I'm nearing the end of this WIP and I've been having trouble seeing the end. Sure, I'm a plansterer and I hardly ever have everything mapped out ahead of time. Still, I like at least knowing a little about how the book is going to end. With this WIP, I had no clue.
Until yesterday.
I was standing outside, thinking and smoking - trying to figure out where exactly I was going to go from here. To a certain extent, I painted myself into a corner. Which isn't necessarily bad, since it always gives me a chance to be creative with how I'm going to crawl out. However, this time the blinding flash of insight that came led to a path I did not want to follow.
Sure, the readers totally won't see it coming. It'll be awesome dipped in awesomeness covered in awesomesauce. And Jo's going to hate me for this. I will effectively be both saving her and screwing her over.
Sort of like with that climber a few years back who got trapped when a boulder rolled onto his arm. His choices were die or cut his arm off. He cut his arm off, but despite the fact that he lived, he can't be happy with the choice left to him. (And no, Jo the genie won't be losing any body parts. Since djinn are pretty much self-healing, she'd just grow it back anyway.)
Yesterday I didn't write the scene. Looking back at it now, yesterday was sort of like a moment of silence. (And a little bit hiding from what I have to do.) I'll get to the scene today. And deal with Jo afterwards.
Ever have a plot point come to you that's both wonderful and horrible? Ever worry whether your characters are going to hate you?
For the record, I know my characters aren't real people with real emotions. I just feel like I'm betraying Jo to save the story, and it's making me squirmy.
Do it - the enthusiasm you show for how awesome it will be says it's the right thing to do! Jo will forgive you (it's not like you're killing her off).
ReplyDeleteI love that comment (no writing - a moment of silence). Sometimes that's what we need in our writing...and then the courage to color outside of the lines!
Ooooo! Go for it! It's so much more real to me when a character both wins and loses.
ReplyDeleteDon't you love those blinding flashes of insight that get you over story blocks? Congrats on the flash!
ReplyDeleteLove it!! Torture your characters! Push them to the brink and make them rise to new heights of strength to rise above!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have. And I both rejoice because I often see that it's the right way the story must go, but then I feel so sorry for all the pain I'm about to inflict!
ReplyDeleteI tend to think the story is bigger than any one character so if you must you must.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! Go, go, go! I've been in that boat so many times. It's good to push the envelope sometimes :)
ReplyDeleteSounds freaking fantastic to me! You know why? Because it screams next book. You save her, but screw her. So, the book ends, but readers can't wait to know how she's going to get un-screwed in the next one. Sounds brilliant to me...
ReplyDeleteUh oh... what are you going to do to her? *bites nails*
ReplyDelete