(Lack of) Direction

Confession: I always sound more sure of myself than I actually am. That's even true when I sound unsure.

Reading:

• "Pa's Darling," by Louis Auchincloss

Writing:

• Untitled Dark Fantasy Project

Revising:

• "Cora and the Sea"

Have you ever noticed that people in stories always seem to know what's going on, what to do next? I never feel like that. I think there's a tendency to let the narrative sweep the characters in a story along, and since the writer knows what's going to happen, the characters often don't worry either. There's never any long periods of time where the characters are wandering around doing nothing. The answers always come at just the right moment to move the story along.

Part of that is because the writer must keep the attention of the reader. After all, no one wants to read people sitting around doing nothing. Is there a way to do both, though?

I think J.K. Rowling managed it in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In fact, Harry feeling lost and without direction was a major plot point in the first half of the book, yet it was still an enjoyable read. I think that's because things kept happening during that time, even if they did not serve the ends of the characters.

And that's the key, I think. I have to remember that my characters have desires of their own. Sometimes they are in accord with the plot, sometimes not. And the latter case is often the most interesting.

Publication Status:

• Submitted: 2
• Accepted: 1
• Rejected: 1