I painted one wall of the kitchen today. I will put the second coat on tomorrow, and maybe paint another wall. We'll see. The color isn't at all too dark, and I think it looks very nice! I will take a picture once the second coat is on.

Had an epiphany of sorts about Ladybug, Ladybug and HD and all the rest on my way home from watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight. For the record, I thought the movie was very well done. And I will be singing 'So Long and Thanks for all the Fish' forever. Grrr.

My epiphany is a direct result of musing about the author-as-a-god (creator), and how each and every character in any given story has a story of their own. And while that story might only touch the story you're telling just a little bit, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's our job, as creators, to make every character interesting (for the sake of sequels, of course, among other things.)

Stories collide. Sarah's story in HD collides with the story of the Hunt, and the Council, and Michael Elliott's imprisonment. But for the story as a whole to work, Sarah herself has to have a believable story, especially since she's one of the main protagonists in HD.

I think this is one of the main problems I have with Nightshades. Ella has no story. Or, rather, she has a piece of one, but it isn't very interesting, especially when compared with Robin's story, or Aaron's story, or Scarlett's story, or Ben's. For Nightshades to work, Ella's story has to become interesting. She has to become interesting. She has to live.

In SCR, and, I think, the reason why I have had so much trouble with it, Kyren's story keeps trying to usurp what I intended the story-in-its-entirety to become. I have to let go, however, and abandon all prior expectations for it to work. And Sarah and Michael's story just isn't interesting enough to keep my interest. I have to make it interesting, or abandon them as main protagonists, something I don't really want to have to do.

The same goes with Ladybug, Ladybug, which is becoming an anti-vampire hunter novella instead of what I intended it to become in the beginning. And now I know some of what happens next. Ouch in advance.

But that's okay. Things like this happen if you practice the art of organic writing, which I do. I just have to keep reminding myself of that and ignore set expectations for anything.

If that makes sense to anyone reading this, then you're better than I thought. :)

Comments

Unknown said…
I think I understand at least a bit of your epiphany, though I don't know that that makes me any good. :) In the story I'm (supposedly) working on, I started out with the protagonist, then realized that she wasn't nearly as interesting as the antagonist, then realized I needed both of them and their stories (which were intertwined anyway) to make a real whole out of it. And one of my characters in PV was useful to the plot but so boring I was going to get rid of him until he suddenly came up with a better personal story.

Also, I had "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" in my head for a couple of days, but it did eventually go away. :)

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