IWSG - sometimes the thing you don't want to do...

will actually help. case in point - i realized that i didn't like my characters because i didn't know them. i went to my writing friends for advice that included "write something else for a while," "sit down over tea and talk to them," and "interview them." character interviews range from the basic to the insanely detailed. i finally found some stuff at Writers Helping Other Writers that i think will work. for now, i'm working with the Character Questionnaire.

i thought it would be drudgery. i wasn't looking forward to it. more background work. more putting off my story. but i was wrong. my son and i sat down and started doing work on the villain (because that's his character in this book). we've had a blast coming up with answers. it's given us more plot twists. i'm actually excited about my story again.

and stranger than strange, it's helping me get to know my hero. i never would have imagined. we've discovered that they're the dark and light side of the same coin, so to speak.

so here's to doing the thing you think you won't enjoy, because it just might help.

and for some eye candy, here's my villain, Dar'Vosh - Benedict Cumberbatch from Star Trek: Into Darkness


and my hero, Arathor - Adrian Paul from Highlander.

and my hero's son, the hero from the last book, Kieran - Steven Waddington from Last of the Mohicans, Richard the Lionheart, and Titanic.

if you want more encouragement, you can find links here to other IWSG posts.