Day 123: Writers Responsibility
Today has been off. I didn’t get much sleep last night and woke up at 6 am to prepare for the podcast recording. We decided for one of them I’ll do a solo cast. Exciting and nerve-wracking! I’ve done a bit of prep but will need to do more.
I didn’t write much today. When I did and the boys asked what I was doing I said, “Writing my New York Times Bestseller.” A little bit of manifesting/foreshadowing.
As of now sticking with paper journal the 17 yo gave me for Christmas. Might need to move to an electronic doc soon to keep things better organized. I do like the idea of it just being on paper though. We will see…
The voice of one of the main characters came through today. I didn’t actually write down what was being said, which in retrospect probably isn’t a good idea. Writing down ALL THE THINGS seems like the smartest course of action for my overactive brain.
I also wrote more from the perspective of who I thought was the protagonist. But that was it for today. Besides a few more questions swirling if the protagonist is an evil mastermind, powerful protector, or prophetic hero. Once their voice starts to come through, It will become more clear. For now, I know a bit about their history and demeanor, but haven’t experienced them firsthand.
Writing this thriller is wild because I’ve always been so creative in my head but learned at a very early age that I shouldn’t focus on the stories and should pay more attention to what is happening.
It feels like coming home to myself and also very indulgent. If my brain was hooked up to an EKG (is that for brains too? or just hearts?) the explosion of lights would be off the charts. I’m loving this process.
It’s not all shits and giggles, though.
I told you that on New Years Eve the 15 yo, hubs and I watched the series finale of Stranger Things. There’s a part at the very end when one of them is sharing “the ending”. A little tipsy, exhausted (because it was like 2 am), and nostalgic with it ending the tears rolled down my face when I thought of the grave responsibility that the storytellers have. Was he changing and glorifying for the benefit of his friends? Tying something up with a cute ribbon to give his friends peace. While he is alone stuck with the burden of the truth.
It was a total moment for me.
Writers can’t create the story for them, they have to develop it for the reader. I hate that. lol. But, just yesterday with one of the characters I wrote “If we kill him will the readers be mad?”. Sure, you can annoy the readers but you can’t make them mad. People wont spite read. If you push too far, they will jump ship and move on.
I’m like that. I’ll quit books and shows so easily if the writers piss me off. My husband and I did that with Greys Anatomy around the 3rd or 4th season. It was toward the season finale and we looked at each other and said, “if they get back together, we’re done.”. And lo and behold, they got back together. We never watched it again. Which sucks because Shonda Rhimes is such a great screenwriter. We were just done though.
So, I’ll keep that in mind. Delete the ego. Stay true to the characters. Don’t betray the readers.
