It has been an absolutely irregular week, and I am whupped. For some bizarre reason, the kiddo only had three days of school this week, and each of those days had a 1 p.m. early release. Nothing like a wired and whiney 6-year-old to put the breaks on any creative progress. But we did have some adventures, including traipsing through a state park to learn about endangered species , fighting the crowds and Mother Nature at a EPCOT, then heading out-of-town to enjoy a special friend’s birthday. Meanwhile, we all have been dealing with a wicked cough that has been causing severe sleep deprivation and monumental cases of the crankies….

On the creative front, I have been agonizing over character details and plot timelines. And realizing that half my premise won’t work. Since part of the story takes place in a foreign country, I have been researching some laws and discovered my main character wouldn’t be allowed to do what the entire book was to revolve around. Crap! Time to restructure and rethink…everything… Notes are getting out of control and I did not have any time last week to get them organized.

I have been wondering if we like characters more when they share our flaws and weaknesses or when they are modeled on who we wish we could be? I suppose part of the equation depends on if we want them to be empathetic or emulated. I have notice in some novels that the authors seem to be following a formula, and their flat, predictable heroines are the result. For example: pretty girl + fabulous job + rocking city life + supportive friends + enviable wardrobe – one or two flaws (spends too much money, has frizzy hair, size 10 instead of 4) = best selling protagonist. Do we want our protagonist to be our best friend? projections of our ideal selves? How damaged should she be in order for us to root for her, want stick with her until the end?

All right, that’s it. My head is clogged, my writing is crap, and I need to quit now and go bury my face in a book. It’s a Sunday afternoon and I can’t ignore the call of the hammock any longer…