Finding Meyer…
C.E. Grundler
Although Travis McGee will always be my hero and mentor, in John D. MacDonald’s T.McGee series, Meyer is my favorite character, hands down. His gentle wisdom offered a break from the harder aspects of the events playing out, and his insights often explored the perplexing moral and ethical issues Travis tackled. Though Meyer saw the world for what it was and his outlook could turn sour at times, he wasn’t as grim as Travis and managed to keep things in perspective. I’d always wondered why he hadn’t been introduced sooner, and it wasn’t until I began writing myself that I realized one possible answer. I don’t think John D. MacDonald created Meyer. When the time was right, Meyer created Meyer.
As an author, it’s fascinating when a character takes over; one minute you’re writing away, with a general or even very specific, neatly outlined plan for where the scene is going, and suddenly some minor character says or does something you didn’t see coming. You can either stall, back up, and spend the rest of the day herding characters back on course. Or you can keep rolling. Go with it until you run out of fuel. What’s the worst that’ll happen? You delete it? Or a thousand words later you’ stop, read back, and realize this is exactly what should have happened. Your character knew it, outline be damned.
The thing is, you can never predict which characters will create themselves or what roll they’ll play. I had a secondary character with one minor part, but once the scene began, things did a one-eighty. A simple conversation became something far more relevant, and Hazel found herself faced with a character she hadn’t bargained for. And I’ve found a character who won’t be going away any time soon.
The challenge is to be open to these happy accidents. They appear without warning, and unchecked inner editors can stop them in their tracks. Our brains love to pick things apart and decide why they won’t work before they’re ever given a chance. The trick, I’m finding, it to tell that voice of doubt to just STFU, and to just keep typing.
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