Project #2: Getting to Know You

The primary difference between my new story and the old one is that I'm learning how to write a character based novel this time.

I'm getting pretty excited.

I'm revisiting Sol Stein's "Stein On Writing" and reading his chapter on characterization makes me itchy--I want to put my pen to paper and scratch away. I think this element of novel writing is exactly the kindling that was missing from my fire. (Gimme a break, can I NOT think in metaphors for one second? IRRITATING).

I was downright nervous about taking this project on because I thought fleshing out real, believable people was just too huge. Scary. How could I create people interesting enough to hold a story up on their own without the fantastical, action pumped plot? My initial thought was "people" aren't interesting.

Yeah, slam me over the head with a 2x4.

Because who is just as addicted to Facebook as the next person - me. Who's just as sucked in to eavesdropping on the latest gossip - me. Who's just as pitifully longing for my LOST peeps to show up and tell me how things are going just one more time - me.

I didn't see it at all, the POWER that comes from a cast of strong characters.

And now I get to give it whirl. Really s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and figure out these people first before I even think to sneak a peek at what's going on on the plot side of things. Create the kind of people who just talking about is story enough.