Character(s)

If you've ever read a Stephen King novel, you will understand the bewilderment I have with how he keeps his thousands of characters (in one book!) straight. Not only that, but he manages to make the reader fall in love/hate with each and every one of them. There's never been a character in one of his books where I'm all, ehhh, I could have done without so-and-so.

When I started writing AYLB, my main cast was about eleven characters. I thought, whatever, they all play a part, so there we go. But each time I go back to it, I cut out one more character, either because they're not important or I just have no place to put them. I have a core group of about five characters, and then another six or seven who pop in and out of the first story, eventually (hopefully) solidifying themselves in the second installment.

But sometimes I wonder how I can get them all to stop being characters and start being real (yes, I had an image of old MTV when I typed that). My core group is fine...I hope. But some of the others...I'm sitting there and asking, why are you doing that? Is that something you would say? Why are such a jerk/pushover? I've never been a patient person, so I feel that I need to reveal their entire backstory in two paragraphs, but then what's left for them? A bit of mystery can be a good thing, but tell that to a person who skips to the end of the book when she knows she just can't handle it (Pandemonium was the last book I did that too, and I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm so glad I did).

This thought led to another: how do I write a character when I'm angry? Things happen in life and I turn to writing to smooth out the stress, but sometimes I go back and reread what I've written...and it's not good. My once cocky but sweet character has turned into an out-and-out jerkface, and that's thanks to whoever has pissed me off. Trying to separate real life and fantasy life is hard sometimes, especially when all I want to do is immortalize someone who has brought me to tears.

Besides all of the above, the writing is going well and I've changed a lot of the story from the original. But it's working. Well, for now.