Monday, June 17, 2013

Mile 23 - GET IN THE CAR AND GO

For some reason, whenever my characters need to drive somewhere I draw...things...out way...too...long.  I don't mean to, but even during emergency situations I suddenly make them have some major conversation as they stand outside the car doors with the keys in their hands.

In a current WIP entitled Possession, I think my characters did this FIVE times--pretty much every time they got in the car.  To be fair, this was only just a first draft modified by one quick revision before my CPs saw it. 

It happened so often in the story that it became a critique group joke.  We've now coined the phrase "get in the car and go" to apply to anything (writing related or otherwise) that needs to speed things up a bit.

Little Red Corvette, baby you're much too slow at getting into the car


So what's my writing tip of the day?

Recognize your hang ups and try to curb them.  Now I make sure it doesn't take me five pages for my characters to "get in the car and go".

But also try to have a sense of humor about your failings and foibles...you'll never be perfect.  There's always room to grow.

Perfect people are boring, anyway...right?


I'm perfect and everyone wants my hair

2 comments:

  1. Hahaha... this great advice, and great of you to spot it in your own writing. I have recently been accused of rushing my endings - and it's true. Once I get through that last big conflict I just want them all to drink smoothies and watch a movie and BAM! We're done folks. It's a wrap. But apparently readers want a bit more, so I'm learning to give it to them. Guess I need to hold my horses while you get in the car and go.

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  2. But we can both still drink smoothies because they taste so good! :.)

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