Do Something Radical

Hm,do something radical. That’s the advice a friend recently gave me.

I can’t stop thinking about it, but maybe not for the reason she wanted me to think about it–I don’t think my characters are always radical enough. You see, the thing about fictional characters is that they are just that… fictional. Which means the things they say and do should be exaggerated a bit.

I’m left wondering just how to make them come to life and have them make insanely stupid decisions without pissing off the reader. I want them to be interesting, but I don’t want them to be comical.

Maybe they need to make stupid love decisions… that can add some serious interest to the story. When I read stories, I like to see crazy things happen to people as a result of their own actions-not just because. I think it’s important for your characters to have things happen to them as a result of their own decisions… not someone else’s. It makes the story more interesting, and it makes the reader more involved in the telling.

I’m working on a new book. I’ve been thinking about it for about a month… ideas rolling around like tiny marbles in my head, and it’s finally ready to be on paper. I hope I can get my characters to make radical decisions, but I wonder if I don’t need to make a couple of my own first. 🙂