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Now that I've gotten my plot to do precisely what I want it to do, I no longer have an excuse to ignore the underlying issues I knew were there all along but wasn't addressing: there are no stakes, and there is precious little character development.
Why haven't I tried to fix these problems? Simply put, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to delve into the minds of my characters and figure out what matters to them. Am I afraid of what I might find? Afraid I'll end up having to throw my entire plot out and start again from scratch? Afraid I've only been deluding myself that I could write a novel? I don't know. These characters all seem so real and vibrant in my head, but come across as painfully flat on the page.
I love this book. I'm also afraid of it. I don't know if it's possible to truly love and fear something at the same time. I know the only way to deal with a fear like this is to confront it. I'm committed to finishing this book no matter what, but it's becoming clear that I'll have to step back and do some serious thinking if I want to have a solid foundation on which to build.
Why do I always have these revelations right when I'm trying to reach word-count goals? It's annoying.
Why haven't I tried to fix these problems? Simply put, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to delve into the minds of my characters and figure out what matters to them. Am I afraid of what I might find? Afraid I'll end up having to throw my entire plot out and start again from scratch? Afraid I've only been deluding myself that I could write a novel? I don't know. These characters all seem so real and vibrant in my head, but come across as painfully flat on the page.
I love this book. I'm also afraid of it. I don't know if it's possible to truly love and fear something at the same time. I know the only way to deal with a fear like this is to confront it. I'm committed to finishing this book no matter what, but it's becoming clear that I'll have to step back and do some serious thinking if I want to have a solid foundation on which to build.
Why do I always have these revelations right when I'm trying to reach word-count goals? It's annoying.
