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Just as writers have their own style and/or voice, while writing there is generally a routine that falls into play.
Struggling with the opening line and first page. This is pretty much standard. It’s not uncommon for the first page/chapter to go through the greatest number of rewrites.
Building the connection—or lack of—between the protagonist/antagonist or Hero/heroine. It may not be at the very beginning, but still a must.
Introducing supporting characters. This is where it gets dicey for me. I have family members and friends, coworkers and pass-through characters, each serving a purpose in a scene or chapter.
But characters I do not know begin to appear. I’ve gotten used to it. I used to wonder how I could do so much planning and layout scenes and not know this person.
Now I just go with it. They get to stay at least until the first draft is done, then we’ll see.
I validated my project on July 20th and completed the story a week later. However, I’m still writing, making tweaks here and there, altering dialogue and sequence, and making notes for the first rewrite… sometime in the future.
So imagine my surprise when TWO senior citizens show up adding to the story, and the woman is downright rude and obnoxious.
Back it up, grandma! I’ve fallen and can’t get up is a real thing.
But, even though she’s annoying, and I wanted to send her to a home for mean, old biddies, grandma threw a plot twist spanning sixty years on the table and I couldn’t breathe.
Simply brilliant!
So, now I have to go back and do a bit of foreshadowing… and let grandma stay.
Gramps? I have no clue. He’s just sitting over on the sidelines, nodding and smiling.
Not sure I even want to hear what he has to say.
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Day 28 word count – 48, 710
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Felicia Denise, Author 