So, that wasn’t the morning I had planned.
Alert readers will perhaps recall that yesterday a character wandered into my head, claiming to be from Chicago. I said something along the lines of, “That’s nice, dear,” and went about my legitimate business, which is, as alert readers will also recall, The Further Adventures of Jethri Gobelyn ven’Deelin.
This morning as I was taking my shower and singing along with the radio, here comes the character again, and she not only brought her Sensei with her, but a bubbling threat of backstory and forward story, too.
Which is, of course, Just What I Need, standing as I am at the 50,000-word mark of a contracted-for space opera.
But! The character was noisy. The character was taking on weight. So I got out of the shower, pulled on some clothes, shoved my wet hair back behind my ears and went to Steve’s office, passing neither Go nor the teapot.
I sat down, turned on the computer, opened a file and said, “OK, Kid. You got an hour. What’s on your mind?”
One thousand two hundred eighty-nine words and 65 minutes later, I hit a stopping point, or the kid ran of out breath — however you like it — and I was able to grab some breakfast (cottage cheese with apple butter, and a toasted slice of the bread I made yesterday, with cow butter).
I am now a jazzed-up mess, second cup of tea to hand, and wondering if I’m going to get back with the kid for another round, if I ought to check in with Jethri, or just throw in the towel and dance naked down Rte 104.
And how’s your morning going?
Portrait of the author humoring a character:
Today’s blog post title brought to you by the character from Chicago, and Axl Rose, fronting Guns n’ Roses, “Paradise City“
So does this mean an extra (short) story is looming? I love hearing how that unfolded.
Lots of planets have a Chicago!
I so love your dedication to y(our) characters, and I am trying to become more patient about waiting to find out what happens.
Oh My! Wonder if this lady from Chicago is wanting to just tell a story or embark on a Novel (or, yikes, a Series)?
Spanish Aunts
You write, I read. Balance.
That said, I’m intrigued because my dad and his siblings grew up in Chicago. One of the first times I was there visiting (either 3 years old or 6), I noticed grandfathers walking down the sidewalk with grandkids, one chattering in Polish, the other responding in English. The signs in the shop windows were in all kinds of languages. I was impressed.