Hello everyone and as always thanks for stopping by. These are the co-hosts for August 2019’s Insecure Writers Support Group brought to you by Alex J. Cavanaugh and his team of co-hosts:
Renee Scattergood, Sadira Stone, Jacqui Murray, Tamar Narayan and L.G. Keltner.
Be sure to stop by their sites and give them some love for all their hard work this month!
August 7 question - Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you'd forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming?
What’s surprised me the most are my characters fighting for face time. The elbow each other and jostle for position as I lay out a scene.
Example Staci Bevere is the antagonist’s girlfriend. She was pretty much an afterthought, someone to form part of the group of killers but originally she was “just there” in the room with few speaking lines.
But Staci is one tenacious character. She kicked and screamed and bit and scratched and clawed her way to a main character. My series would not be what it is without her.
So yes this her development was more than a pleasant surprise. The antagonist Nicky Fischer would not be nearly developed and conflicted without her. This was a major surprise for me.
Question What have been some of your highlights so far this summer?
I had a minor character who became a secondary character and it made the story better.
ReplyDeleteI actually wrote some this summer!
Alex, great job of writing this summer! Best wishes for a smashing success.
DeleteMy characters fought for the spotlight so I wrote a book featuring each one.
ReplyDeleteHighlight of the summer - three successful comic cons!
Hey now three successful ComicCons can't beat that with a stick.
DeleteHow funny--and fin!
ReplyDeleteSo far the highlight of my summer is visiting my BFF in Colorado.
'er, FUN not fin!
DeleteGood times. We've been able to connect with a few people we haven't seen in many years.
DeleteI just had who I thought was a minor character become a way more important one. Interesting how characters change as we go.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, so true. It's fun to watch background characters rise up regardless if they are with the protagonist or the antagonist.
DeleteMy characters fight over whose story I am going to work and finish lol. Happy IWSG.
ReplyDeleteHappy IWSG right back to you. Happy IWSG almost sounds like a festive holiday.
DeleteFascinating, the way your character fought for position. Nothing like that ever happens to me when I write. But maybe this is because I write for children. Maybe when I begin my first book for adults something interesting like that will happen 🤗
ReplyDeleteYeah you can't have the kids elbowing each other for position. You can start with a short story with an adult setting. Give it a theme and promote it during a major holiday.
DeleteA lot of us writers have characters we don't intend much for elbow their way to the front. We have no control, I swear! LOL
ReplyDeleteHa! True. I thought I let my characters do what they want. Turns out they do whatever they want regardless of me.
DeleteI am frequent visitor of your website as i love to read out the articles posted on your website. At the same time i request to post some great article on Dubai Indian School and similar as well. Thanks !!!
ReplyDeleteHi Stephen - I enjoyed your characters ... and thus your books ... I hope you'll be writing more - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary, thanks for stopping by. I am writing more these days.
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