As I sit here starting a little work, there’s a persistent character running around in my head, at times drowning out the flow of the story. Unfortunately she’s not one of the characters from a current WIP. Yep, it’s a she and she won’t go away. Usually, the male characters are more vocal, more apt to nag me to get to writing their tale, but not this time. So I thought, I’d give her a little air time to get some things out of her system and let me get to writing the things I need to finish before I think about adding another story onto the already crowded work pile.
I know what story she belongs to. It’s a take on gargoyles that’s a little different, but right now, it’s more of a concept with some interesting ideas and a setting that is a little different for me at the moment, but even that could change since it already has once. Right now, the ideas and possible scenes are leaning more to an alternate realm/futuristic/maybe-post-apocalyptic setting, but earlier it was straight fantasy.
It’s not close to ready to begin writing. I’ve tried working on things like that in the past, before I began to see what I needed to get a book from beginning to end. Of course, there’s the occasional story that derails on me when I think I have everything in order. Familiar Desires did it. I had to go back and rewrite half that book when the conflict suddenly changed on me. It came out better for it and I like it more than I did the first conflict.
So what follows is an interview with the annoying chick who, by the way, is not a helpless little flower. I’ll try to hunt up a picture on facebook to show a little of what she looks like.
Me: Hello, why don’t you tell us all your name first? We can get to the rest of why we’re after you’ve introduced yourself.
Annoying Character: I’m Celeste Anyamari of the Tosan clan. And I’m not annoying. If you’d simply focus we could discover the necessary details for the story.
Me: Kind of busy. I’m working on other characters’ stories and want to try to finish one before the end of the year. It’s going to be close.
Celeste: I know you really like what I’ve shown you of story so far.
Me: Yes, I like it. What’s not to like about some cool scenes with weapons, some magic and particularly interesting was you in pain. But there are some significant things missing in that list. I know a little about what you’re trying to do. Well, what you and your family are trying to do. But I know nothing about your love interests, how that actually comes to be, where you meet, their reaction, or what they’re doing. Right now you’re dancing out there in a vacuum and I can’t tell a story about that. Not to mention, that I don’t know anything about the problems you face or what kind of danger/villain will be causing you problems or trying to kill you.
Celeste: You would find one of the hardest moments I’ve faced interesting. If you’d give it a little thought and spend some time on this story we could come up with all those answers.
Me: And I can give it time when I finish something, but even then I’ve got fully formed story concepts ahead of yours. Some that are part of a series that have been waiting for me to get to them. Why should I jump those for something that’s not ready yet?
Celeste: Because I have to do this. I have to finish my mission and help my people.
Me: And you’ll do that when I know more about your world, what you’re doing, and even the name or names of your love interest. You’ve shown me one man, but have shied away from giving me any information about him, much less the other you’ve alluded to. I don’t even know if I’d be writing a menage.
Celeste: But I have to cleanse the weapons, make it through the transformation and begin the return to the old ways…
See what I’ve had to deal with. Dreams, busting in to every day thoughts, as I sit writing another scene. She’s making it difficult.
Happy Reading!
Rebecca
