. . . too often. I'm starting to get looks in my writer's group. People blink a lot and gently suggest that I'm starting to lose the readers' sympathies. By which they mean that I've lost theirs.

Hm. I happen to find my monsters lovable as all get out. Second only to Maurice Sendak's.

Everyone's just mad that my characters have more sex than theirs. Hey! Could there be a song in that?

Posted by: Attila at 11:55 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I took the gauze out of my mouth long enough to read a few pages aloud at Writer's Group tonight. This was one of my "shocker" chapters, and people were . . . well, shocked. That might be good, but if I choose to keep that scene I have to throw in some hints that it might be coming, and consider carefully whether people will be as interested in the character if I continue along this path.

I'd like to keep it, though it definitely gives the tale an even darker turn. But I should consider nuking it. If I do that, I have to figure out how to find a substitute for the final reveal at the end, or whether that's even necessary. If I do my job right, the main plot twist might be enough.

It's been a year and a half, and none of these people has yet articulated what I long to hear: "there, there. That really sucks. You can't write. Why don't you burn this sorry excuse for a manuscript, go home, and take a hot bath? By the way—this isn't your fault. Most likely it's your mother's. Or your husband's. Or perhaps an ex-boyfriend's. Don't worry about it."

Posted by: Attila at 11:12 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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