my landlord. He could take the snake away once it was contained in a place smaller than my apartment.
I brought out the biggest, tallest Tupperware container I had and shakily brought it back to the bathroom. I screeched at the snake, who cowered behind the door as if it thought I might not see it. Right. My hawk-like gaze zeroed on the little bastard. I screamed and tried to scoop. He kept wiggling. I kept screaming and shaking so hard you would have thought I was a whippet caught in a blizzard.
Finally I relocated the damned thing into its new plastic home and lidded it tightly, prancing back into the living room and setting it on the card table. Then I curled up on my couch and allowed myself the Dobby-esque nervous breakdown I so richly deserved. I called the landlord and freaked out on the answering machine. “There is a SNAKE in my apartment! I have trapped it, but I don’t know if there are more SNAKES!”
Then I called my boyfriend. When my knight-in-shining-armor returned my call, he asked what’s wrong. This was an auspicious beginning; he’d sensed the terror in my voice and immediately called me back. “There is a fucking snake in my house.” “A snake?”—I can actually hear him sucking in his cheeks to keep from laughing outright. “Are you laughing?” I ask in my deadly woman voice. “Noooo. Where is the snake now?” “I trapped it in a Tupperware bowl. With a lid.” The lid was very important. I was still doing my best whippet shiver, but now I was able to redirect my fear into anger that somebody did not understand how dangerous this 10-inch non-venomous snake was.
Okay, time for the Charles Dickens’ HEA: the snake rode with me to work so I could release it as far from my house as feasibly possible (landlord did not return immediate call and I wasn't leaving it in the apartment--what if the snake was Houdini?); he was released into a nearby park around noon, the container thrown like I was trying out for shot put; and I haven’t seen the damned thing since. Best HEA of all.
I took a picture as proof in case my landlord thinks I’m just making up shit at this point. I feel like I call him every other week about something. Please note that the camera adds ten pounds. However, to me, ten inches is as good as a mile.
Now I only share this story and picture—other than I figure a lot of you would love to be marooned with Bo’sun and cut out of my will—because in creating characters, it’s important to give your character three things (three is always the magic number in fairy tales, I guess) they would never do. Then make them do them. If you had asked me a month ago what my plan was regarding snakes, it would be “call someone to get it out of my house.” Nowhere—and I mean nowhere—would the following procedures be on the list: “catch the snake” and “ride with it to work, passenger’s seat” and “release the live snake back into the wild.” What a joke.
It was when I was emailing with my friend Pam, who understands my phobia of snakes (she’s seen me walk on water to exit a swimming area where a snake had been spotted) gaped at me through email: “You trapped the snake? Really? OMG.” Same sort of email voice that would display the sort of awe for You cured cancer? Really? OMG. You know, as if I had wrangled a six-foot python rather an itty-bitty garter snake. (Same difference to me, you understand.) I also got brownie points for not bashing its head in. And I realized, Wow, I really had done something I would never, ever would have done in any other circumstances.
So if I, chicken shit extraordinaire, could corral a garter snake, then my own characters in novels could definitely do the shit they’d never dream of doing in real life. And I’m going to have to think hard because it really does need to be something that scares them to death.
I think it’s conquering the thing that scares you the most (not that I’m going to become a snake charmer by any means, nor bring home a pet python) that gives you the most satisfaction. Like you really earned your HEA or reward. One of the most satisfying moments in Stranger Than Fiction is when Will Ferrell starts living his life. He does things he never thought he could do—but wanted to do, like play the guitar. So he went and bought a kick ass guitar and learned to play a song. Then he plays the song for the girl he’s in love with—again, something he never would do in ordinary circumstances (but because he was going to die soon, he did it)—the dorkiest version of “Whole Wide World”, eyes closed, totally vulnerable, and for his efforts, his love interest totally jumps him. (Huzzah for that kind of HEA.)
I didn’t get magnificent sex for my efforts; however, I did feel—once the shivers wore off—like Lara Croft. I felt like a Heroine. That’s why writers have to make their heroines do the things they’d never want to do, or they’ll never be true heroines.
So what do you do to make your heroines earn their heroine status? Or your heroes for that matter? Do you notice in novels when characters do the things they said they’d never do? What are your favorite examples from novels or authors who do this well?
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65 comments:
I make me heroines face their fears. Not just intellectually, but face ta face. I tend ta be a runner... If'n I 'ad yer fears, I'd likely 'ave just left the apartment and planned ta return wit' troops.
I 'ave a bit of a phobia reg. masses of ants. I 'ad me heroine deal wit' it, once.
But mainly, I make 'em come face ta face wit' the folks who 'urt them, the folks who scare them, the folks who haunt them.
Me? I run!
Great post. I'm also insanely terrified of snakes - we even moved once because I would no longer go in our backyard after we found a HUGE (and that's not an exaggeration) poisonous rattlesnake in our backyard.
The three things they would never do is great advice. I've heard variations of it, but this is the best explanation I've seen. I'll have to make sure to include this in my current WIP.
Great, I have no fears for my current characters. Well, the heroine doesn't want to ever be with someone who will forever be living in the past. But that's not really a fear. She does fear something happening to her son, but that's natural for any mom. I really need to think about this.
As someone who heard this story the moment you arrived at work with your new sidekick, I admit to a bit of a chuckle. Okay, I thought it was hysterical. Wish I'd kept that freak out email. LOL! And I'm TOTALLY amazed you caught this thing. I'm amazed you walked into that bathroom.
And this just reminded me I had a dream last night in which I picked something dangerous up by the tail. Or tried to, but I can't remember what it was. It wasn't a snake. Huh. Weird.
So, I need to find fears for my characters. And I bet that would so help me find some new scenes. Right, this is now on my list for the weekend. I can work on it while I'm spending my entire Sunday sitting in airports. LOL!
I agree about snakes, Hellie. I shared an office in grad school with another TA who was a great guy but a bit weird. His wierdness manifested itself in throwing parties in a cemetery and in owning unusual pets, which he often brought to the office. I ignored the sand crabs and merely shuddered at the tarantula, but the day I walked in and saw a huge snake coiled six inches from my desk, I screamed, "Michael, get that damned snake out of this office!" He did--immediately. :)
Exposing fears means heightened vulnerability. Therefore, I think the hero and heroine coming to understand what the other fears most intensifies their intimacy. I also think identifying one's own fears is a necessary step toward self-knowledge. For both these reasons, knowing their fears is essential for me to understand my characters.
I'm currently flying (or vomiting) through a Category book I've had in my head forever. And my heroine is terrified of turning into her mother. Elle (heroine) is from a hugely wealthy DC family. Her mom got her trust fund too early, and completely wasted both her life and money, on parties and drugs and men. Elle was born addicted to coke when her mom was only 17, no idea who dad is, and then mom OD'd a few a years later.
So Elle is super straight-laced. No drugs, no one-night stands, doesn't touch her trust fun, spends all her time volunteering for the UN, etc. But she inherited every one of her mother's wild streaks. So her life has turned into one big guilt-ridden attempt at pushing the envelope as far as she can and then pulling back at the last second lest she actually become her mother.
I realize the stakes don't sound all that high, but her entire self-respect is tied up in not being her mother. And of course, there's a hot guy that lures her into bed, and then she hates herself and think she's no longer worthy.......
p.s. - hilarious story Hellie! I'm not a fan of snakes either. I'd probably do the scream and jump on the couch routine until rescued *g*
Hellie, you're right, AFTER conquering a fear you feel like a super hero. During? Not so much. LOL
That's a great distinction of what you think you would or should do in a crisis and what will happen are different. Run and call for help are usually going to to be the options that make sense! But your actions make more sense because you have the motivation of knowing running or calling for help will cause a bigger problem. No time but to face your fear and act. What strikes me as important is that the options of running or calling for help are not eliminated. The choice to do either is still there, no matter what the bad consequences. You weren't cornered, but had to make a decision. Yep, you were brave because you still could have run and didn't. :)
I can't think of any examples in fiction off the top of my head, but I do know when it goes wrong is likely because I don't know why the character DIDN'T run. I always have to feel like they're doing what makes sense for THEM, if not the situation.
This takes teaching by doing to a whole new level! Great advice and awesome illustration. Thanks for going through all of that to inspire us, Hellie :)
I know there are authors that do this but for the life of me I cannot think of one. My brain is kind of on autopilot lately. The one plot device that seems kind of standard is the hero/heroine having a fear of being left, betrayed, used, etc. and it looking as if the love of their life is doing that but of course looks can be deceiving and all is well that ends well.
Since I just re-read Blue-Eyed Devil the best example I can give is Haven's fear of abuse when it comes to Hardy. You know sooner or later she's going to have to face it because of how tough, strong and controlling Hardy appears. And of course Hardy loses control but she faces her fears and everything turns out okay.
2nd: I was afraid if I left to get troops, the snake would disappear and then I'd have to move out of my apartment. Because I ain't living in a place where a snake was living that I didn't know where it was! But yeah, there are still plenty of things I won't face: like a face to face discussion with my friend, when she's trying to lead me back to the fold. *LOL* I hate emotional conflict and discussing why I'm doing what I'm doing...and listening to the reasons why I shouldn't be doing it. *LOL*
Sabrina, you don't mess around with big, bad rattlesnakes! RUN. I would have moved too. *LOL* The herpetological boyfriend lives in Florida, which is like a breeding ground for horrible ways to die, and Florida doesn't just have rattlesnakes, it has its own BREED of rattlesnake. Seriously. Florida is not that wonderful.
Bo'sun, I don't think it has to be that sort of fear. I think emotional fears: fears of abandonment, et al, count. I mean LOTS of people are scared of snakes or spiders, but in every romance, we don't have the heroines overcoming that fear by holding a spider in their hand to prove their love.
Everyone has a fear...but then there is separately (though likely connected to the fear)three things you'd never do.
Like I fear having my sister's life. So my three things would be: 1) working at a dead end job without ever trying to improve my circumstances; 2) marrying a guy I only knew 3 months; 3) getting married at all, just because "I'm lonely"--so what is one of the things I haven't done? Never married. I have nightmares about marrying someone I settled for--and wake up in a cold sweat.
P.S. Hal, good luck on vomiting the category!!!!!
Hal, I think the self-respect thing is SO important!!! Everyone wants their own self-respect...and I think that's where the "Three" things come from. What three things would I never do in order to keep my self-respect?
Hal, this is your story Risky Refuge, right? I love that story! The hero is stuck in my head from reminding me of Sawyer on Lost. Not a bad image to have stuck in my head at all. LOL
I rather like non-venomous snakes. They are not 'slimy' and can be very friendly as pets.
Reading of your reaction to the snake rather reminded me of my schooldays on an English market garden. We kept chickens and my mum was always on the look out for foxes.
One day a fox must have tunnelled under the wire fence to get into the chicken run and the sound of frightened squawking hens sent mum rushing out brandishing the twelve bore gun that she kept handy for dealing with vermin.
She emptied both barrels into the chicken pen and we had the amazing sight of an astonished fox momentarily gazing at the smoking gun and surrounded by dead shot chickens. It then scarpered and we were left to eat chicken pie for ages!
Mum blamed the gun but it belonged to my grandfather and to show that it was OK he later shot a brace of wood pigeons ... to make a change from chicken pie!
I'm collecting incidents like these for a story aiming to bring the spirit of the Wild West to rural England.
I don't suggest getting a twelve bore for handling the snake problem Helli. I can just see a shattered bathroom with the snake curled up on the one remaining unbroken tile, sticking its tongue out at you. :lol:
Janga, Michael's are bad news. That's all I'm saying...and what an idiot to bring it to work. *LOL* Creepy little #*(%&#@.
You're right. The three fears, three things you'd never do reveals vulnerability, which increases intimacy as the couple works through it and eventually accepts it.
Plus the fear, the three things are usually things we'd never accept about ourselves, so the thought of someone else excepting something WE couldn't accept is something we can't understand.
Melissa, this is where the GMC comes into play. You really have to make the motivation clear. Like my motivation was clear above: not a damned chance I was staying in an apartment WITH a snake, and if I went for help and it disappeared, I would have to move out. MORE work. (God forbid I do more work. I'm an infinitely lazy person. *LOL*)
Melissa - yes! It is Risky Refuge. Same characters, totally new (again) plot. And yeah, Sawyer is never a bad image to have in mind :)
Irish, you can't go wrong referencing Blue-Eyed Devil. *LOL*
And definitely not the sort of way I'd normally "teach"--actually what am I saying? I'm not a teacher at all... *runs screaming from the ship*
I don’t suggest getting a twelve bore for handling the snake problem Helli. I can just see a shattered bathroom with the snake curled up on the one remaining unbroken tile, sticking its tongue out at you.
ROTFLMAO. Yes, I have a feeling that's EXACTLY what would happen too. I'm an absymal shot. And that snake stuck its tongue out a lot.
The fox story is hilarious. *LOL* Your poor mom. *LOL* Bet she was sorry when foxhunting went out.
My dad tried to take out a snake with a shot gun once. In the basement. Granted, it was a fat snake, and a couple feet long, but he still missed. Tore up the basement floor with the damn shot gun. I never knew how loud those things were until he started using it in the house!
I'm cracking up at the image of this little snake on a smokey tile looking at Hellie like she's crazy.
I don't know if I could come up with three things, but I'd be happy figuring out the one thing my characters would never do. Okay, I might come up with two. Right now, I can't think of even one for the hero. That's not a good sign.
I do remember a Victoria Alexander book, one of the Effington ones, where the heroine had a terrible fear of thunderstorms. When the hero was in trouble, she fought the fear and went out in a really bad storm to save him. When he realized she'd do that for him is when he realized she really loved him.
Another example of the "Of course I would, I love you, you idiot" thing.
I don't like bugs. I've beaten bugs to death before. I wouldn't beat a snake, but a bug? He's mince-meat in my house.
Hal - That story sounds great. I'd think when you spend so much time trying NOT to be something, you never manage to figure out what you want to become. What a conflict!
I don't watch Lost, but I know who Sawyer is. Nice image.
Yes Ter!! That's exactly the problem she's facing. Thank you for articulating it so well *g*
Terri, I think for a lot of men--real and fictional--their greatest fear is being seen as unmanly. And in our culture, we begin instilling that fear when boys are very young. The nine-year-old got hit in the head in a baseball game a few weeks ago. His dad (an EMT firefighter) turned white and was out of the stands and on the field checking him out in seconds. But what he said to his child was, "Nobody spilled any blood, son. We don't cry."
Small wonder that so many men have difficulty handling emotional pain.
You're welcome, Hal. :) Sometimes it's best when I run off at the keyboard without thinking too hard.
Janga - That is so true. As much as we women have issues, men have just as many, I think. I have two brothers and neither of them have anything in common with my dad. And therefore, there is no close connection between them. In fact, I think it's safe to say my dad has never understood either of his boys. Yet his daughters played sports and helped him work on cars.
I think my sister and I were his sons. LOL!
Nate is going through a major transition in that the one thing he's spent his entire life doing, he can no longer do thanks to a knee injury. It's sort of a "what do I do now?" thing. Though he's seen as a hero in the town, he considers himself a failure.
I've created a hero with low self-esteem. Shit, that's not good, is it? LOL!
Hellion - I live in Florida and I think we are the breeding ground for all the snake nasties.
Bo'Sun - I actually like a hero who dones't kno wif he can live up to the expectations others have of him. Like, if they really knew him, they wouldn't think he was such a great guy. Personally, I like those heros since they are out of the norm.
Sabrina - That's what I needed! It's expectations. I knew there was an answer in there somewhere. I tried to make Nate an alpha and he's more alpha than some I've written, but I'm afraid he's still going to end up beta. Or gamma. Not that I won't be happy with either, it's just so hard to sell a beta hero. (And I don't mean sell as in "I have a contract!" but over all sell to readers.)
Anyway, thanks for the support. He is sexy and charming and covers his insecurities well. And he has a plan, though it puts him in somewhat direct conflict with the heroine. Through no fault of his own. It's a bit of a cluster. LOL!
Bo'Sun - Expectations are a great source of conflict - don't forget the whole "not living up to the expectations he set for himself" idea too. Heros who hold themselves to a standard much higher than what those around them do make for interesting stories when the hero falls.
BTW - Hellie is off seeing New Moon which is why she's AWOL from the ship. Should be interesting to hear what she thought of the movie. I'm expecting some rant about young girls screaming and gasping throughout. Should make for good entertainment. LOL!
Sabrina - There's also the "father never said he was proud" thing. Now the father is dead so eventually the mom will have to show hero proof daddy was proud.
And his younger brother has a chip on his shoulder because he was the "second son" while hero got all the praise and attention. I have plenty of conflict, just not sure how to make it all work together. LOL!
Did I mention younger brother once dated heroine and really likes her?
Bo'sun, a hero with low self esteem is not a bad thing. I'm sure you balance it with that great humor of yours. Making him not just likable, but damn likable. Some low self esteem is part of his appeal. He's sympathetic not pathetic. :)
It's not so much finding one thing my heroine fears thats the challenge but making many irrational fears believable. In her shoes, the ordinary can become life and death. She's hallucinating. But it's usually subtle and something she's aware of in a "what's wrong with this picture" kind of way. She knows something just doesn't fit and ignores it.
I'm always thinking this could get really stupid and I'll go over the line of "crazy" being too much. I keep telling myself that the only thing that might save her (in the reader's eyes) is really liking her. Cuz if they don't she's got way too many problems to imagine why the hero loves her! LOL
Melissa - Sympathetic not pathetic. I do think I draw that line. And I really like Nate, so I think that will go a long way.
Re: Crazy. Something I read on Jenny Crusie's writing tips (posted on her blog in the last week) would help here. She says it's important to let your reader know everything they need to know as soon as possible. So, if you make sure your reader knows what's going on, even if your heroine isn't sure, I think you can walk this line and get it right.
Not sure how you'd do that, but I think it would be the way to go to ensure you don't lose the reader.
She says it’s important to let your reader know everything they need to know as soon as possible.
Hmm, I think I did the opposite. LOL Kind of going on a "get to know me first and you'll forgive what you find out" thinking, she seems normal, with a lot of wondering what's going on with how the other characters treat her.
That could work, I'm no expert. But it seems in this case, you'd want the readers to know what's going on. And I'm thinking that would also make them more sympathetic knowing what she's going through and not just feeling like they're on an acid trip.
Not to imply you'd write an acid trip. LOL! That didn't come out right. I think I was trying to find a nice way to say don't confuse your reader. Isn't that one of those guidelines we've thrown around here before?
Where's Hellie when I need her? (Watching vamps and weres, I know...)
You said it right. I think I wrote made it a bit confusing. What I wrote made no sense. :) I meant to say I didn't reveal what was going on purpose for a long time. I think because I'm doing a paranormal with (hopefully) suspense, it might not be quite the same as the rules of non-paranormal romance. So it's a bit of deliberate mystery or suspense (hopefully not confusion, but hard to say sometimes). You are right that confusing the reader is not good. :)
But when the bombshell drops and they (the reader) DO know what's going on then everything you say is right.
Yeah, as I was typing that I was thinking this may not hold true for mysteries. But you have a unique situation. Maybe you could find a book with a similar scenario and see how it's handled there? They always say read what you write.
I can't dig myself out of this hole (you'll never help me again!), but I think I misunderstood that advice of "letting the reader know everything." Instead of "don't confuse the reader" I interpreted it as taking away the suspense. Which is rediculous. Why would she say that? LOL
So anyway, yes the reader fully knows what's going on before any acid trips. :)
Wasn't looking and you helped me again. Yay!
What's weird is that I don't really read what I write. I mean, paranormal romance, but not so much with the suspense. I should try that. :)
And this is fun. We're not talking around each other. The more we talk about your book, the more I learn about writing. It's all good. :)
I think what it means, for your situation, is to make sure the reader knows she tends to hallucinate. And them make sure they know she isn't always able to discern when it's happening and when it's not.
The suspense will be in the reader going along with the heroine to figure out what's real and what's not. But if the reader is never told about these episodes, they may get confused and give up, wondering what is going on.
In other words, no need to reveal everything up front and then have no building in the story. There must be twists and turns and I think it's great to throw something at a reader they didn't see coming. I love when I'm reading or watching something and can sit back and say, "I didn't see that coming."
But there are facts the readers need to know up front. You need to not only keep them interested and surprised, you want them to feel like they trust you to take them on this ride. Give them the info they need to take a seat and buckle in and trust you to control the wheel.
Disappeared to jot a scene in! I've finally reached the last third of the novel. A lot of the "facts" the reader needs to know are going in at revision, if I ever get there.
There must be twists and turns and I think it’s great to throw something at a reader they didn’t see coming. I love when I’m reading or watching something and can sit back and say, “I didn’t see that coming.”
Bo'sun, are you sure you're not a suspense writer? You've nailed it. Little surprises and the big ones. My ultimate goal in writing is to have that big secret and have it play out to a "I didn't see that coming" moment. But it is easy to have the "what you know" and the "what you reveal" not match up.
I’ve created a hero with low self-esteem. Shit, that’s not good, is it? LOL!
Edward Cullen has ZERO self-esteem and he's more popular than the Beatles. Believe me, it can work.
I say "Don't confuse your readers" but it's more "Don't do anything that makes your readers put down your book." So it can a whole mess of things. Don't do the Forbidden No-Nos like having the hero cheat on the heroine...and don't bore your reader with too much backstory or present detail...and don't frustrate your reader by being so secretive that your readers feel like they are reading an episode of LOST. And if you're going to be suspenseful, don't contradict yourself in such a way that the whole thing falls apart. We love to say, "I didn't see that coming." None of us want, "That is the DUMBEST thing I've ever heard."
But don't let it make you all constipated. Don't overthink it; just write what you know now and work through it. I find my brain likes to keep secrets from me and it's better if I just trust it to know what's going on more than I do. I'm just here to transcribe the dictation.
And if it comes out being the dumbest thing you ever read, find your CPs and they'll help you salvage it. Mine always do. There's almost always a way to fix it; it's just a matter of how much time you want to put into doing it, I think, that keeps most people shoving first books under the bed.
As for thoughts on the movie, my friend and I WERE the annoying teenagers giggling at shit and making swooning sounds. Actually Pam got to laughing so hard at me, she hit me in the arm because Jacob ripped off his shirt to help Bella (don't you love when heroes rip off their clothing to help you?) and I made a little noise. Pam nearly snorted Mountain Dew out her nose.
There are a LOT of bare chests in this movie. GO, go now to this movie. *LOL* They're fetuses, but they're pretty fetuses.
The kid who plays Jacob might only be 17, but his chest looks 20 or 22...it's worth seeing.
She says it’s important to let your reader know everything they need to know as soon as possible.
Let's see if I can ferm words after me hours a' torture in the dentists chair...
I t'ink the trick wit' the top paragraphs be findin' that line between what they need ta know and what they need ta wait fer.
Ouch.
Least I ain't droolin'.
I think...
Melissa - Nope, don't write suspense. I don't have the brain cells too keep that much plot together. LOL!
Hellie - So glad you enjoyed the movie. I'm now thinking kiddo is going to be totally entertaining so I must take her. Maybe we'll go tomorrow before she leaves on Sunday.
Chance - Sorry you're all sore. I dread going to the dentist because I know it'll ache the rest of the night. Can you take some pain medicine?! And don't you hate that drooling thing? LOL!
The hardest thing be...I'm dietin' so I can't go out and comfort meself wit' a milkshake! Which is what I done when this crown were originally done...
Sigh.
I'll take some aspirin...
Sounds like a good weekend ta go see 2012!
I have to believe one little milkshake will not send your diet over the edge. Grant it, I'm a master rationalizer who will be eating Subway chocolate chip cookies in just a minute, but still. Go for the milkshake.
Glad you enjoyed the movie!
I love this (sorry, took off the constipated part!):
Don’t overthink it; just write what you know now and work through it. I find my brain likes to keep secrets from me and it’s better if I just trust it to know what’s going on more than I do. I’m just here to transcribe the dictation.
This does work. *blinking in surprise* I've been stuck staring at The Big Secret on chapter 18. I know what it is, but don't know how in the world the hero and heroine find it out. Writing what I know now I have the hero (ghost) and heroine talk about the Big Secret as if they just found it out, forgetting about the how. It's set NO WHERE because I don't know where they are. And suddenly I have how they found out (scenes before) and a little bit of what happens after. Whoa.
I know that makes no sense to anyone but me, but thanks for giving me a way to work through it! (I'm so glad the child had a field trip after school today.)
A break-thru! Whoot!
I knew the Captain would clear this up.
This break-thru really has nothing to do with my original story concern today, which really did start on topic with what the heroine fears. LOL But writing the what I know now will help with all areas. A writing process break-thru I really needed. Serious. :)
Bo'sun you got me thinking with the discussion though. It's amazing the good stuff you pirates can come up with especially when working "blind" with bits and pieces of our plots!
We'll do anything to avoid our own plots. LOL! I do hope you'll let us read this when you're done. I love the sound of your story. And I've loved your voice in the things you've shared with us.
Late, late. late ... But what a Great story ... and as always ... an interesting discussion.
Chance said: I make me heroines face their fears ... Me? I run!
Julie said: I've faced down a carjacking bank robber ... but I've run away from bunnies!
Hellion asked: What three things would I never do in order to keep my self-respect?
Julie answered: Tell you why I was running away from bunnies!
Hellion said:but in every romance, we don’t have the heroines overcoming that fear by holding a spider in their hand to prove their love.
Julie giggled : Spider? IS That what their calling a man-ahhh-ahhumm Hellion, I loved The Snake Story! Not only was it well told (yes I know ... Like Hellion would ever Not tell a well told story ) it was also an excellent example of how a simple encounter or event can lead be a very important point in a characters development. I think that often times a writer feels pressured to make a life altering event Bigger Than Life. Or perhaps I should say Bigger than what most people would experience in their life. Which makes the story hard for a reader to relate to.
Jules, you'll be thrilled to know next Tuesday there will be a parody. *grins*
Hal said "I realize the stakes don’t sound all that high, but ..."
I say: But Hal, in Real Life the stakes rarely seem That High. It isn't until you start to peal back the layers of a person/character's psyche that you begin to see what might have seem like a simple act on the surface is, in actuallity , a very complex one.
IMO.A believable event is more relate able than something that is far fetched or contrived. So it engages the reader on a more personal level.
Yeah For Hellion Parodys! Ever notice how parody & party sound alike?
Okay, Julie just said something profound that gave me an aha moment.
The stakes don't have to be high in a general sense of the word, they just have to be high to the character. In other words, if we write it in such a way that breaking a nail feels like the end of the world through our character's POV, then the reader will feel like it's the end of the world.
I just flashed back to being 17 and how EVERYTHING was the end of the world. Most of it wouldn't even be mildly stress inducing now, but back then, that shit was HUGE!
Wait until you read this parody. Brilliant, as usual.
What Jules said is very true; and Deborah Dixon said it repeatedly about GMC. Goal-Motivation can be anything--you just have to show us how important it is to the character so we care. It has to be life and death to the character. Which can be anything.
Also reminds me of a quotation by Billy Graham:
"It might be puppy love, but it was real to the puppy."
The snake story had me riveted! I hate snakes too, and I don't know that I would have exhibited your bravery. EXCEPT I know exactly what you mean about it still being in your apartment while YOU left. LOL Sometimes the down side of being a writer is when the imagination takes hold in real life.
I'm still laughing about how the camera added 10 pounds to the snake. LOL
I also loved all the discussion about fears, and motivation. It's given me a lot of food for thought today.
Way late here but this was a very informative blog!!!! At least for me :)
I had the same thought as Hal - my character's internal conflict isn't really all that dramatic or intense. But it's so true that anything can be intense as long as you show the reader how important and relevant it is to the character. I was sitting here thinking all my issues were kind of wimpy and laughable. The part I was missing was that it is my job is to make them not wimpy or laughable! Awesome insight crew!!!!
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