Writing tales

Light blogging ahead, since I'm working on the next book. At the moment, I'm learning about my characters.

I suppose there are writers who outline every damn thing before plunging in and writing, but that's not me. I simply come up with a general idea of where I'm headed, and then I let it happen. My fingers seem to know what to do.

Today, I want to say something about fictional characters. I find there's little benefit to defining the personalities of my characters at the outset. That doesn't work for me.

Instead, I simply write them into scenes and see what they do. They tell me who they are, rather than the reverse. When I see them in action, when I hear their words (and yes, their voices), I come to understand them. And only when I know them inside and out can I really put them to work.

This means I write many scenes that I don't "use". And by "use", I mean these scenes don't end up in the final draft of the book. But I do indeed "use" them. They're my teaching tools. They define the characters for me. And for this reason, they're anything but a waste of time.

So I'm going to write today, though what I write may never see publication. But it's useful all the same. It's a step on the road.

This has been your shout-out from "The Worlds" -- the coolest book you haven't read yet.

Writers and interruptions

When I write (or edit), I get on a roll. It's an all-encompassing thing and the last thing I need is an interruption. Yet they arrive like clockwork.

What qualifies as an interruption? Sometimes it's a real-life issue, like having to tend to matters out there in the world (ugh). Getting sick can also throw me off, though not always. It depends on the illness. Even changing a prescription drug, or adding a new one, can make me feel so weird that I can't write. Lately, when a doctor suggests a prescription, I say, "Can I skip it?" And usually the doc says "fine" (which makes me wonder why he suggested it in the first place).

In any case, this is a lead-in to say that I'm suffering an interruption. No big deal but I haven't been able to start the final read-through of Xmas Carol. I'll begin tomorrow. And hopefully that will bring an end to this long, long period of editing. I want this book to be finished now.

If you know a writer, don't interrupt him (or her).