We’re back to writing at ROW80. Right now, I’m not actually writing a lot, at least not story writing. I’m doing character building work right now, mostly from Holly Lisle’s character clinic, but also from a few other sources I’ve gathered over my years of obessively collecting articles and books on writing.
I’m about a third of the way through the book/class, and I’m really liking the work I’ve been doing. I like the questions she uses and the methods, but the best part has been that as I’m reading it’s been sparking ideas for my characters. I realized my characters are younger than I thought, and I know what’s important to them and why, and I know enough about their personalities to know where they’ll clash. And all of this has sparked ideas for additions and changes I want to make when I dive into my rewrites.
I’ve decided that I’m going to at least read Holly Lisle’s plot clinic before I start those rewrites. I’m getting so much out of the character work that I feel like the plot information might spark even more good ideas for the story.
I was kind of worried in December that my story was too shallow and really didn’t have anything to grab hold of and work with, but that’s starting to change. Looking forward to more ideas that will help me shape it into something readable.
Sounds like things are working out for you. Finding out just who your characters are is always fun and rewarding.
Best wishes on many more discoveries, as well as forward progress.
Thank you, Chris!
I love when one idea sparks another and then another and then… Well, it’s clear Holly’s class is doing exactly that for you. (It’s one of the reasons I think writers like to read books on writing from time to time… at least this seems to be a trend for me.)
Keep enjoying, Kim. I love hearing these sorts of inspiring posts.
Eden, this is the biggest part of why I love writing books. I always get new ideas when I read them.
Good work on the character growth. That is always fun to hear about. It helps so much with adding depth to your story. Sounds like you’re doing well with the classes. Keep it up. See you next time!
Thank you, Wendy!