Discouragement
The ending of the sequel to Evil is Always Human has not been completed on paper (or on computer drive, to be accurate) though I do have the vision for it in my head. I would equate it with being in Dothan, Alabama, with a destination of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. You know where you're headed and the direction, but the actual course could vary.
Meanwhile I have become pretty discouraged with the whole thing. I came close to just deleting it Saturday, erasing the 77,000 plus words I have written so far. That would be difficult to really do because I save back-up copies often and in different locations. Erasing the official file would still leave several not-quite-current versions that could still be retrieved and completed.
I've created and cloned a monster!
My discouragement isn't so much about the last leg of my journey in writing as the worth of the writing when I am done with it.
The first novel featured an abused child as the narrator. It concluded with his being an abusive adult. This novel picks up with his being exactly what life has made him: conscienceless.
What I had hoped would be a portrait of this man has instead turned into a rather pitiless string of horrible events. I feel sympathy for him, but I don't know that anyone else would. Even if they read the first book, would they see the man as worthy of sympathy?
Can a character unworthy of sympathy be the focal point of a story?
Can I pass this failed tale off as an existentialist reflection on life?
Well.
I haven't deleted the story yet. So. It could happen, I guess.
Meanwhile I have become pretty discouraged with the whole thing. I came close to just deleting it Saturday, erasing the 77,000 plus words I have written so far. That would be difficult to really do because I save back-up copies often and in different locations. Erasing the official file would still leave several not-quite-current versions that could still be retrieved and completed.
I've created and cloned a monster!
My discouragement isn't so much about the last leg of my journey in writing as the worth of the writing when I am done with it.
The first novel featured an abused child as the narrator. It concluded with his being an abusive adult. This novel picks up with his being exactly what life has made him: conscienceless.
What I had hoped would be a portrait of this man has instead turned into a rather pitiless string of horrible events. I feel sympathy for him, but I don't know that anyone else would. Even if they read the first book, would they see the man as worthy of sympathy?
Can a character unworthy of sympathy be the focal point of a story?
Can I pass this failed tale off as an existentialist reflection on life?
Well.
I haven't deleted the story yet. So. It could happen, I guess.
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Li
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May 07, 2013 06:22AM
The answers are yes and yes. Working in the criminal justice system, I interact with those many would say are "unworthy of sympathy" and always see they come from broken beginnings. I think of the Bible verse, "By faith are ye saved through grace, not through works, lest any man should boast." We are all broken in one way or another, without exception, some more apparent than others. Eddie, I would say don't question how your audience will receive your tale. Speak from your heart and speak from your soul and the rest will fall into place. Sincerely, Lisa
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Thank you, Jade Li. I appreciate your reading my thoughts and particularly the great response. Thank you.
Reader and Writer
I began to write because it seemed to be a realm in which one could exercise omnipotence. It's not.
My characters demand to make their own decisions and often the outcomes are wildly different from wha ...more
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