And another reason I was having writer's block: I wanted the novel to go a certain way, and the characters simply wouldn't comply.
I know that sounds cliche and goopy. But ...
My problem is that I hate for my characters to have problems. Like my pets, I want my novel's characters to have wonderful lives free of opposition, embarrassment, and negativity.
So, oops. No plot.
And in fact, as I ponder my book in quiet moments, I see clearly that not only do my two main characters have huge problems, but they want me to write about these issues in detail because they want these problems resolved.
Also I found out that Sylvie, my main character, did not want to do first person. So I'm back to regular third person with her. Why? Because I can get a lot more information in. In this particular story, I found that Sylvie telling her own story was too limited.
I also was plagued with the small town in which my two characters live. They don't really like living there. So...why are they still there? In order to answer that question I had to realize the enormous issues each one faced, that brought them to that town and kept them there.
Very general, I know. But it feels good now. Going to the computer to write no longer feels like an extended torture session. Now it feels rich and deep. Nevermind that the story isn't going the way I had originally planned. It's going to go the way the characters go, because that's the only way it's going to get written.
Suzann Kale
