Thursday, August 1, 2013

Character Development

She ran her foot up and down my leg, her long hair draped across her left shoulder and her white dress flowing gently over her body.  Here I was, staring at a blank screen, and all she could do was try and distract me.

"I still don't know why the main character has to start off so naïve ," I said.  "It makes me wonder at his grasp on reality."

She turned her head to look at me and smiled.  "Think about it - this guy hasn't done anything to be grizzled yet.  How would the audience believe he's jaded just as he's about to set out on the adventure he's planned for his whole life?"

I saw her point, but I was still frustrated.  My Muse could've just told me how to get from A to B, but she was being coy.  As usual.

She got down off the desk she was perched on and headed for the door.  "I'll be downstairs if you want to play some more," she said as her hand lingered on my shoulder.

I ignored her and went back to my computer.  Maybe without her games, I could finally get down to business and get some serious writing done.  Who needed her?  Well, after several frustrating minutes of producing nothing, I realized that I did.

Traipsing down the stairs, I found her with her head stuck in the refrigerator.  She looked at me the moment I arrived, and she smiled.  "I was looking to see if we had any more chocolate cake, but now that you're here, that kind of rush isn't as necessary.  Time for a game of hide and seek?"

Shaking my head, I said, "Please come back upstairs.  We still have to develop the lead character, and this time wasting stuff isn't going to get my work done any sooner."

"Au contraire," she said, "I give you plenty of time to think by focusing your mind on our games.  It makes sure you bring things along slowly and through action, as any good character development would."

"Just tell me," I sighed.

"Then that would be out of character for me," she said with a smirk.  "You've come to know me over the years, but if I gave up too easily, would you respect my ideas as much?"

With that, she was off.  I didn't even have time to register she was playing another game before she was around the kitchen table and out of sight.  I suppressed a growl - it was too late for this shit.

"Come out," I called.  "We're not playing this game tonight."

"Sure we are," she replied, her voice coming from somewhere indistinct.  "You wouldn't have it any other way."

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  There were times I wanted to strangle this bitch, but I knew that would mean trying to find a new Muse, and getting to know a different one would take time.  So I started off into the darkness to try and find her...again.  After all this work, she'd better pay off in spades, which she usually did.

And she was right - I wouldn't have it any other way.

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