Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 193
December 5, 2010
The Adventure of English
Recently, Audible had a $4.95 sale for members. At that price, I decided I could afford to try a few books, but I ended up with only one: The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg. It's a history of the English language through the ages, and as a major word geek, I couldn't resist.
First, I think that this is one book that is greatly enhanced by being in audio and would recommend hearing it instead of reading it. The narrator does the different dialects from old English to middle English to Scots, Irish, Australian, American, Caribbean and a host of others. That's something that the written word can't convey the way the spoken word can, and for me, it added a lot to the information. Hearing old English spoken was a first for me and I found it pretty cool.
Second, this book also proved that the narrator can make or break an audio edition. Luckily, I found this man very easy to listen to, and to my ears, he sounded dead on with his accents. Of course, I have no experience with old English, but still, it sounded good to me. :-)
The history of English is actually pretty fascinating. It could have died out when the Normans invaded England, but was helped along by a war with France and the plague. English borrowed heavily from French at several junctures and the Norman invasion was merely the first wave. We also have stolen words from just about every other language on the planet.
My favorite part of the book was the beginning and through the medieval period. I found the parts on American English riveting, too, but since I'm American, I figure I'm a bit biased there. As I listened, we went through a battalion of words and where they came from, but it was done in a fascinating way and I loved it! Chocolate is Aztec via Spanish. The most common words in English are nearly all from the root language that English grew out of. Skyscraper in its current definition came from American English, but it had previous meanings, including a ship's sail, a hat, and a tall person.
Not all of the history of English was comfortable to listen to, but I suppose that's to be expected. To give the language a fair look, one does have to take the bad with the good.
I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it in audio format, but I did have a couple of things that I didn't love. I wish some of the topics and/or time periods could have been looked at in more depth. At approximately 12 hours long, there wasn't room for a great deal of deeper analysis and I would have enjoyed spending more time on things.
An example would be "The Great Vowel Shift" that happened after the English language had been standardized in spelling (mostly) and which is why many of our words are spelled differently than they're pronounced. What we hear is that it's too lengthy to get into, and I can understand that, but I would have at least appreciated hearing a brief summary or overview of how the vowels shifted. As it stood, I was left curious as all get out, but with no answers.
The other thing I would have liked to have seen mentioned was the effect of media on the language. The book talks about English moving forward because of the financial might of the countries that speak English, but it doesn't really mention the effect of say, movies. Let's face it, for a long time, Hollywood was the world's movie capital. Wouldn't that have an effect on speech around the world? What about the effect it had on promoting American English over British English across the world?
At the end, the author talks about how the world's English might split off into different dialects the way Latin split off into Italian, French, etc, but wouldn't a worldwide media situation like we have now promote a more homogenous language instead of less? That question wasn't even raised let alone answered and I was curious.
But the things that bothered me were few and the large majority of the book was awesome. Highly recommend.
First, I think that this is one book that is greatly enhanced by being in audio and would recommend hearing it instead of reading it. The narrator does the different dialects from old English to middle English to Scots, Irish, Australian, American, Caribbean and a host of others. That's something that the written word can't convey the way the spoken word can, and for me, it added a lot to the information. Hearing old English spoken was a first for me and I found it pretty cool.
Second, this book also proved that the narrator can make or break an audio edition. Luckily, I found this man very easy to listen to, and to my ears, he sounded dead on with his accents. Of course, I have no experience with old English, but still, it sounded good to me. :-)
The history of English is actually pretty fascinating. It could have died out when the Normans invaded England, but was helped along by a war with France and the plague. English borrowed heavily from French at several junctures and the Norman invasion was merely the first wave. We also have stolen words from just about every other language on the planet.
My favorite part of the book was the beginning and through the medieval period. I found the parts on American English riveting, too, but since I'm American, I figure I'm a bit biased there. As I listened, we went through a battalion of words and where they came from, but it was done in a fascinating way and I loved it! Chocolate is Aztec via Spanish. The most common words in English are nearly all from the root language that English grew out of. Skyscraper in its current definition came from American English, but it had previous meanings, including a ship's sail, a hat, and a tall person.
Not all of the history of English was comfortable to listen to, but I suppose that's to be expected. To give the language a fair look, one does have to take the bad with the good.
I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it in audio format, but I did have a couple of things that I didn't love. I wish some of the topics and/or time periods could have been looked at in more depth. At approximately 12 hours long, there wasn't room for a great deal of deeper analysis and I would have enjoyed spending more time on things.
An example would be "The Great Vowel Shift" that happened after the English language had been standardized in spelling (mostly) and which is why many of our words are spelled differently than they're pronounced. What we hear is that it's too lengthy to get into, and I can understand that, but I would have at least appreciated hearing a brief summary or overview of how the vowels shifted. As it stood, I was left curious as all get out, but with no answers.
The other thing I would have liked to have seen mentioned was the effect of media on the language. The book talks about English moving forward because of the financial might of the countries that speak English, but it doesn't really mention the effect of say, movies. Let's face it, for a long time, Hollywood was the world's movie capital. Wouldn't that have an effect on speech around the world? What about the effect it had on promoting American English over British English across the world?
At the end, the author talks about how the world's English might split off into different dialects the way Latin split off into Italian, French, etc, but wouldn't a worldwide media situation like we have now promote a more homogenous language instead of less? That question wasn't even raised let alone answered and I was curious.
But the things that bothered me were few and the large majority of the book was awesome. Highly recommend.
December 2, 2010
I'm a Thwarted Book Cheater
Today, I was talking ebooks with a couple of my friends. I love my Kindle, I can't say that enough, but there's a limitation to reading electronically that makes me nuts--I can't skip ahead. Not conveniently.
I cheat when I read. When I'm reading a paperback, I'll skip ahead and skim a few pages farther on. I'll jump a few chapters forward and do the same. And my favorite thing of all, I'll jump to the end and read the last scene. Sure you can do this kind of in a Kindle, but not as easily as in paper.
Maybe I shouldn't cheat as I read. I know readers who are appalled that I do this, but I also know there are other readers who do the same thing I do. We discussed it and the numbers seemed pretty evenly split, not that I kept a tally of any sort.
I'm not sure why I cheat ahead when I read or when it started, but I do know it's a very ingrained habit and my biggest frustration reading ebooks. If only I could skip ahead without messing up my place in the book. If only I could skip ahead without having to hit page forward repeatedly until I get far enough ahead from where I'm at to do my skim reading.
If there's a Table of Contents, it makes it slightly easier, but not by much. Then I have to open the menu, click on go to TOC, and then hit the hyperlink to take me forward. If there is a clickable TOC. :-(
When I talked to my friends, I also expressed my dissatisfaction with the rereading experience in electronic format. You see, usually when I reread, I don't go through the entire book. I just hit the scenes or parts of the scenes that I really enjoyed and want to revisit. Sure, I can bookmark the spot in the Kindle, but while I'm reading, I'm either too enthralled by the story to think of bookmarking or I don't realize that this particular scene is going to end up being a favorite. Sometimes that only makes itself known after I'm finished.
All this said, I still buy the bulk of my fiction now in electronic format. I love the instant gratification. I love having multiple choices on what to read when I have my Kindle with me. I love not having to build more bookshelves. LOL! My dad was getting a little crabby when I asked him to make me one toward the end.
I cheat when I read. When I'm reading a paperback, I'll skip ahead and skim a few pages farther on. I'll jump a few chapters forward and do the same. And my favorite thing of all, I'll jump to the end and read the last scene. Sure you can do this kind of in a Kindle, but not as easily as in paper.
Maybe I shouldn't cheat as I read. I know readers who are appalled that I do this, but I also know there are other readers who do the same thing I do. We discussed it and the numbers seemed pretty evenly split, not that I kept a tally of any sort.
I'm not sure why I cheat ahead when I read or when it started, but I do know it's a very ingrained habit and my biggest frustration reading ebooks. If only I could skip ahead without messing up my place in the book. If only I could skip ahead without having to hit page forward repeatedly until I get far enough ahead from where I'm at to do my skim reading.
If there's a Table of Contents, it makes it slightly easier, but not by much. Then I have to open the menu, click on go to TOC, and then hit the hyperlink to take me forward. If there is a clickable TOC. :-(
When I talked to my friends, I also expressed my dissatisfaction with the rereading experience in electronic format. You see, usually when I reread, I don't go through the entire book. I just hit the scenes or parts of the scenes that I really enjoyed and want to revisit. Sure, I can bookmark the spot in the Kindle, but while I'm reading, I'm either too enthralled by the story to think of bookmarking or I don't realize that this particular scene is going to end up being a favorite. Sometimes that only makes itself known after I'm finished.
All this said, I still buy the bulk of my fiction now in electronic format. I love the instant gratification. I love having multiple choices on what to read when I have my Kindle with me. I love not having to build more bookshelves. LOL! My dad was getting a little crabby when I asked him to make me one toward the end.
November 30, 2010
Adventures In Microwaving
Yes, it's true. I can even find adventure when I try to cook in the microwave. Some people are just not cut out to be chefs.
So it's time to heat up some leftovers in the microwave. I have these great containers from Lock & Lock (not a paid reference, I just really like their product) and I used one of those. The directions say not to lock down the lid before microwaving and I've always been good about making sure it's not closed. I did the same thing this time--rested the lid on top of the container without locking it.
This time things didn't go quite the way I expected.
When I opened the microwave, the cover of the bowl was concave. No big deal, I figured, I'll just take off the lid and it will pop back into place. Only I couldn't get the lid off.
I wrapped one arm around the bowl and tugged with all my might with the other. Nada. It actually took a while before I gave up on the tugging strategy. I was sure if I could just pull hard enough... But I couldn't. Clearly, it was time for Plan B.
My second idea involved putting the bowl in the refrigerator. The cold would cause the silicone seal to retract and I'd be able to take the lid off. No. On to Plan C.
Next, I Googled for help. I couldn't be the only person this had happened to. I wasn't. I found a couple of people asking my question. The first few answers I found were less than helpful. One suggestion was putting the lid on upside down when microwaving. Um, hello? The person who posted wanted to know how to get the lid off (and so did I!), telling us what to do the next time doesn't help with this time.
I continued through the responses, most of which were how to heat in Lock & Lock in the future. Yeah, thanks. Finally, I hit a reply that offered a solution. I just didn't like the solution. This woman had punctured her lid to break the seal. Really. I wasn't ready to do that and I kept reading.
The best solution I found involved using a screwdriver to pry up the edges of the lid until the seal was popped. I used a butter knife. Actually, I used four of them, one pried up on each side. Then with the fourth one, I really worked it in the slot. Then I heard it. The little whoosh as the seal finally gave way! Success!
On the plus side, I don't think my digging in with the knives caused any damage to the silicone or the plastic. On the minus end of things, my lid is still concave and I don't think it's going to pop out again. I console myself with the fact that I didn't have to puncture anything.
So it's time to heat up some leftovers in the microwave. I have these great containers from Lock & Lock (not a paid reference, I just really like their product) and I used one of those. The directions say not to lock down the lid before microwaving and I've always been good about making sure it's not closed. I did the same thing this time--rested the lid on top of the container without locking it.
This time things didn't go quite the way I expected.
When I opened the microwave, the cover of the bowl was concave. No big deal, I figured, I'll just take off the lid and it will pop back into place. Only I couldn't get the lid off.
I wrapped one arm around the bowl and tugged with all my might with the other. Nada. It actually took a while before I gave up on the tugging strategy. I was sure if I could just pull hard enough... But I couldn't. Clearly, it was time for Plan B.
My second idea involved putting the bowl in the refrigerator. The cold would cause the silicone seal to retract and I'd be able to take the lid off. No. On to Plan C.
Next, I Googled for help. I couldn't be the only person this had happened to. I wasn't. I found a couple of people asking my question. The first few answers I found were less than helpful. One suggestion was putting the lid on upside down when microwaving. Um, hello? The person who posted wanted to know how to get the lid off (and so did I!), telling us what to do the next time doesn't help with this time.
I continued through the responses, most of which were how to heat in Lock & Lock in the future. Yeah, thanks. Finally, I hit a reply that offered a solution. I just didn't like the solution. This woman had punctured her lid to break the seal. Really. I wasn't ready to do that and I kept reading.
The best solution I found involved using a screwdriver to pry up the edges of the lid until the seal was popped. I used a butter knife. Actually, I used four of them, one pried up on each side. Then with the fourth one, I really worked it in the slot. Then I heard it. The little whoosh as the seal finally gave way! Success!
On the plus side, I don't think my digging in with the knives caused any damage to the silicone or the plastic. On the minus end of things, my lid is still concave and I don't think it's going to pop out again. I console myself with the fact that I didn't have to puncture anything.
November 28, 2010
NaNo Fail
NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and takes place every November. This is the second time I've decided to do it and the second time I've failed.
In my defense, both years that I've done it, I've been given revisions from an editor that needed to be done. But to be honest, I was failing spectacularly this year anyway. Kind of. You see, my goal wasn't to write 50,000 words like most participants in NaNo are shooting for. My goal was just to write more than usual and I was winning with that.
I have this hero and heroine, Finn and Zo, who have been in my head constantly for months and months and months. Their story isn't paranormal, although I tried my darnedest to make it become paranormal. But I really got into them and their story--until I had to drop it for revisions.
Revisions are done now, though, and even though NaNo is ending, I have a goal. It might be a tough one because the holiday season is now officially here and it's difficult to find writing time during this time of year. My plan, my hope, is to have a rough draft of their proposal finished by New Year's. Can I do it? I'm sure going to try.
In my defense, both years that I've done it, I've been given revisions from an editor that needed to be done. But to be honest, I was failing spectacularly this year anyway. Kind of. You see, my goal wasn't to write 50,000 words like most participants in NaNo are shooting for. My goal was just to write more than usual and I was winning with that.
I have this hero and heroine, Finn and Zo, who have been in my head constantly for months and months and months. Their story isn't paranormal, although I tried my darnedest to make it become paranormal. But I really got into them and their story--until I had to drop it for revisions.
Revisions are done now, though, and even though NaNo is ending, I have a goal. It might be a tough one because the holiday season is now officially here and it's difficult to find writing time during this time of year. My plan, my hope, is to have a rough draft of their proposal finished by New Year's. Can I do it? I'm sure going to try.
November 25, 2010
November 23, 2010
I Got It
Last week, I think, I talked about not having a growth arc for my hero in the Work In Progress (WIP). Through some glints and glimmers, I finally learned what his issue is. It's one of those really fun ones (I say that with complete sarcasm) because it's something that stems from his childhood and it isn't completely logical. He should get over it, he should be able to see the illogic--he should, but he hasn't and he doesn't.
I still had one problem, though, even with the information. I didn't know how the story situation was going to force him to face it. From my view, it looked as if nothing would trigger the need to do something about it.
My position is that people don't like change and won't embrace the opportunity when it comes. BTW, this theory was proven out again when a writers' loop I'm on went into melt down over the prospect of a change. Never mind that nothing had changed yet. Never mind that none of them had tried what was being proposed. It was an immediate and strident No from many. So yeah, if people don't like change even about small things, can you imagine the big stuff? To make a character face deep-seated issues requires dynamite and I didn't think I had a match.
Then on Sunday morning, I woke up, but didn't want to be awake. As I laid there, trying to grab a little more sleep, I had an epiphany and it was perfect. I have the ignition source! ::insert evil author laughter here::
This story has an odd structure to it, so it'll be a while before I need to have him address his issue, but it's always nice to know up front. It will allow me to foreshadow without having to go back and it'll allow me to write the synopsis a little easier because editors like to know how the character is going to change over the book.
Anyway, I'm excited! I love it when a plan comes together. ;-)
I still had one problem, though, even with the information. I didn't know how the story situation was going to force him to face it. From my view, it looked as if nothing would trigger the need to do something about it.
My position is that people don't like change and won't embrace the opportunity when it comes. BTW, this theory was proven out again when a writers' loop I'm on went into melt down over the prospect of a change. Never mind that nothing had changed yet. Never mind that none of them had tried what was being proposed. It was an immediate and strident No from many. So yeah, if people don't like change even about small things, can you imagine the big stuff? To make a character face deep-seated issues requires dynamite and I didn't think I had a match.
Then on Sunday morning, I woke up, but didn't want to be awake. As I laid there, trying to grab a little more sleep, I had an epiphany and it was perfect. I have the ignition source! ::insert evil author laughter here::
This story has an odd structure to it, so it'll be a while before I need to have him address his issue, but it's always nice to know up front. It will allow me to foreshadow without having to go back and it'll allow me to write the synopsis a little easier because editors like to know how the character is going to change over the book.
Anyway, I'm excited! I love it when a plan comes together. ;-)
November 21, 2010
Adjustments
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about searching for royalty-free photos online and what an ordeal it was. I had a few people ask me why I was taking the time to look. Now that things are in place, I can answer this question. If you've visited my website previously, you would have noted that the anchor image was the running couple from my Crimson Veil book. They've been replaced.
Check out my website's home page to see the new couple!
The new picture fits in so seamlessly, it looks as if was always there, doesn't it?
Even though it took forever to do the image search and even though I didn't find another running couple (who weren't smiling), I think the new image works really well. I like that they're holding hands and that the woman is in front. To me, it looks like they're partners and I usually write heroes and heroines who work together as a team. They're even wearing dark clothes.
In other news, I'm working on edits for Shadow's Caress, my Feb 2011 release from Nocturne Bites. It looks as if the title is set now and I'm relieved that I don't have to brainstorm more ideas. Titles are really hard for me, and for some bizarre reason, I've been able to keep about half of the ones I've come up with. Go figure.
Check out my website's home page to see the new couple!
The new picture fits in so seamlessly, it looks as if was always there, doesn't it?
Even though it took forever to do the image search and even though I didn't find another running couple (who weren't smiling), I think the new image works really well. I like that they're holding hands and that the woman is in front. To me, it looks like they're partners and I usually write heroes and heroines who work together as a team. They're even wearing dark clothes.
In other news, I'm working on edits for Shadow's Caress, my Feb 2011 release from Nocturne Bites. It looks as if the title is set now and I'm relieved that I don't have to brainstorm more ideas. Titles are really hard for me, and for some bizarre reason, I've been able to keep about half of the ones I've come up with. Go figure.
November 18, 2010
Shadow's Caress Coming In Feb!
Shadow's Caress, my short story from Nocturne Bites, has a release date now! You can find it online everywhere February 1, 2011! This is the third story set in my Blood Feud world.
I've been trying and trying, BTW, to come up with a name for the series that wasn't the title of the first story that takes place in it, but nothing fits better. I finally decided to surrender and just call it Blood Feud because it fits. One of the main issues in the world is the animosity between vampires and demons and how their respective leaders are trying to bridge that and form an alliance. It's not easy going for them because it is a Hatfield and McCoy situation.
So the vampires and demons realize that humans have become a bigger threat and would be better addressed with a unified front. Humans have vampire hunters and demon slayers out there, although the vast majority of the population is unaware any of this is going on. And the vampires have a small issue--the rogues.
In my world, all vampires are part of a clan through blood exchange. If you're bit by someone who was bit by someone who was bit by clan lord #1, then you're part of his clan. Everyone is affiliated--except during the Demon Wars, one of the clan lords was killed. Most of these vampires joined other clans, but a sizeable number did not. They haven't made an appearance in any stories yet, but they're out there. Waiting.
The thing that's so interesting from a writer's perspective (at least to me) is introducing this all in small chunks because they're short stories. I've never subscribed to the barf out everything about your world up front school of writing. It's hugely boring to read. But I have been able to reveal bigger chunks of say my Light Warriors world than I've been able to do with the Blood Feud stories because of the length. Blood Feud, the first book, introduces the vampire and demon conflict. Demon Kissed brings in the demon slayers, and Shadow's Caress will introduce the vampire hunters.
I do have plans for more stories set in this world. There are two characters (vampires) mentioned in Shadow's Caress that have stories. I just need to finish a few other projects and take time to work things out. Time is always such a problem!
I've been trying and trying, BTW, to come up with a name for the series that wasn't the title of the first story that takes place in it, but nothing fits better. I finally decided to surrender and just call it Blood Feud because it fits. One of the main issues in the world is the animosity between vampires and demons and how their respective leaders are trying to bridge that and form an alliance. It's not easy going for them because it is a Hatfield and McCoy situation.
So the vampires and demons realize that humans have become a bigger threat and would be better addressed with a unified front. Humans have vampire hunters and demon slayers out there, although the vast majority of the population is unaware any of this is going on. And the vampires have a small issue--the rogues.
In my world, all vampires are part of a clan through blood exchange. If you're bit by someone who was bit by someone who was bit by clan lord #1, then you're part of his clan. Everyone is affiliated--except during the Demon Wars, one of the clan lords was killed. Most of these vampires joined other clans, but a sizeable number did not. They haven't made an appearance in any stories yet, but they're out there. Waiting.
The thing that's so interesting from a writer's perspective (at least to me) is introducing this all in small chunks because they're short stories. I've never subscribed to the barf out everything about your world up front school of writing. It's hugely boring to read. But I have been able to reveal bigger chunks of say my Light Warriors world than I've been able to do with the Blood Feud stories because of the length. Blood Feud, the first book, introduces the vampire and demon conflict. Demon Kissed brings in the demon slayers, and Shadow's Caress will introduce the vampire hunters.
I do have plans for more stories set in this world. There are two characters (vampires) mentioned in Shadow's Caress that have stories. I just need to finish a few other projects and take time to work things out. Time is always such a problem!
November 16, 2010
Aspen Gold Award
I promised to take a picture of my Aspen Gold Award when it arrived. I haven't had time to hang it yet, so I had to try to frame it while I had it propped up on the counter. I used to be a good photographer. Really. :-) Sorry about the skew in the shot, but this was the best of the half dozen that I took.
I'm pretty excited to hang it up on the wall. The best I ever did for award hardware while I was in school was my National Honor Society pin, so getting plaques and trophies is an enormous thrill for me.
November 14, 2010
Growing Pains
Right now, I find myself in a very interesting position--I don't know the growth arcs of either character in my Work In Progress (WIP).
When I say growth arcs, a lot of writers think I mean an elaborate chart where I have pivotal moments that change the character and how much they change. No, I don't do that. This strikes me as something a plotter would do and I'm much closer to the seat of the pants side of the spectrum.
How growth arcs work for me is that I get the thing about the character that needs to change. The character who has to do the big change? I say it's their book. The other character has a growth arc, too, but theirs isn't as big.
To use an example, In the Darkest Night was Kel's book. He had PTSD and he refused to talk about anything that happened while he was captured and tortured. Over the course of the book, he had to go from stubborn silence to sharing The Big Secret. Farran, his heroine, had the minor growth arc. She was physically abused by her father. In another story, that might have been the major growth arc and it might have been her story, it's certainly serious enough and big enough, but not for this book. I knew immediately it was Kel's story. She had a self-worth issue that needed to be worked on during the story.
Usually, I know whose book it's going to be and what their issue is before I ever write one word. The one and only other time I didn't have it before I started, I got it when I finished the prologue. (Which ended up getting cut. I don't consider it wasted writing, though, because it gave me the growth arc and fleshed out the heroine in a way she hadn't been earlier.)
I know the WIP is the hero's book, so he's got the big change to make. I thought I had his issue even though it felt just a teeny bit forced on my part. Then, as I drove home from work at the end of last week, I was told that he wasn't stupid. The growth arc I thought was his involved him realizing something over the course of the story, so this message was to tell me this is not going to work, he already realizes it.
Okay. Thanks. Now I'm back to having no growth arc for him. I've asked him questions, but he's totally clammed up on me. That makes me believe it's something kind of big, but I'm not sure about that. Usually when a character won't share, I ask the people that know them, but he hasn't told anyone about it, so I have nothing.
I have no minor arc for the heroine either, but I'm not as worried about that. Minor arcs aren't pivotal to story structure (usually), but the major one is.
I'm feeling kind of at a loss right now because I've never had to prod about this particular piece of a character before. It's always been laid out for me like a gift. This time? Nothing.
When I say growth arcs, a lot of writers think I mean an elaborate chart where I have pivotal moments that change the character and how much they change. No, I don't do that. This strikes me as something a plotter would do and I'm much closer to the seat of the pants side of the spectrum.
How growth arcs work for me is that I get the thing about the character that needs to change. The character who has to do the big change? I say it's their book. The other character has a growth arc, too, but theirs isn't as big.
To use an example, In the Darkest Night was Kel's book. He had PTSD and he refused to talk about anything that happened while he was captured and tortured. Over the course of the book, he had to go from stubborn silence to sharing The Big Secret. Farran, his heroine, had the minor growth arc. She was physically abused by her father. In another story, that might have been the major growth arc and it might have been her story, it's certainly serious enough and big enough, but not for this book. I knew immediately it was Kel's story. She had a self-worth issue that needed to be worked on during the story.
Usually, I know whose book it's going to be and what their issue is before I ever write one word. The one and only other time I didn't have it before I started, I got it when I finished the prologue. (Which ended up getting cut. I don't consider it wasted writing, though, because it gave me the growth arc and fleshed out the heroine in a way she hadn't been earlier.)
I know the WIP is the hero's book, so he's got the big change to make. I thought I had his issue even though it felt just a teeny bit forced on my part. Then, as I drove home from work at the end of last week, I was told that he wasn't stupid. The growth arc I thought was his involved him realizing something over the course of the story, so this message was to tell me this is not going to work, he already realizes it.
Okay. Thanks. Now I'm back to having no growth arc for him. I've asked him questions, but he's totally clammed up on me. That makes me believe it's something kind of big, but I'm not sure about that. Usually when a character won't share, I ask the people that know them, but he hasn't told anyone about it, so I have nothing.
I have no minor arc for the heroine either, but I'm not as worried about that. Minor arcs aren't pivotal to story structure (usually), but the major one is.
I'm feeling kind of at a loss right now because I've never had to prod about this particular piece of a character before. It's always been laid out for me like a gift. This time? Nothing.
![[image error]](http://www.pattioshea.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Turkey.jpg){kind=link}
![[image error]](http://www.pattioshea.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/AspenGoldEOD2010.jpg){kind=link}