Getting Inside Your Character’s Head
This week I’ve been too caught up in promoting the online book launch party for the anthology to do any writing. However, the weekend is here and I refuse to let spare hours in the day not be put to good use.
Let’s talk about writing for a change.
The first draft of Mirror Image is in the last stages of writing. Currently, I’m on the second last day of the story, but a lot has to happen in the coming hours which will take the story to the climax. The events have been fully planned, so I know exactly what has to be written and, generally, I’m having no trouble getting the words down.
However…one character does some research in a library to find out what’s happening to her. I’m having trouble writing the scene because, even though I know the results she’ll find, I can’t find the right words to express those findings. I suppose this comes back to “know what you write”. The subject matter is something I have experienced first hand, but it is something I have never researched. I guess I believe I should include some technical information to make the research results sound more plausible.
I spent some time on the internet tonight doing a spot of research, but couldn’t find a single website that was “believable”. Now I’m wondering what would happen if I went to the library and did the research my character is doing…what would I find? It’s an excellent question, in my opinion, and I suppose I’ll have to go to the library and find out!
Filed under: Mirror Image, My Planning, My Research, My Writing:
In a way, Scribe, I think you’ve already done this.
The internet is like a library. A giant library of online information. You searched through it all, looking for an answer to a probing question. Yet with all the mass of data accumulated on all the databanks in the world, you couldn’t find an answer that truly resolved the question in your soul. A bit of an empty feeling.
Wouldn’t it be about the same for your book character? Searching for herself amongst all the books, yet never truly finding herself?
Just an idea…
M
Mike, I’m sorry I didn’t approve your comment before now. I haven’t been to here since last week. However, I was able to read your comment when I received the email notification. At that stage, I had been to the library too and still couldn’t find an answer to the question I had. So in all fairness, I can’t see why my main character could either.
I have skipped the scene and continued writing, but I have been thinking about how to resolve this problem. And I think you are right…this is something that will have to be left open for my character (and for the reader to make up their own mind about). My character will gain the help she needs, but from a place she doesn’t expect…just like I did!