November 4, 2004
-
I’m having a little bit of a setback. I asked my youngest daughter to read what I had so far. Actually I first did this, I guess it was on the 2nd, and other than the opening paragraph, she liked it. And I agreed with her about the beginning. I got off to a bad start, but once I got going it got a lot better. So tonight she came by and I had her read again. She doesn’t like the direction two of the main characters are going in. They are chummier than she likes. And she didn’t like how one of the characters was racist.
In case Neuroticfitchmom is reading, the character is African American. And I was going to comment on your blog but in case I forget I’ll do it here: it must be scary to think about what your kids are hearing from other children if the parents talk like that.
I agreed with her that parts are too much setting the reader up. Kinda like too much logistic and not enough naturally unfolding events. I was brainstorming about how these two families came together and it sort of sounds like I was building a case, I think. And she doesn’t like when I write in dialect. She changed chile to child. What fun is that?
She was on this trip with me and she met two of the characters so I value her opinion. I also value it because I think she is a better writer than I am. Once I helped her with an English paper and the teacher gave her a B. She never let me help her again.
So now I have to decide how strongly I feel about what I’ve dreamt up in the way of plot, and if I am being realistic about these characters. How do you accurately portray a character you’ve made up? The reason I am feeling so unsure is that on the one hand, and my mother-in-law always thought it was excessive, I have a good imagination. On the other hand, maybe, because I live alone and have this “rich inner life,” I don’t have a good grasp of reality. But come to think of it, look at John Irving and some of his characters. Geez, that’s what makes him so great is he doesn’t suffer from those constraints. Who’s to say but the reader whether a character is unbelievable or just takes on, if you will, a fanciful identity? And I suspect the ability to know this, know when you’ve gone too far, is what makes or breaks a writer.
I don’t see any of you second guessing your stuff like this. Do you have someone read it every step of the way? Do you only have a professional, I mean like an editor or another writer read it.? Do you wait until you’ve doctored it up? I want to know yesterday if I have a fake-sounding character.
You know, now that I think of it I don’t know why I thought I could write a black character. But the way the families are coming together race didn’t seem like an issue any more. I shouldn’t hit submit but I’ve read some of your “rants” so here’s mine. And I know “rant” is not the right word but I’m too tired of writing to think of what this would be called: Whining?
Comments (13)
I highly recommend NOT showing it to anyone else along the way. Maybe if you’re really stuck and you have some distance from it yourself and are honestly wondering “is this any good at all?” then you can try and get someone feedback. But not while creating – you have to let it all out, IMO, the good and the bad. Let the characters speak for themselves, if they are real enough to you that you could sit down with them to tea (or latte or a bottle of rum or whatever they’d like) and let them tell you their story. Especially with this sort of condensed speed writing you’re doing – feedback along the way will only introduce doubts and indecision. The idea of NaNo, it seems to me, is to force yourself past all that. Keep on going – don’t look back – not yet!
I highly recommend NOT showing it to anyone else along the way. Maybe if you’re really stuck and you have some distance from it yourself and are honestly wondering “is this any good at all?” then you can try and get someone feedback. But not while creating – you have to let it all out, IMO, the good and the bad. Let the characters speak for themselves, if they are real enough to you that you could sit down with them to tea (or latte or a bottle of rum or whatever they’d like) and let them tell you their story. Especially with this sort of condensed speed writing you’re doing – feedback along the way will only introduce doubts and indecision. The idea of NaNo, it seems to me, is to force yourself past all that. Keep on going – don’t look back – not yet!
What she said!
Be true to yourself and your vision. Not everyone will like it, but then again, not everyone likes everything. There will be plenty who do like what you write and admire you for it:)
Whoa, how’d that get there twice? How embarassing…
RYC- It sounds like you’re back on the road! I do think 50K is an awkward length for a full piece – I mean it depends on the piece but it’s darn hard to sell, is what I’ve heard. No, I think the idea is to go as far as you need to, then go back and hold a gun to each and every word “In or Out?” and make them all justify themselves. But that’s not for now – now is when you turn the tap and let it gush. I’m all for following the characters where they want to go – I’m not sure many of us (unless we’re highly experienced, disciplined or lucky) end up where we thought we would when we started. Isn’t that what makes it fun? If you already knew all the answers, why would you write?
Half of my family are black. There isn’t a them and us. Its strictly cultural. The white west indians and the black west indians are the same. I guess that isn’t the American experience at all.
I don’t understand your comment on my blog about thems scratching each other’s backs.
I thought that nanowrimo was about quantity and not quality. I remember reading a lot of blogs on it last year. I don’t remember anyone actually finishing it. I think it might be because it just isn’t possible to give the kind of thought and depth to a novel, as you are doing now, and write that many words in one month. Maybe it is possible to write furiously and edit slowly, later.
As far as characterisation goes, I read the Da Vinci Code, mostly because its my best-selling book. I rarely read fiction these days and never mystery. It was a good story, a fast read, a couple of factual errors, but then it was a novel, but the characterisation was terrible. A weak, wimpy kind of character who when he was thinking had superman moments and a pushy girl of unlimited mental capacity….. Dreadful, but no one noticed or cared.
Just after I read that, I read Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I was entranced. Precious Ramotswe had me hooked. A lady of traditional figure is appreciated by true African gentlemen and therefore does not need to worry about a second slice of cake. Not much of a mystery story true, but I went straight out and bought the other three books in the series.
So, it comes down to what you like. A cracking good story or good characterisation. It could be both, but doesn’t have to be.
OK, get the scratching thing now (hours later, after coffee). I can be very dense in the morning
I don’t know Florida. I stayed in South Beach in Miami for three weeks once, and I’ve been to Houston, but other than that I don’t know the US at all. What was so specially eye-opening about Florida? (I want to go to New York more than anything, one day….)
RYC – About my link to Making Light – goodness no, I am flattered, but no she’s not me. She’s an incredibly intelligent witty publisher of sci fi books. Her blog often has some great insights into writing of all kinds and good stuff on the publishing world and what it’s like to be into books from that side of things. No, no, I’m just me.
It is your novel, your characters, not hers. I think you should let it come out the way you think right. You can ask opinions later on.
I grew up in a small village in Wales quite well off, quite well educated, all white, but we knew blacks, it was never any kind of deal. I married into a top political family (black) in the Caribbean. I married up! The race thing has been only a bonus to me. My kid is a green-eyed, white-skinned blond, dunno how!
Sorry the link didn’t work. I got the kid to (re)post his dress up pic too (for your amusement
)