OT - The joy of ideas that click

Besides crocheting, knitting, and an assortment of other crafts I also write. I have a book that I have been working on for a while now (At least two years!) and I periodically put it down for long periods of time. Lately I’ve been itching to pick it back up again and trying a type of outline to jump start myself. I was flowing along, and suddenly I realized I had nothing for my character to do. The scene I was describing was going to be pointless unless something internal happened.

So I thought.

And thought.

And then I read some articles and did some FAFSA stuff and cruised around for paying markets for short stories.

Then I re-read an article by Holly Lisle (She’s absolutely brill, if any of you write - even if you have no professional aspirations - you should read her articles on her website www.hollylisle.com ) where she says that the most satisfying stories are where the character faces a fear.

My character is me. Not me Perfected or me At My Best. She’s just me. So I asked, “What am I afraid of?” and now…I can write. Muhaha, the joy of ideas that give you passion is like nothing else!

Wonderful! I love when something like that can just get the creative juices flowing. And I never thought about it, but I do think there’s some truth to that. Whether that fear is something physical or subconsious, there’s something about a character facing his or her fears that does make for a satisfying read. It’s one of those universals. Good Luck Aidan!