Reason #55 why I love Chris Baty

This is what he just posted in the "Breaking News" section of the website tonight:

"Okay, so I'm a little behind. But crossing into 5,000 words yesterday with a story I'm starting to like felt pretty dang good. I started over three times this year, which is a new record for me.

The story that I'm going with just started budding in my brain two days ago. And you know what helped me flesh it out? Borrowing a question from one of Tavia's Young Writers Program exercises. Namely: What do each of my characters want more than anything else in the world?

It's not something I've ever really thought about before. But I have six characters, and I sat them all down yesterday and asked them that question. They said...

Character One: "I'd like to finally have a best friend."
Character Two: "I'd like to open the nation's finest ferret-racing facility."
Character Three: "I want to raise enough money to get the heck out of America and go back to the South Pacific and marry my one true love, Mallo."
Character Four: "I'd like to find a place where I fit in, where my friends aren't all such jerks."
Character Five: "I want to fall in love. And move out of my parents house (again)."
Character Six: "I want to get revenge on somebody who has done something to me that Chris hasn't figured out yet."

Having each of my characters answer that question really helped me start thinking about possible ways that their lives could collide in plotastic ways. I'm hoping I can help Character Six a little bit tonight.

I hope your noveling is going well! A new WrimoRadio will be up in a few minutes, and a Pep Talk from Naomi Novik will be going out by email tomorrow night. It's a great one."

Originally posted in writing_is_fun on LJ