WHO’S YELLING “ENOUGH”?

 

The main protagonist, Joshua in the second book in my trilogy, High Ground, has been quiet the last few days. I don’t think all my Christmas preparations impress him.

It always amazes me, when I’m three chapters into a book, how the characters demand to tell their own story. I’m working hard at bringing out the zen nature of Josh’s character. He believes spontaneity is the natural order and that in trying to do anything one destroys the zen and creates conflict. The harder I try to write his story, the more Josh shows me, even his zen serenity must give way to his feelings if he is truly spontaneous. He’s angry, frustrated and closing on desperate, as the woman he loves distances herself.

Janice (Jazz) has already taken control of her story. I’ll have one plan of action and she forces me to take a different route, shows me what she would do in that instance or how she would react to one of Josh’s actions. Jazz is determined not to let feelings get in the way of doing her job, which is keeping Josh alive till his assassin is identified and caught.

This morning I woke with him yelling “enough” in my head. He’s tired of his routine being interrupted, of cooperating at the expense of his peace of mind. He’s re-claiming his life and wellbeing by rebelling against Jazz’s rigid schedule of training, briefing, acting the lover when the real acting is not to show her how much he loves her.

I too am yelling “enough”. I let health issues, travel plans and Christmas musts interrupt my writing. The cold slowed my productivity to a trickle then froze it. I missed my end of November deadline. I do not react well to letting myself down. Now I have five free days from Christmas to New Years to finish this story. Twenty thousand words. Josh wants it. Jazz wants it. I need it. It will happen.