Third Draft

I’ve started on it! And immediately had to stop because my main character was having a panic attack.

Although I usually tell my stories straight, I was considering having a more flippant, sarcastic tone for The Agency. Government agencies always seem to have some level of absurdity in their workings. Perhaps being sarcastic about it would soften the harsher edges of the situation.

As fun as that would be, the character’s panic attack is telling me that I can go deeper emotionally. That’s something I love to see.

When I start out writing a story, the most obvious character motives and plot twists are the ones that pop up first. That’s fine for a beginning, but a really great story can’t be so obvious. It’s the element of surprise that makes the story shine. With successive drafts, I can explore alternatives. Those different takes and extra layers of meaning are what make a story memorable.

So I’m going with a more dramatic tone for The Agency. I can use it to develop more of the character’s back story. I can always sprinkle in bits of sarcasm if the tale becomes too heavy.

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