I have been doing a lot of outlining for an upcoming book that I plan to begin writing in January. The general plot is well established, but the ending is weak, and the middle sections need work. Thus, I have been trying new ideas, moving/deleting sections, and doing a lot of thinking.
I am always open to learning about how other authors tackle their issues, so I read a bunch of articles and tried a few new techniques. I found some great tips, and my outline is improving.
To keep my bonkers mind close to reality, I switch between writing articles and writing/editing my books. Now, I must pivot to explain where I get my article ideas.
The answer is everywhere. I recall life memories, things I read, and random conversations. Yet sometimes that is not enough, and I have sought outside help by searching the internet for “blog ideas.” It is all typical stuff: “Tell people what it was like growing up.” “What is an obstacle you recently overcame?” And then there were writing-specific ones. “What is the best setting for an adventure book?” “Tips for other writers.” “Books that shaped my writing style.”
And so, my outline work continued. Yet one tingle remained in my head from my efforts to find new article topics. “Ask your main character a question.” As I slogged through the outline, I got to a section that needed something, but I did not know what. Sometimes when I outline, I like to put myself into the plot. In this upcoming book, the main character, Kim, is at a point where she needs to figure out what to do next.
Of course, I know the rest of the plot, but she obviously does not. My goal is to give the reader a compelling scene in which she reaches a decision. And the solution cannot be a simple, “Oh, I know what to do next.” Instead, she must weigh her options, go down a few dead ends, and arrive at a well-written solution. During this time, her motivation must be clear, and the decision must completely reflect her character.
Well, I did not have any ideas, so I said out loud, “Hey, Kim. What are you going to do?” (No, I did not use a woman’s voice. I’m not that crazy.) Of course, she did not answer because she is not real, but my effort inspired some ideas.
I thought for a moment and silently asked myself, “If you were injured, would that be more interesting?” Of course, my answer was very practical (not out loud), “You jerk! (I actually used a swear word.) Stop hurting me!” This reaction shocked me. Yeah, that was a bit insensitive. So, I thought some more and came up with an idea. What questions do you have for me? I silently asked myself.
Now, I need to take a sidetrack. My concept for writing stories is to begin with an average character. While I do highlight positive traits like intelligence, good health, and employment, I also clearly show their flaws, such as a lack of confidence, poor intuition, or a failure to see the obvious. My goal is to develop a story that is realistic, meaning a story that I (and my readers) could be a part of. This is far different from a plot that requires a massive leap into fantasy or makes the impossible possible.
Here is an example of a dubious plot. “A young punk walks up to a Navy SEAL in the grocery store and threatens him.” That reads unrealistic. I mean, how many Navy SEALs do you know? As opposed to how many normal people with normal abilities do you know? “Kim is in the grocery store when a young punk walks up and threatens her.” Now, that kind of plot has potential.
I made Kim intelligent, strong-willed, and good with people, but a karate kick is out of the question because she never took those classes. Thus, to survive, she might look around for something to throw at the punk. Or run to the butcher section to grab a knife. Perhaps she can talk her way out of the situation. All good options from the reader’s perspective, meaning that a reader would like to see the ingenious way Kim survives as opposed to a Navy SEAL who would deliver one well-placed punch and send the punk into next week.
With this in mind, Kim asked me a question. “Do you feel guilty for putting me through all these painful experiences?” This little thought experiment hit me like a brick, and I felt a wave of guilt. I have put all my characters through awful experiences. Even the adversaries were treated far worse than they deserved.
And my character Kim? She is like an imaginary friend. I want her to succeed and dislike it when she fails. The word friend is as real as it gets in my mind.
Now what? I have learned the hard way that when I am not in the mood to write, I do not force myself to continue. So, I stopped my outline work and took a walk around the neighborhood for a good think.
My first thought was that the characters I created were not real, and no harm occurred. Yet, I also knew that readers (kind of) made my characters real in their minds as they read. My walk did not lead to any conclusions.
Thinking about the matter as I fell asleep also did not help, and I was only able to do some light editing the next day. The day after, I took a bike ride, and when nobody was around, I asked out loud, “Do I feel guilty for putting Kim through all these painful experiences?”
A few turns later, I mumbled, “Yes.” And Kim replied (in my mind), “Well, at least you’re honest. Keep writing; it’s how I live.”
I slammed on the brakes hard, knowing that this was precisely what Kim would have said. As I mentioned, she is bright and good with people. Meaning, she knew exactly what I needed to hear.
As I stared at the empty path, I said, “What the heck? (Yes, used a swear word.) Where heck (yes, used the same swear word) did that come from?”
This revelation gave me a lot to think about. Is it ethical to treat characters poorly? Am I a bad person? What does this really mean? Is Kim me? And then the big one. Am I that crazy?
I indeed treat my characters dreadfully. I hit them with every obstacle my bonkers mind can come up with and force them to deal with the aftermath. Friends and family members (main characters) perish in awful ways. It is not real, but I make it as real as possible in my mind and try my best to make my readers believe.
So now what? It has taken me two days to get back to my outline, and I confess that my heart is at 70%. My issue is that I do not want to hurt Kim or her family. Yet… I want an exciting book, which means conflict, and suffering.
This is not the first time I have run into writing obstacles. Bad reviews, disappointment over my lack of skill, writing myself into a corner, understanding something is not working, or reading harsh editors’ comments.
I overcame all those prior failings. It is like falling, rubbing your knee, getting up, and limping along. I simply have to get over it. And I know I will for this issue. However, a hurt knee leaves a scar, and this line of thinking has indeed left one. Meaning, I am now very aware that I am harming my mental creation, which is beneficial for a writer to understand. So, know that I will feel some guilt for my actions. Still, this was a good learning experience.

You’re the best -Bill
November 19, 2025