Inside the Male Mind

As I surveyed my scene note cards over the weekend, it occured to me, and not for the first time, that my hero has more scenes than my heroine. His arc is well-defined, his history, motivations and conflicts crystal clear in my mind. While I have developed a heroine who I hope is delightful, interesting and worthy of his affections, I have realised she doesn't have much of an arc. Sure she is changed by the end of the novel, both through her relationship with the hero and in her own right. But there aren't many scenes to illustrate why she changes (except in order to fight for the hero and her own destiny). I need to mull on her development some more.

The fact that I am writing the hero's story more naturally is somewhat of a surprise. As a woman, I would have thought I would identify with the heroine more, and struggle to get under the hero's skin. Perhaps it's because I find nothing more romantic than a tortured hero who cannot have the lady he wants. I have fallen in love with this guy, and while I like this girl, I'm not going to spend hours happily daydreaming about her. I should, but I don't automatically because she's not the one causing me to swoon.

My hero started life in a sequel to my first completed novel. He began quietly enough, but he soon demanded to be part of a different story. He just wouldn't leave me alone. I wrote the very beginning of chapter one from his point of view a couple of years before I sat down to actually write the novel.

I'm not saying I'm completely confident in my abilities to write the male point of view, but I'll let my readers be the judge of that :-)

So I need to develop my heroine more, and writing further scenes for her should both fill out gaps in my first act and supply most of the 10,000 words I need to complete my first draft. I already have two scenes in mind to write, both in the last act (illustrating her transformation). I still need to work more on her parts in the beginning and middle. Here's hoping I can make her shine!

Do you find it easier (or more fun!) to write from the male or female point of view? Which side do you enjoy reading more?

Progress!

The last time I wrote about my WIP, I was stuck in the quagmire of writer's block. I just couldn't see where to go next: how to add complexity and higher stakes. It was a frustrating, scary place to be.

Now, I'm pleased to report I have pushed through, but not in the way I expected. I thought my quirky minor characters would fuel the sub-plots I needed to add layers to my main characters' journeys. I thought and thought and got nowhere.

The key is the villain
Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Then, I was reading this article about mirroring your plot points, and a lightbulb went off. The section entitled "the bad guys close in" could be taken as a metaphor, but it got me thinking. I have some shady characters, and there is one in particular that causes trouble. His main action had impacted on a minor character (albeit a quite important one), and this action then ricocheted into the main characters' worlds. But then I thought - what if? What if this guy is actually a proper villain, who seeks to disrupt my hero's path whenever possible, and to use my heroine as an unwilling accomplice? What could he do, what would be the worst he could do, to destroy my hero's hopes?


Progress
Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The answer popped into my head, and then I was off, adding quite a few scenes to the second half of the novel, as well as a few pointers to lay the foundation in the first half. It sounds quite simple, to increase the antagonist's role, but I had thought that the book would be almost solely driven by the characters' internal journeys, with the external happenings just driving home their development. Instead, I can push them into increasingly desperate situations using intentional evil.

Plus, it's fun to write a villain... and doubly fun to see him get his just deserts.

So now, my novel has blossomed from 46,000 words to just over 60,000 words. I still have about 20,000 to go, but it feels good to be 3/4 of the way through. I know it still needs plot development, with tidbits that are yet to drop into my brain. But I feel like I will get there; no longer lost in the "what if I never finish" doldrums.

Here's what my structure looks like now (see the first version here). I've increased from 43 to 75 scenes. Act 3 is still looking a little bereft, but some of those scenes will be long.


My scenes, 3/4 way through

Have you experienced such a breakthrough, and how did you achieve it? Perhaps by studying the craft as I did?

Downton Disappointment

I'm interrupting my semi-regularly scheduled programming to rant about the last episode of Downton Abbey, which screened in New Zealand last night. The penultimate episode was very enjoyable, promising so much for the finale. But it was so disappointing, it made me wonder if they found out they had a second season just before writing it... it seems like all they were doing was setting up the next set of plot arcs. The episode forgot important plot points, while throwing in incongruous twists for no good reason. My main quibbles were:

1. The next test for Mary and Matthew's relationship was supposed to be her confession. Would he still love her once he found out the truth about Mr Pamuk? The risk was all on her side, and there was never any doubt of him being a worthy recipient of her affections.

Instead the writers just forgot all about this, and Mary didn't even tell him. Instead they added a ridiculous pregnancy, which could cause Matthew to fall from his position as heir. It became all about whether Mary should risk her future material security by accepting him. I couldn't care less about that - of course he'd make enough money as a solicitor to support them if she loved him enough. The point was whether she could make herself vulnerable, and if he'd be accepting. I was crushed at the end when the writers just let the tension dissolve away, and the relationship with it.

2. It also seemed that Thomas was to be eliminated before the next season, but not with the justice he deserved. As the evidence mounted, his guilt was proven. But instead of being called to task by Lord Grantham, he was allowed to resign to assist with the war effort. Again another conflict just fizzled out. Why? (I will say that I never liked him and I'm glad he'll be gone, but no doubt another villain will take his place)

3. The plot with O'Brien was another failed device. If the pregnancy just served to end the M&M happily-ever-after, why have O'Brien behave so badly only to remove the barrier and suffer no consequences? Perhaps she will suffer the fallout in the next season, unless guilt is the only punishment. However like Thomas, it only seemed natural that some sort of comeuppance was due to her for her sins during this season.

4. The arc with Bates and Anna seemed to progress with Anna's discoveries about the past. But when presented with an opportunity for more revelation between them and a furthering of the relationship, Bates just says again, "I can't tell you," and Anna retreats as if this satisfies her. Where is the spirit she showed in the previous episode, when she protested her love? At least we get to see that Bates is actually interested, but will he ever fight for her, or at least explain why he won't? I thought he was a stronger character than that.

The sibling rivalry was well done; deliciously vile. And I like the hints of more to come between Sybil and Branson, but the plot about her liberal tendencies sort of evaporated too. No doubt outside events will have a larger part to play in season 2. I just hope the writers do the characters and dramatic tension justice. I could do with less scenes of Mary crying too. And here's hoping that Matthew will be back as he was really the only romantic hero!

Do as I Say, Not as I Write

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So far in my writing most of the situations, and the characters' reactions to them, align with my personal moral code. I know that in a future book I have planned, the lifestyle choices of the MC will certainly surprise conservative friends and family.

I admire the stance Nicholas Sparks takes to never use infidelity as a plot device. His reasons are to refrain from glorifying such things, and to keep his works original. I thought I'd take a similar stance but lately, I've been toying with taking plots and motivations further. Could I take characters beyond what I think is morally acceptable? Have them do things that would make me gasp?

I've been wondering...

-What lengths would you go to to pay the bills... petty theft, fraud, embezzlement?

- Is it possible for a blissfully married woman to be strongly attracted to another man?

- Could jealously make someone intentionally and secretly sabotage another's happiness?

- What if you don't like your own children, or one of them?

These situations don't relate to my own experience at all, and I know if I wrote about them I'd feel sort of scandalous (not to mention ill-prepared!). I fear those I know (or possibly more those I don't know) thinking that I condone my characters' behaviour. However I also know that I'll never improve if I don't push myself.

I know what makes me gasp would scarcely cause some readers to blink. These are tough issues for me. Does anyone else struggle with this balancing act?

New Characters Over the Fence

As of last night we have new neighbours. We were saddened by the news that our old neighbours had decided to down-size: they were retired and therefore without noisy children or loud music... just a sports-mad and slightly-deaf husband who yelled at the TV all day. They were cat people and kept an eye on ours when we were away, and we occasionally traded home-grown vegetables over the fence.

The furtive glances at the new editions reveal they are possibly late forties, and so far seem to be child-free. They own a 1970's Jaguar. That might be all we have to go on until they are settled in enough to introduce themselves. It's kind of funny: now that my brain is permanently set to writer's mode, I find myself thinking about the new neighbours as if they are new characters that I need to discover. Except that in this case, they won't just reveal themselves in my mind. As we get more clues, we'll probably sketch together our own impressions... which might prove to be the total opposite of what they actually are! The forty year olds might be their children or parents for example.

It made me think of my characters, about what attributes I normally think of first, and how sometimes they reveal surprising things about themselves. Have you ever had a character do a 180 turn on you (that you didn't expect) or do they generally behave themselves?

Anyway, it's weird to think that we won't see our old neighbours ever again, after seeing them nearly every day since we moved in. It reminds you about the transcience of life.

Sophie decided to be particularly vocal all night, wanting to go in or out every few minutes. We were accommodating just to shut her up - we didn't want the new neighbours to be disturbed on their first night. I really hope they are cat people.