Thursday's children is a blog meme where writers blog about what inspires them. Click here to find out more and join us!
On Monday, this happened.
It was just one, the tiniest of steps, after which she dropped to her butt and crawled like a speed demon across the floor, and she hasn't done it since. Dad and Mom were both pretty excited about it, but at thirteen-and-a-half months, Calliope does not seem to be in any rush to walk.
When I'm not chasing her around the house, I've been working on my revision of my WIP. I'm still struggling with the romance subplot--I can't seem to get the timing of it exactly right. I realized today that what I'm missing is hesitation. Or maybe anticipation is a better word.
I'm not a patient person IRL so writing teases is not one of my strengths. I am far-sighted to the point I sometimes forget to enjoy the climb (thanks, Miley). I can't cheat my readers that way, though. I've got to take my time, build the anticipation and let the story progress organically.
I've got to let Calliope enjoy her crawling days, even if it means lugging 20 pounds around on my hip for a couple more months. At least it's good exercise.
So today, I'm letting mini-me enjoy the climb. Or the crawl, I guess. I am so not ready for her to climb yet.
How do your personality trails enhance or challenge your writing?
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That's a GREAT question. I have similar tendencies and am also a pretty ruthless editor, so I often have to go back to add the "fluffy stuff", whether it's tension-building or descriptive detail, or transitional passages.
ReplyDeleteYes, I find myself adding in detail that I cut out in other places because it felt rambly at the time. Oh editing!
DeleteI used to have the same problem with writing romance, but awareness of the problem was what helped me the most. Now, I notice how other writers slow things down and build up the tension.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Pat!
DeleteOh, gosh. I'm the same way. I've gotten better, but sometimes I just let the tension overwhelm the characters and let them do what they want...and cut it out later. I have a WiP that I'm editing now, and I'm having to cut some of the romance to let it build a tiny bit better.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea, Amber! Or cut and paste it somewhere more appropriate for the story arc. No use letting all that schmexiness go to waste! ;)
DeleteLack of tension is a weakness in my writing, one I'm working on. I look to other writing as well, to see where I can create "anticipation of the climb" within my own. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Kate!
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