A Writer's Life for Me

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down at my computer and did some serious writing. A few hundred here and there, but today was the first time in a few weeks where I have had the energy to put in a full session. I was afraid that the characters would have lost their lustre after a few weeks; they may have decided to go off and do other things while waiting for me to get back to their story. I was sure one of them had opened a Tim Hortons’ franchise and was hawking donuts and coffee. I was relieved to discover that returning to these characters was easier than I had thought. I was also surprised to discover a twist in my story that I had not seen coming. My dialogue was working its way towards a specific goal, a situation I wanted to get one of the main characters into. I found myself instead listening to the villain, who was a lot smarter and a lot more charming then I gave him credit for, and following his lead instead. Now my character finds herself in a more interesting situation then I had originally planned, one which gives new dimension to the book and one which I am excited to see played out.

The lesson of the day? You are a writer, but you are telling the story of these characters’ lives. Let them live it; you just record it.

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In book news, I recently saw the Watchmen movie, which prompted me to dig out my old copy of Watchmen, which I have already read three or four times. Each time I bring out this graphic novel (a misleading statement, since it was printed originally as a comic book miniseries and only collected and called a “graphic novel” when a marketing expert determined a “comic book” could never be considered to be literature), I discover something new, a nuance I missed, a background piece I missed, something in the dialogue that takes me by surprise.

This time, I was fascinated to compare the book to the movie, to recognize where scenes and even lines were lifted straight out of the comic book. Did the movie translate well? The resounding answer is yes, but it does not compare to the original source material, which never ceases to thrill me or inspire me to write better, to craft more carefully and to never be afraid to break out of any given mould.

If you have not read Watchmen, read it. If you have never read a comic book and think that they have nothing to offer you, read it. If you have already read it, read it. Again.

I am going back to writing now, to wring every last word out of my fingers before bed.