Here’s a fun fact about writers: sometimes, we learn things
as we write that we did not know before. We discover we believe something as
the words form under our fingers, or we use the writing process to figure out
why we believe something. Our own fictional heroes will say things that
surprise and challenge us. We end up with an insight written on a page in our handwriting
that we did not see coming.
Ask the nearest writer you can find if this is true. They’ll
agree with me. I’m not crazy, honest.
Well, I still might be crazy. But not for that reason.
This week, I was working with a character who did not want
to talk about her family or her past or anything remotely related to herself.
And I learned something.
That was an extremely easy goal to accomplish, because most people
like to talk about themselves.
And by that I mean I like to talk about myself.
