I’m plotting my new novel from a different direction. The story involves characters who enter into a situation that is already happening and their impact on the situation changes it and them forever. So, I am starting with the situation and the history and the people surrounding it. This is a new approach. Generally, I tell a story about the characters and start from them, but here they are getting involved in a preexisting plot and who they are will change the arc of that plot. In order to do so, I need to develop a separate set of players–protagonist, antagonist, etc. These are the people who are having their own story unfold and I am deep in the telling of that. Some of those moments will cross into the written story, so I am working on developing all of that to the best of my ability.
I like this approach. I’ve long been taught that the story begins when the character’s normal lives are interrupted. The hero’s journey takes that one step further by starting with the normal world and leading us into the interruption. This structure is a shift in perspective, because it puts the emphasis on everything else happening in this world and forces the characters to react to that steady driving rain of action and intensity in a way that forces who they are as individuals into question.
Of course, I already have high hopes of making this one better than the last one.
Some Thoughts:
- Hitting that point in the semester where it all needs to come together. It hasn’t yet…
- Also hitting that point where I have a ton of responsibilities to check into. I haven’t yet…
- Giants lost. It was a good game. We lost Shep again. That’s a huge loss and people are gonna need to step up and make plays. Giants really need K. Toney. Where you at, Joka?!
- Life is feeding me lemons. I’m gonna plant the seeds and see what grows.