15 August, 2010

The post where Tam grumbles about her characters

I have't been writing lately, oh the past couple of weeks or so. I've been sewing. There's a show coming up and I'm entering eight quilts (I think) and most I need to finish up. 

But.

My characters, they plague me. Especially Lars and Jess. They have so, so much story left to tell - Dubric is apparently quite happy with his paperwork and new wife - but I don't know how to tell their story without it being, well, boring as hell for everyone but them. So I tell the kids I'll get to them later. They're just not listening anymore. Nope. They want to get on with it, whether I do or not.

I NEED to work on Secret Project M. Which my agent has green-lighted. I NEED to work on a mid-Mage War short story for an anthology (also green-lighted), and I certainly have other viable, sell-able books partially finished on my hard drive. Like SPORE. I've lost count how many folks have seen bits of SPORE and still pester me about it. And Stuart has asked several times about SLIPPAGE. 

Arrgh! This is all so diddly dang frustrating. There's plenty of viable, publishable work I could be doing, yet my brain keeps landing on Lars and Jess and their gushingly happy - yet violently tragic - future.

Dang kids.

4 comments:

Kat BM said...

huh, could you maybe shut them up with the promise of a chapter next weekend if they leave you alone long enough to make the bacon?? You know, even if there isn't a "market" for the book ( in your opinion) you can do the self publish option like you have done on the short stories.. that should satify them and you...

Tammy Jones said...

There's no market for their story as it currently stands because there's no plot. Just smooching. And related activities. And moving on to their own lives, together and happy. Other than the bad, violent stuff, but, well, they *do* live in my brain. It's not like a real story with a beginning, middle, and end, or even increasing danger or conflict or anything. Happy happy cuddle smooches broken up with the damned awful job, corpses and bad guys. And, oh, don't forget, Dub's a douche. Waah! I just wanna grow turnips! !!lightbulb!! Hey, Jess, let's just leave! Then we can get nekkid and no one will pester us. Or make us do icky things! Nekkid?!? REALLY? You betcha! Bye mam, dad, sisters! Love ya buh-bye!
So then off they go, smooching and being nekkid, and life happens, and they're poor but mostly happy, with babies, war erupts, people get kilt, there's pressure to go back to Faldorrah, and guilt guilt guilt, and people are dying and we can help stop it, but we're HAPPY, and, well... it's just BORING. Even if this incredibly shortened gist isn't.

Or, maybe, Lars's dad totally F's up their lives before they even get a chance to get started (it's evil and awful, trust me). Or someone(s) intend to kill Jess because she killed Sweeny, or any of a hundred other ucky things to interrupt the smooching and nekkidness, but none of these are working into real, viable stories. Just smoochings, with occasional bits of bloodshed and angst. lol

Mr. J said...

Just let Lars and Jess tell there story Hon. Whenever you've tried to fight that inner voice you become frustrated but, when you let it flow you seem to enjoy the work. The other stories will call for your attention soon enough but right now Lars and Jess need to get on with there lives. Besides, there's nothing wrong with smooching.

Anonymous said...

At this point, I just give in to the need to write fanfic about my own characters. Who cares about beginning, middle, end? I give them room for about 1000 words a day, getting warmed up for "the real stuff" at the same time. I'm happy, they're happy, and it's much less work than trying to dissuade them from invading my creative space. Sometimes you just have to give in to it, and have fun while doing it.

Every writer needs his guilty pleasure file. I know I do.

Apart from that - excited to hear that you dare going back to writing!