In the story I’m working on (read, forcing into submission one stinking paragraph at a time), I have a great beginning. Great, as in, I know what I’m trying to set up and I think I did so. I have a pretty cool ending idea–an HEA that lets everyone get what they want. I have some ideas for a surprise or two. But getting from here to there is proving more difficult than usual. I’m so desperate for the plot to move I literally added the “man with the gun” (well, in this case, the man with the knife in his boot, the bastard). I’m not even sure why my trio got attacked yet, I just hope that adding some action will help me get further into the story.

What do other authors do about this struggle? Especially pantsers–this very issue is why I’m not a member of that club. Any story I don’t plot out, at least a bit, ends up like this, saggy and meandering without any road map. I’m curious how the other half lives

Sometimes I hit this point where I just can’t think about any more writing advice, and I just have to put my head down and write. Hopefully, it all comes out in the wash with good critique. I do know I’m a better writer now than two years ago, and maybe in two more years I’ll be even better.

In related issues, I finished my edits on chapter nine of Waking Kiara, including a whole new scene for my bad guy. My ultimate goal is to get her polished and submitted at least three places by the end of this year, along with finishing my story Fair Play and my next rough draft, Maya’s Web. By NaNo, I hope to be working on Seshat’s Seduction (slightly moved around, title wise). Slow and steady–call me the tortoise, I guess. But everything seems to be coming along, so that’s a great thing.

I also have brutal allergies this season, anyone else?

Now on characters.

I find it difficult to both write a character that has certain characteristics, but avoid making that character a caricature of a person. Making a list of various characteristics the person has doesn’t really cut the mustard, as I can write a person to be “catty” or “strong” or “evil,” but I find they don’t ring true with readers.

I wonder what things make a reader really identify with a character, and makes a character believable? What makes you want to know what happens to the person, even after their story is told and the last page is read? What makes you really hate someone, or really love them, or pitch the book against the wall in irritation?

I’m not scared of roaches.  But I still do the icky freak dance if one emerges from my shower drain.

What is that, about fear, that makes us both not scared but still reacting to certain creepy crawlies?