‘Life and Death’. . . In the Literary Sense
It’s a typical day in small town Canada. I’m sitting here in front of my laptop, drinking my coffee and listening to the birds outside ‘call’ for rain. . . or is it sing to get laid, warn others, gossip. . . you get the idea. The birds and the bees continue to do their thing outside. The pollen is keeping me in here. . . and inspiring me to do bad things. . .
I’m distracting myself from the fact that I killed someone last night. . . I seem to have a taste for it, I’ll miss him, but deep down, I enjoyed it, and I’ll be doing it again tonight . . .
Beta-Reader Release in July
Disclaimer: Before you flag me for inappropriate content, or turn me into the local law enforcement. . . reflect on the title of this post. No, I’m not on a rampage – there will be no coverage of me, running amok, being chased by RCMP with butterfly nets and tranquilizing darts. I’m elbow deep in writing a series of novels, and a prominent character just died. The investigators will conclude that it was natural causes, so I’ll get away with it. . . I left clues, but they all point to someone else.
Just to remind you – I am writing a book, and my actions don’t translate into the ‘real world’.
Why did I just state that? Honestly, it’s not that I think my two readers lack the intelligence to follow me, and that what I’m talking about is happening in a book. . . it’s for the other ‘readers’, that flag things that contain certain trigger words. Consider this my ‘Hello Law Enforcement folks! I don’t want a visit at 3am, that’s one of my more creative hours and I’m usually writing. I can’t afford to replace my front door, and given what I’m often not wearing. . . I can’t afford to send the team to therapy, to recover from their trauma. – Thanks!‘ I hope this clears things up, because I’d like to get back to the real post now. . . Are we good? I’ll take the silence as a ‘yes’. On with the post about writing.
I find that once you find your stride, characters take on a life of their own and often will suggest changes in dialogue and plot that make better use of their attributes. . . or stick it to someone that they don’t like. There are times when I feel like a rented set of fingers, transcribing their conversations, as they banter back and forth inside my head. I often startle the cat when I laugh out loud for no apparent reason, and I’ve been told by friends that my perpetual evil grin makes them nervous. Good thing everyone knows I’m an artist, or else they’d think I was crazy.
Are there any other authors out there? What’s your genre of preference, or do you wander all over the landscape in pursuit of telling your story? Do your characters have lives of their own? Have they ever walked ‘off set’ to have a tantrum, or complain about their scene being cut? Do they make you laugh, cry, or wonder how the hell they manipulated you into letting them get away with something plot changing? Have you killed off characters? I’m curious, I find the process of creating fascinating, be it art or writing. I’m asking you to share via comment.
Cheers,
Jenn
Mythspinner Studios 
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