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My Works in Progress

Sunday 27 April 2008

Help!

'Doubled Lives' has doubled back on itself and tied itself in knots.

The characters are flat, one-dimensional and I'm so annoyed with them. They need a swift kick up the backside and to stop being so namby-pamby and pussyfooting around with each other.

I'm still committed to the plot, but have lost the excitement I felt with Twisted Garlands.

I think I chose the right plot with the wrong characters. The characters fit into 'Going Back', which has a completely different plot, in a different location, and a very strong central character with the wherewithal to galvanise them into actually doing something about their petty little obsessions and insular lives.

I've found myself playing around with short stories and little pieces of nothingness, just because I can't bring myself to open up the file 'Doubled Lives.' To be frank - the bunch of no-hopers and pitiful weak men I have created as characters bore the living daylights out of me!

I originally created Tammy for Doubled Lives. I like Tammy - theres a lot more to her than meets the eye. She's getting into my head just like Tom did in Twisted Garlands. The trouble is, Tammy wants to catapult herself through the glass ceiling and be the central character. In 'Doubled Lives', she just can't - it would ruin the plot.

I didn't mean to start 'Going Back'. I just did it to keep Tammy quiet and stop shouting 'hello - I'm here - what are you going to do with me now that you've made me?'

But she wouldn't shut up. So now I've started Book Three without finishing Book Two.

With Tammy's drive she motivated me to write 4,300 words in one sitting. Oh my god. I'm so excited about 'Going Back' I don't think I want to go back to 'Doubled Lives'.

Today I'm going to start on my character profiles. I'm afraid those nit-picking anally-retentive dullards in Doubled Lives are going to have to shape up PDQ, because Tamsin Hargreaves has arrived!

By the way - heard nothing more about 'Twisted Garlands'.

7 comments:

Moondreamer said...

Goodness, Annieye! You've been busy!

Tamsin sounds fantastic and it's lovely to hear she has so excited you!

:o)

HelenMWalters said...

All sounds very exciting. BTW I've tagged you for a meme!

Lane Mathias said...

You tell those characters Annie!!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY for today!!! xx

Karen said...

Sounds like you need to stick with Tammy :o) I've created characters before that I ended up wanting to shoot. Best to move on, I think!

Karen said...

PS, I have a different link now, as I decided to go slightly annonymous, which is www.writewritingwritten.blogspot.com.
I've notice another Karen Clarke has taken over my old spot and it's, er, definitely not me!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I know how you feel. I've had to kick my characters into touch more than once too.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great day!!
I hope you hear something soon about your novel. Good luck with the others.