Thursday, July 15, 2010

Left Turn at Albuquerque

I've switched tactics and decided to focus solely on Jack as the main protagonist of the novel. It's what I should've done in the first place, but I got so caught up in creating Dan's backstory that I thought he was supposed to be the main character.

Blood in the Orchard (working title) began as a short story that I just couldn't get right. I loved the monstrous creature in the short, but had no idea how it came about. I realized finally, after about two months of tinkering with it, that the reason I could never get it right was because my readers had no reason to care about the characters in the terrible situation I'd put them in.

That's problematic, because for me, the real root of good horror is identifying with the character in some way and caring about what the heck happens to them in the story. I started thinking about where that monster came from, and why. What it represented. How it was conjured into being. And suddenly I realized the damn thing was just too fricking long to be a short piece.

So I put it aside for about six months and didn't think about it at all. But then in August... it came swimming out of my imagination again, and I took the plunge. And now here I am, almost a year later. The first draft is finished and my first readers' polished copy's birth is in sight.

Anyway, back to Jack. I realized the story really is about him and how he changes through the book. When we first meet him, he's closed-off and somewhat reserved, especially with his emotions. He feels guilty a lot, about things he can't control. He's only got one close friend and he keeps himself from getting romantically involved with anyone.

Over the course of the story, Jack changes into someone who has to let himself feel, because he just doesn't have a choice. He's fallen in love with his dead sister's best friend, and his brother-in-law has gone insane, and a whole bunch of crazy shit goes down, but at the end he realizes he has to embrace and acknowledge not only his own special abilities but also the great amount of love in his heart for his family, his friends, and his town.

That's the story I want to tell you. Dan is important, yeah. But he's not the main character. At this point, he's not much more than glorified window-dressing, something I can use to make the readers feel sad or scared. I'm grateful for the character - for all my characters - and I like him, but I'm starting to recognize his value as a creative tool.

So, this is where my focus is going... for now. Ever watch those old Bugs Bunny cartoons where he ends up somewhere he shouldn't because he didn't take that fabled left turn? Well, hopefully that's Albuquerque up ahead... because I'm definitely turning left, kids.

8 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Good luck with your book I'm sure it will do well.

Have a good day.
Yvonne.

Al said...

Happy left turning!

I've got an award for you. Find the details over at my blog


Al

Publish or Perish

RosieC said...

I'm going through a similar struggle with a couple of my characters right now. I feel the struggle.

Good luck!

Anne Gallagher said...

I've just found myself in a similar situation. funny isn't it, how you think one way about a character and then BLAM the other one hits you over the head.

Good luck in Albequerque.

Arlee Bird said...

It's good that you are reevaluating your work as you do your edit. It shows you are putting careful thought into the process and have the ability to be self-critical. Thanks for sharing your process with us.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Hart Johnson said...

It is SO HARD to hit that left turn at Alburqueque! It's just really poorly marked, eh?

It's fascinating how this novel came about and sounds like a GREAT underlying plot!

Hannah said...

Making your characters believable and relatable is always the fun part. Good luck! Sounds like a fantastic plan.

True Life and Fiction said...

Seems like you on the right track to make it Albuquerque. You most definitely sound like you've got a direction for your story.

A funny thing about Horror, I like to read it but have difficulty writing it.

Wishing you the best as you work on this.