I should be starting the new novel any time now. I've been through the notes and ideas. It's taking shape. I don't have all the details worked out, but then, I never truly do. That's part of the fun of writing, to make discoveries along the way. But I've got enough to go on and thus begin. I expect the pen to be lifted at some point this weekend. I've also been researching based on something one of them said before. It's amazing how a little delving into stuff can lead to so much more digging and items to look up!I might also fiddle with an exercise I still have from one of the classes I've taken at some point - I'm guessing it's from my days at the Young Master's Constortium for the Arts back in middle school. It's called "Twenty Questions to Ask a Character" by Winifred Madison and it, as can be expected, jumpstarts the traits and "rounded" qualities of the players in one's work. For you see, I am still looking for that one guy's (the blonde) motivation. I'm quite certain of what he does and I'm equally certain there's a good reason. He's just being very secretive. Which is good from a certain point of view, in that the other characters wouldn't be aware of his behavior anyway. He doesn't come into the story for a little while yet. And even though I like to write out of sequence, I'm itching to figure out how to handle and execute the first scene.
Here's hoping the guys speak up when I call!
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4 comments:
What are the 20 questions?
Thanks for the interest in the questions...
...however, I don't think I'm allowed to present them, since it's copyrighted material.
There's a whole lot more than twenty, actually... since some of the queries spawn others.
It's things like what color they remind you of... Their favorite song... Some standard and not so standard thoughts that can spark insight. I'll post a snippet of it when I have it in front of me again.
Okay... here's a few bits of it. For any concerned, I don't mean any infringement. Rather I am drawing attention to how useful it is and thus hope to entice others to seek it out.
#7 - Where does your character live during the course of the story? How much of his immediate environment is forced upon him and how much does he control? Does he like it? What does it mean to him? Is it possible he wants to leave it and if so, why?
I like how it probes a little deeper than just "Where does s/he live?"
A few other interesting ones to me:
How does he use his words?
Would he carry a spider outside rather than kill it when it had crept into his bedroom?
It also reminds of crucial points such as how they affect the plot and who their foil might be.
As I said, it's paragraphs long. Brava and thanks, Winifred Madison!
Thank-you :)
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