Tuesday, August 13, 2013

I Was Afraid of That...

     I kinda wrote myself into a corner two days ago, so not much writing yesterday (or today) as I try to figure out where this WIP is going next. I have a few options, but it's a matter of sifting through them and deciding which one is the worst thing that could happen? And which one keeps rubbing on my heroine's vulnerable spot until she finally takes action to stop it.

     In the ms I submitted to an editor, Bringing Delaney Home, the heroine thinks the worst thing has already happened when the story opens. But as the story unfolds, she discovers there are worse things, and she finds the strength to fight for what she wants/needs. But Delaney is a fighter, forged from growing up with abusive parents.

     My heroine in this WIP is different. I wouldn't call her feisty or a fighter. She did not win the life lottery by any means: parents died when she was 3, foster family takes her in, adopts her, asked to leave family at 16 so the family has more $ to spend on the biological kids they had after her. She heads to Hollywood to try acting, although she is "discovered" and wins high acclaim for her acting over the next 5 years, her innocence and naiveté led to more abuse and abandonment. With the help of a friend, she leaves acting and Hollywood to start a new life that won't eat away at her soul.

     What has kept Avery going is that she was born an eternal optimist. No matter what life throws her way, she always sees the potential- not the downfall. But the optimism means Avery is a little gullible, since she's always wanting to believe in the goodness of people around her. And it cuts like a knife when she finally must admit that people she trusted have lied to her. And when she finally decides to trust a man again (after her painful experiences in Hollywood years ago) that blows up in her face too.

     Avery's abandonment issues come full circle when both her adopted sister and the hero let her down. So, that's where I've left Avery and our hero. They need to be forced into a situation where they can get to know each other better (they jumped into bed together too soon) and he can show her he can be trusted.She begins to question what it is about her that no one can love her. This is the sticky plot point, I think. I really need her to come up with her own solution. The hero can't come in to "save" her. She's got to figure this out and then the hero becomes the last missing piece of the puzzle to a happy life. It's a thinking cap kind of writing day.

AWG: DWC: 287 TWC: 25,428

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