electric mist

and all the people crowded around

PJ Parish has a terrific blog entry about how characters can waltz into a scene unannounced and unexpected and end up being pivotal to the story. It's a little freaky when that happens, though, because it feels very much like they simply showed up, except that you are aware, as an author, that you created them on some level. Only you weren't aware you were doing so, really. They stand there in their frumpy blue dress and pill box hat and white gloves which are so out of step with the times, and you wonder where on earth they came from and why are they showing up in the middle of this action scene, and why is it that you care that it's a 70 year-old woman buying a semi-automatic Glock? Nothing good can come from her actions, and you know it, and you know your main character knows it, and somehow, somewhere, Maimee Parsons (for that is her name, she introduced herself, thank you very much)... yes, Maimee Parsons is going to affect the story in a way that isn't terribly clear right now. She's talking, though, and making demands, and she's a minor character (though she doesn't know that, she thinks this is her story), and you sort of nod benevolently and agree to write about the times she shows up in your main character's story, but you know she thinks that's fine for now, but she'll wrangle more attention from you later once she has you hooked. It's all very very weird, and it happens in my head (I think)(right? it's not real, right?), and you try to explain this process to non-writing friends or family and they look at you just a tad more worried than they normally do, like they may spend the afternoon hiding sharp objects.

(Did you ever maybe wonder if all of those psychotics hearing voices in their heads are really just frustrated writers?)

I'm not sure what damage Maimee is up to, but it'll be fun to find out.

Posted by toni at February 1, 2006 11:56 AM