I’ve been struggling with a short story for the past two weeks. Writing the first draft earlier this year was arduous. A plot that looked good in outline seemed improbable while I wrote, and led to an unsatisfying ending. I hoped that revision would be easier. It hasn’t been. How I’ve struggled with that plot! As I wrote to a friend, “I’ve brainstormed, I’ve free-written, I’ve talked to myself on the drive to work.” Nothing has worked.
Last night before bed, I wrote a little about the problem. Maybe I programmed my subconscious to work on the issue as I slept, because this morning, these words crawled down my arm:
Of course, the real problem is that your protagonist is a type, not a character. Nothing he does is going to feel authentic because he isn’t real.
Oh. Right.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Terry Odell // Dec 2, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I’ve found most of my plot problems are really character problems. Maybe that’s why short stories are so hard for me. Not enough time to get to know them.
2 Larry Gasper // Dec 3, 2009 at 1:34 am
This jumped out at me big time. I looked at my manuscript and realized that it explained why I’ve had such a struggle with it. Thanks, Sam.
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