Tuesday, May 22, 2012

And Thus Does Fortune's Wheel Turn Treacherously*

   So, May has flown right by. A frightening thought. Fortunately, I seem to be getting over the story paralysis that kept me from writing in March and April. Unfortunately, work is keeping me busy enough that finding time to get the words out and onto the page has been a challenge.
   Yes, yes, we all have excuses. I know that if I want to write, I will find the time. Or make the time.
   For instance, this woman made time in the early morning and she works as a lawyer. Good for her. I am inspired to follow in her footsteps. This morning I wrote about 750 words before work. They were good words, too, I think. The scene haunted me last night when I was trying to sleep. I realized that I just wasn't torturing my heroine enough. Instead of sleeping, which I sorely needed to do, I thought about ways to make the poor woman's life miserable.
   Illness? Eh, no one wants to read about a bilious protagonist. Loss of a loved one? Not really necessary to advance the story. Plus, I like my supporting characters too much to kill any of them off (for now). Financial? That's it. She's losing her job. That's in addition to having broken up with a longtime boyfriend, having to compete with her arch rival on a huge career-making assignment, and stumbling into some clues that make her suspect an innocent man is being framed.
   And I think there are yet more anvils waiting to fall on our girl.

* Geoffey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Monk's Tale.

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