This week: Fireworks and Other Unexpected Noises Edited by: Storm Machine  
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Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are. ~Stephen Moyer |
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The air is hazy in my city after the fireworks of the weekend. The stagnant air isn't moving much, so staying inside is advised. It has been a loud weekend, with each of my closest neighbors setting off a small fortune in fireworks.
I knew my son loved fire. He's been known to light two candles so he and his sister can each blow one out. We've been trying to teach him safety, because that is very important. However, there are fireworks involved over the national holiday, and that's a lot to handle. He was so excited he ran up and down the backyard, screaming about each neighbor or farther city display of fireworks.
It's hard to reign that in to be safe. However, we managed. My daughter, on the other hand, is extremely cautious with anything that might burn and even worries about the grass burning and huddles to one side in case something might hit her.
Many people experience different reactions to fireworks, and these two examples are not the most extreme. This is a good thing to remember when we're dealing with any stimulous in a story. The reaction of each character can be very different for weird reasons. Pet owners often struggle with keeping their furry friends calm and safe during fireworks and thunderstorms. Babies and small children may not understand the loud noises and cry. Veterans may be transported to different times in memory because of the noise.
Your characters often run into things they've never seen or heard of before. A book might have magic, a monster, or a situation that is simply too far from a character's normal to be believed. Some will freeze in shock or disbelief. Some will act to defend themselves. Some will flee. Those might all be the wrong answers - but as writers we need to think about creating a party where every single character is gung-ho on pummeling the thing it comes in contact with.
In my Dungeons and Dragons group, occasionally we don't all fight the monster. We negotiated with one, which was smart because it could have been the end of our party, despite being six of us and one of him. We ran from another, because at some point you don't really need to get between a baby and its mother. (We didn't realize at first the monster we came across was the baby. That was shocking!)
Every problem can have a different solution, and finding what feels right among the characters you've assembled might take some trial and error. We've all had that one character that you think can follow your outline but really has her own ideas on how all the things should go - and it's often a complete left turn from where you hoped your story would end up. I know my Dungeon Master for the DND group is always looking at us like, you're trying what? But so far we're still alive to take another adventure, so it can't be completely wrong.
While we're talking about how characters deal with things, why not check on your bad guys, too? Is your monster simply lost? Like one of my son's books, does the dragon only eat noodles on Tuesdays? Maybe the villain is simply mad he lost the chess tournament in fifth grade and he's out for revenge against everyone. As long as you give me a little believability as the stakes escalate, I'm in for a good read. |
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Jacqueline 
I have been looking for the thing, since last year?????
At least I'm not alone.
Quick-Quill 
I’ve been working on my MS rewrite. I’m posting each chapter for a group read and getting great feedback. I’m hoping to get through it in the next few weeks. I’m not going back to work soon so I’m not a driven as I should be.
I’m also trying to train a puppy. What were we thinking??? I’m too old to be doing this. I want to return her. Anyone want a cute partially trained pup?
Ah, a sweet little puppy! I wish I could, but I can barely keep the plants alive. I hope the rewrite is getting better. Feedback helps, when it's good feedback, and it sounds like it!
Monty 
Pretty much what we are all going through. At 80 with COPD and heart tbl I am being careful. Thanks for the N/L. Stay safe.
You stay safe, too. The world is rough everywhere.
Mastiff
When I find myself not writing, it's usually because I'm tired or busy. If it's the latter, and something mundane, I'll often find myself trying to find the concept of something I want to write. Perhaps there is a prompt, for example, and I'd like to piece something together. But when I'm just tired, or even tired or sitting and writing, I might find myself coming up with actual wording or dialogue. It's those times when I have to force myself to get after it. Because I think, if you can think it, you need to type it, or you very well may lose it. It's a good motivator!
I find that is true for myself, too. You can't write from an empty well - I can't either. So sometimes I have to put time aside to just fill the well back up so that it's ready when I encounter those prompts or little inspirations. Good luck!
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Action/Adventure: July 08, 2020 Issue [#10257]
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