Light Bulb Moment

Yesterday I quickly scanned the latest installment of the Crusie Mayer Workshop - Situational vs. Character (found here http://www.crusiemayer.com/workshop/she-wrote-back-situation-vs-character-ideas/jenny/) but I was too tired to absorb what I knew was good stuff. So waking early this morning, I went back. As I am still very much learning my craft I do have these moments when someone hits me over the head with a sled hammer and this was one.

August Rock just sort of flowed out and wrote itself - well at least the first draft did. I didn't sweat the details - I wrote. Hence, even after its revision, its a pacy read. A Cornish House is proving to be a different matter. I'm clear on my two lead characters and clear on where I want the story to end but how they get there is a bit of a problem.

This past week words have come pretty well. I'm not sure they are very good but its something to work with. However after slowly going through Jennifer Crusie's Situation vs. Character section I saw the light in several ways. I haven't done character arcs for Serena and Madde let alone any other major character in the book. In fact I'm not fully sure what they are but have a decent idea.

So according to Crusie/Mayer you need to find your week spot. Is it situation or character? Because to write a good book you need both. Well, I still haven't ascertained my blind spot because August Rock was plot driven imo (which means I need to go back and rewrite the damn thing being more character led!) and A Cornish House is trying to be character driven. Here is my stumbling block. If I go back to my first idea it was plot driven. I hadn't drawn my characters well enough even though I clearly felt I had - my arrogance I guess.

So one of the comments raised the old idea of throwing the worst you can at your characters - which I had and then tracing their responses which it turns out I have mulled through but not really thought out properly.

So now I have a page full of notes in my journal with different thoughts about my characters. I now need to read through Jennifer's piece again and let it seep into my brain and mull over the characters and their arc's. Finally see if the plot I have planned for them still works!!!