Everything happens for a reason

Like many authors, a lot of my ideas come from things I’ve experienced. It may be as simple as a description, or it may hit a little close to home. In the Angst fantasy series, Heather gives Angst the ‘wife look,’ which falls somewhere between, “Oh, really?” and, “I’m tired of your B.S.” I do everything I can to dodge that bullet. Unfortunately this isn’t always possible, especially when I write, because everything happens for a reason.

A Chapter Upset My Wife

Angie got pretty upset recently when editing a chapter. A character who wasn’t Angst’s wife snuck him a kiss. It hit a little too close and took her awhile to shake off. I received a brief, “I got over it.” at the end of the day, and didn’t press any further. I look at this in two different ways.  First of all, as a loving husband I have no desire to purposefully hurt my wife’s feelings.  I realize that she associates many of the characters with people in my life, with good reason, and a stolen kiss would be pretty upsetting in real life.

A Perfect Response

On the other hand, the evil writer in me was pleased at the response. Writing should draw someone in enough that they care about the characters. Sure, this one may have felt a little personal, but she wouldn’t have cared if it was poorly written. It all came around later in the book when she realized why the character kissed Angst.

Everything Happens For A Reason

In film, there is finite time to work with – it’s rare you will watch a scene that doesn’t mean something.  I try to do the same, which isn’t always easy.  Whether it is subtle foreshadowing, a play on words that hints at the ending, or a seed planted for future books. All scenes should be relevant.

A Sincere Apology

So, to my lovely wife and editor, my sincere apologies for the kiss that really wasn’t, and thank you for the great response.