I Pose a Question
For the writers who read this, and anyone you can send my way to help me out here:
What the hell do you do when you have a character that you have created, a life you have given her, a terrible thing you have had happen to her, and then you hit the WALL? I have been working on this for exactly five years. I realized about ten minutes ago that, as of yesterday, it's five years to the fucking* day.
I feel like I'm being haunted by this woman. I feel guilty that I can't finish.
She's not real! It's not like I actually killed someone's actual babies! She and her husband do not exist, and yet I feel like she's always hanging around my house, not angry, not judgmental, just waiting for me to end her story, and I can't!
Other than:
"Then a plane crashed into the house and they all died. The End."
That's not closure, it's just an end. A shitty end. Though Sam would probably think that ending was funny.
Advice, anyone? Pauly? Rick (if you're speaking to me again)?
Oh, and "Novice, seek out extensive therapy" is not the advice I'm looking for. Though I could probably use some more of that, too.
*I think that's the first time I said "fuck" on this blog.
What the hell do you do when you have a character that you have created, a life you have given her, a terrible thing you have had happen to her, and then you hit the WALL? I have been working on this for exactly five years. I realized about ten minutes ago that, as of yesterday, it's five years to the fucking* day.
I feel like I'm being haunted by this woman. I feel guilty that I can't finish.
She's not real! It's not like I actually killed someone's actual babies! She and her husband do not exist, and yet I feel like she's always hanging around my house, not angry, not judgmental, just waiting for me to end her story, and I can't!
Other than:
"Then a plane crashed into the house and they all died. The End."
That's not closure, it's just an end. A shitty end. Though Sam would probably think that ending was funny.
Advice, anyone? Pauly? Rick (if you're speaking to me again)?
Oh, and "Novice, seek out extensive therapy" is not the advice I'm looking for. Though I could probably use some more of that, too.
*I think that's the first time I said "fuck" on this blog.
posted by Novice at 11:45 PM
6 Comments:
I found that by shelling our lots of money to attend grad school, I'm suddenly motivated to write additional chapters in my novel - ha ha ha. (The only thing more frustrating than sitting on the end of a novel and just not typing it out...is spending lots of money and STILL not getting a finished product out of it...so darn it, I'm going to finish this thing!
Melanie Haney
Another suggestion... try writing the same story from another point of view...it might reveal a hidden motive or path that you hadn't realized existed. If you have been writing in 1st person, change the character that's telling the story. Or if you've been writing in 3rd person omniscient, try focusing in on one character, and re-write it in 1st person (similiar to journaling, but different...in that you're not just venting in a journal as the character, you'll be re-writing what has already happened from their perspective...maybe they saw something or felt something different and maybe that could give you a nudge...)
Melanie
I definitely agree with Melanie's suggestion.
Also, if you're in tune with the characters as much as you seem to be, just let them write themselves. If they have that much of a life to them then you should be able to just let them run with the ball for a while and see where that takes you. If you aren't sure about doing that, then just start writing separate pieces and see what more you can flush out of them. Put them in different situations. See how they react with different people (Especially opposites.)
But I've found that when you hit a wall, you have to force something out somehow. Just throw all the characters into a carnival scene or whatever the hell you come up with first and see what it gives you.
Melanie, thank you for answering. Considering you have a tiny person attached to you most of the time, it means a lot to me that you took the time for me.
Rick, does this mean you've forgiven me? Realize that typing does not convey emotion well. It has been very difficult to know if you are seriously mad at me, or just messing with my head because you are funny. Or both?
Guys, thanks for the advice. I'm going to try both suggestions, with different characters, and probably switch them around a little.
I'm also thinking that I need to get them out of their own grief for a while. Put them in a situation, not where they have to avoid it, but where they have a little distraction.
I am grateful. If I ever do get this published, I'll dedicate it to you guys (and my mother...'cuz I was nine pounds).
Oh, no. I'm just messing with you. I'm never really seriously mad at anyone.
Whew!
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