It's a bit of a cliched saying, but we all know it's true. And this simple fact is something I really want enjoy exploring with my characters. What do they want? What are they and what aren't they willing to do to get it? And of course, what actually happens next?
A friend of mine told me to think that every character is after a glass of water. I think she might have quoted that from someone, but I honestly can't recall. She said to think of the story as a quest for that glass of water. However, I've been struggling to see what is my character's glass of water.
In my current short story, Bryan Hawke has no idea what he wants. I have a general idea, but it's not enough. As a result, he is coming across like a whining child who isn't getting what he wants and yet
doesn't even know what he wants. It's incredibly frustrating for me. We both know that he honestly has no idea if he wants to remain in the "family business". Yet that isn't enough for a good short story. I know he wants to save his friend. I've just been lost on the specifics.
Forgive me for any vagueness. I both don't know all the details, and don't want to spoil the entire story.
I've been pondering on the "quest for water" for a few days now. It's actually been encouraged by playing plenty of video games full of quests for odds and ends. The past three quests I've played in a fantastic game about assassinating people, where your end goal is very clear. You want to either kill someone or save someone. As I painfully learned, it's not the easiest way to charge right to the end goal. Plus, it's not always the best story.
As I spent a good amount of time collecting herbs for a poison, it finally dawned on me. What better way to put an end to his whining than to have the lad charge head first into battle without a clear head? After struggling with what happens next, we're both forced to settle our priorities. I only hope it comes across in the story as well as it seems in my head.
Back to writing!
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