Yesterday was an interesting day writing. Chapter fifteen was meant to dealt with a the lead character, returning as a ghost, to speak to his son. It was meant to be tender and emotional and a fantasy that most of us living people have had when thinking of someone we’ve lost. We’ve all wished that we’d had a message from someone close to us who has passed on and this chapter was meant to embody that idea. Unfortunately, it didn’t go like that. While I normally have an idea of what I am trying to achieve, I do actually try and stay faithful to the characters. So when a ghost starts speaking to an 11 year old boy what is supposed to happen? The boy is going to freak out. So that’s where we went. And then the mother gets involved and what was supposed to be a tender and moving scene turns into something completely different. You could say that I let the characters write this one as I completely lost control of the story. I like the way it went but the process has left me confused. Who was in control? Me or the characters? Anyway, the upshot of this is that it manouvred the lead character into a much more satisfying position for the finale…so smiles all round eh?
Today, chapter 16 starts with the band that Vince the ghost is working with pay a visit to their manager to hear the playback of their finished album, co-penned by a ghost. Don’t worry folks. I still believe that this is a good idea for a novel, honest!
On unrelated news, I am completely enamoured with the second CD of the new Kate Bush album “Aerial”. It’s so…erm…lovely, that’s the best word to describe it, that I have to keep listening to it. I’ve played it repeatedly since I got it and this hasn’t happened in a long while. It’s a great album, by the way. (See my review somewhere on the site)
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Hi, just wrote to say I really enjoy your blog. I too have a blog about viagara, you might…..
oh allright, not really, but I just thought I’d reply to your comment about not getting spam.
Hey Culfy that was funny…
But for a minute there, I thought my missus might have been in touch with you about my little problem. 😉
ONLY JOKING – Woody is my middle name.
Wasn’t it Shaw who said (paraphrasing tremendously and no doubt inaccurately) the way he wrote was to create interesting characters and letting them interact with each other?
Probably not. I’m still a little stunned by the sonic grenade that hit me off the coast of Somalia.
Yeharr
PS: as someone who lost his father at a relatively early age, I can tell you that if his ghost had appeared and talked to me, I don’t think that I would freak out all that much, since it was one of my most fervent wishes at the time. Cry, probably. But if I went to get my mother, it would only be to share in the wonder. However, far be it from me to write your story for you, when your characters are doing it on their own quite nicely.