I’m a writer. I sit with my computer for hours a day and you know what? I love it.
Yes, sometimes I sit there cursing under my breath because the words just won’t come. But, other times I sit there thinking up ways to put my characters through the ringer. It’s my job to be their analyst. It’s my job to determine what it is these ‘people’ want. What caused them to want or need this so badly and how far will they go to get it? Once that is determined, my job is to take that need with all of the emotional salvation or closure they see in it, and dangle it just out of reach. The harder they stretch for it, the higher I place it. The further they vow to climb, the more treacherous I make the terrain.
If they want it badly enough, they’ll keep fighting to get it. If I have to work that hard to come up with the tortures, then they have to suffer. I’m sorry, but that’s how you create fiction with all its nail-biting tension.
In all honesty, it’s tons of fun.
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Debbie,
You make it sound like so much fun. LOL. Your poor characters. But that’s the job of us cruel writers. Torture those innocent– or not so innocent perhaps.
Love your take on writing.
Linda
Ah, my sadistic side, yes it’s exactly like that. But then you also get to do the ‘happily ever after’ too. It’s all fun.
Yes, it’s true, but the happily ever after is happier when it’s well-earned. Yes? 😉
~Debbie
HWhat you wrote reminds me of another course I took. If you get your characters into a situation where you can’t decide what to do, then rachet up the tension. If that doesn’t work, then hike it up some more; until there’s only oneavenue of action left. Your characters might not likeit, but it makes forone heck of a story.
It’s a great way to work out those frustrations, too. 🙂