I'm reluctant to do so, because I've inevitably given up on every past project I've ever talked about.
I think that's probably a good instinct -- in my observation there does seem to be a certain inverse relationship between talking about a project in theory and actually getting past the theoretical stage (also known as the risk of jinxing it)...
I don't generally worry what a story is *about* until I'm looking for a title, which is normally after it has been finished, or at least the main draft completed. When you know what actually takes place, then you can identify a theme -- and potentially rework the events to bring it out more, if needs be.
(Now that you mention it, I'm not sure I normally have more than two or three characters in a scene, either :-)
I usually let characterization build up by what a character says or does, and whatever fragments he lets slip about his past, rather than trying to create differentiated 'character-sheets' beforehand; perhaps it's a lazy way of doing it, but it's the way we learn about people in real life (which is why presenting a big info-dump with the introduction of every new character tends to feel very artificial), and the way that your audience will ultimately get their own sense of the character while they read the story.
I haven't abandoned the project--it holds too much personal meaning for me--but I'm feeling pretty discouraged, and wondering if it's simply beyond my current skill level.
Possibly, but you can always hold the concept in abeyance while you work on the skill level. (And maybe work Dallas back in!)
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Date: 2020-12-13 05:27 pm (UTC)I think that's probably a good instinct -- in my observation there does seem to be a certain inverse relationship between talking about a project in theory and actually getting past the theoretical stage (also known as the risk of jinxing it)...
I don't generally worry what a story is *about* until I'm looking for a title, which is normally after it has been finished, or at least the main draft completed. When you know what actually takes place, then you can identify a theme -- and potentially rework the events to bring it out more, if needs be.
(Now that you mention it, I'm not sure I normally have more than two or three characters in a scene, either :-)
I usually let characterization build up by what a character says or does, and whatever fragments he lets slip about his past, rather than trying to create differentiated 'character-sheets' beforehand; perhaps it's a lazy way of doing it, but it's the way we learn about people in real life (which is why presenting a big info-dump with the introduction of every new character tends to feel very artificial), and the way that your audience will ultimately get their own sense of the character while they read the story.
Possibly, but you can always hold the concept in abeyance while you work on the skill level. (And maybe work Dallas back in!)