Speaking to Me
I've been working on this one character (and the rest of the novel, of course) for over two years now, and tonight, I feel like I finally, really have found her authentic voice! This particular story has been read by a number of pairs of eyes already, and the feedback in general had been good about the distinctiveness of her voice, but all this time she just hasn't felt quite right to me. This, well, this feels really good.
Her name alone nagged at me for the longest time, so I kept changing it. While I was staying over my brother and sister-in-law's house during the first week of my nephew's life a year ago last fall, I was also burning the midnight oil bubbling over with creativity, and her true name (re)surfaced and stuck. As a result, she became more real, and the rest of her story started to become less hazy.
Her counterpart on the other hand flew out of me like I was a soul possessed right from day one. I knew her and her voice, tone, and style with great clarity. Writing her P.O.V. was a breeze. I looked forward to writing her chapters. I began to dread writing the other P.O.V., on the other hand, because I felt so lost, like I was meandering through the fog, or worse yet, like I was faking it. Now, she feels true. This is who Kate is. Hurrah! :) I am hoping the end is not far at all in sight.
Her name alone nagged at me for the longest time, so I kept changing it. While I was staying over my brother and sister-in-law's house during the first week of my nephew's life a year ago last fall, I was also burning the midnight oil bubbling over with creativity, and her true name (re)surfaced and stuck. As a result, she became more real, and the rest of her story started to become less hazy.
Her counterpart on the other hand flew out of me like I was a soul possessed right from day one. I knew her and her voice, tone, and style with great clarity. Writing her P.O.V. was a breeze. I looked forward to writing her chapters. I began to dread writing the other P.O.V., on the other hand, because I felt so lost, like I was meandering through the fog, or worse yet, like I was faking it. Now, she feels true. This is who Kate is. Hurrah! :) I am hoping the end is not far at all in sight.