In this novel, the task of starting new chapters has provided the greatest challenge so far. Because I'm coming off of the high of having completed a chapter, and I'm used to producing upwards of four pages a day, it's difficult to start anew. So many questions are unanswered when I sit down and look at that blank page that I have to take myself out of "production" gear and put myself back into "imagination mode".
The problem with this week's character, Billy Cobb, is that you've heard so much about him in the first two chapters. That kind of ties me down a bit. In this novel, I'm telling many sides of the same story, so it's entirely plausible that one character speaks ill-ly of Billy while another claims him as the love of her life. However, all along I've kinda fostered the impression of his being an abrasive personality, and that does not bode well for entertaining writing. One of the cardinal rules for a good read involves characters that people like. They can be flawed, but overall, they need to be likable, otherwise why would someone continue to read about them? Readers want to read about character that they want to be, or hang around. When you've got a guy that is completely unredeeming, telling his story in the 1st person, it's important that he at least be respectable.
When I sat down today to write about him, I spent about 3 tedious hours trying to find his voice. Make him too jock-like and he's stereotypical; but make him too human and his role in this tale becomes too watered down. He needs to be a jerk to perform his role in the story, but how much is too much? I saw him as a guy who is naturally likeable, but who's character flaw is his cluelessness towards the feelings of others. He takes it for granted that people gravitate towards him, and doesn't understand how it hurts their feelings when he loses interest in them, or doesn't love them as much as they love him. Or how anyone could possibly have a different opinion than himself and be anything but "wrong".
Billy is high energy, charismatic, and very physical in both his speech and mannerisms. He's the kind of person you cannot help but stop and listen to, and then follow to the next party. But by the same token, he is also doesn't understand why his best days were had in high school and how he just can't seem to get his life together.
Today, I came up with his voice, but I also came up with his motivation and vehicle into the main plotline. No pun intended, he becomes obsessed with finding the Lincoln his best friend in high school used to have, convinced that if he can somehow acquire it again, he will find himself living the good life he had back in high school. To his excitement, he is able to buy the Lincoln, and his life does improve. Everything seems to come together.
For a short while, anyway...
-JJ McMoon
2/28/09
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