March IWSG: When Talking It Out Helps Your Character!
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is the creation of science fiction writer Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can find his books here. He started the IWSG, “To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” The IWSG’s website offers resources and a support group. Join the blog hop the first Wednesday of each month here.
The awesome co-hosts for March are are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages! Go visit them.
The optional question for this month is: If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.
Instead of the opt question, I have this for you. Are you inspired when you talk about your writing or any passion project with another person? Have you ever discussed your story's problems with someone and had solutions released in your brain?
This happened to me the other day.
My daughter hung out with me on a Saturday for a bit of thrift shopping, loading up with books from our library bookstore and then trying out a new restaurant in my small town (I had already tried it). And when I say new, I don’t really mean new, well kind of, sort of. The owners had shut their door on another restaurant a few years ago, and opened a new one in another location, recently. The food was excellent then and just as amazing now.
After we left the restaurant, we drove through a coffee shop to grab, for my daughter, an afternoon iced coffee. We went back to my house where I fixed myself a cup of hot coffee and then we settled down for one more conversation before she left for home. I knew that she had entertained a book idea, in past years, but that day she told me she had another idea that she might like to write one day. A mystery. She talked. I listened. It’s a good one.
I got very excited hearing her talk about writing.
Since January, I’ve reeled in my ADHD and focused on finishing one of my book drafts. I have a few. Per usual, I struggle with making my protagonist as interesting as my secondary characters. My MC is fifteen, and yes it has been a night or two since I owned the age of fifteen, but I still remember. My daughter listened as I talked about the issues I'm having with the character and also the ending of said book. She is a licensed psychologist and also teaches college. She knows stuff. She told me to give my character a niche, an interest that sets her apart from the others. My own niche at fifteen was music, writing songs and singing. At that time, I taught myself to play the guitar. I was obsessed. I practiced all the time.
The ironic thing is that my main character has one. She is a talented artist, but I had only mentioned this a couple of times in the entire book. I wanted it to be important but did not think about using it as her super power. As I talked it out with my daughter, I realized that I could use my character’s talent to be a part of solving an important mystery in her own life. Once the ideas flooded my brain, I ignored my daughter and wrote down every single thing that popped into my head about the character and the plot in general. The discoveries felt amazing. Don’t worry, my daughter sat back and drank her cold coffee while I wrote fast. P.S. I do...not...like...cold...coffee.
How about you? Are you inspired when you talk about your writing or any passion project with another person? Have you ever discussed your story's problems with someone and had solutions populate your brain?
T.
Comments
I had a book in the past that had a tremendous plothole. I talked it over with a friend of mine and she came up with the perfect way to fill it. :)