While working on A65, today, something fresh came up...as did something expansive. I'm doing everything I can to keep Adam smart and aware without revealing exactly what he's thinking, and it's proving to be pretty hard to find the balance. In doing this, I've found sometimes I ignore actions that should be obvious to him...until I've been through the story a dozen times and peeled back enough layers to where it's so damned obvious, a blind man could see it.
One truly glaring one is how it turns out Vincent lied to him to get him to go on the trip...all so the university could get the Alice '65 for free. Adam's not stupid; he'd realize that before too long...before he returned to England. He'd have to react to it, and it would color his growing relationship with Casey because he'd think she was part of it. And damn me, but I didn't see this until today.
This kind of crap kicks me in the ego more than any criticism ever could...because I can't tell if the character is telling me this and I'm not listening, or if he's keeping it from me because he doesn't trust me...which I know sounds crazy, but it's how I approach writing so I don't care.
CRAP! It won't take much to adjust but it's got me worrying, now, that the same thing will happen with Brendan when I dive back into Place of Safety. He's already irritated with me for taking so damn long to face the story, so it may wind up being a real MMA fest between him and me until one of us surrenders...and that story will demand even more honesty and willingness from me than a light work like A65 has.
Maybe that's why it's getting darker than a rom-com. Adam's past is tragic -- losing his father, the loss of their book shop, a brother who despises him, co-workers who look down upon him even though he's more knowledgable than all of them put together...well, except for Vincent. But the story is what it is...and if I refuse to let it become what it wants to be, I'll only prove myself unworthy of Brendan's story.
I'll be damned if I let that happen.
One truly glaring one is how it turns out Vincent lied to him to get him to go on the trip...all so the university could get the Alice '65 for free. Adam's not stupid; he'd realize that before too long...before he returned to England. He'd have to react to it, and it would color his growing relationship with Casey because he'd think she was part of it. And damn me, but I didn't see this until today.
This kind of crap kicks me in the ego more than any criticism ever could...because I can't tell if the character is telling me this and I'm not listening, or if he's keeping it from me because he doesn't trust me...which I know sounds crazy, but it's how I approach writing so I don't care.
CRAP! It won't take much to adjust but it's got me worrying, now, that the same thing will happen with Brendan when I dive back into Place of Safety. He's already irritated with me for taking so damn long to face the story, so it may wind up being a real MMA fest between him and me until one of us surrenders...and that story will demand even more honesty and willingness from me than a light work like A65 has.
Maybe that's why it's getting darker than a rom-com. Adam's past is tragic -- losing his father, the loss of their book shop, a brother who despises him, co-workers who look down upon him even though he's more knowledgable than all of them put together...well, except for Vincent. But the story is what it is...and if I refuse to let it become what it wants to be, I'll only prove myself unworthy of Brendan's story.
I'll be damned if I let that happen.
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