One of my mother’s favorite aphorisms was this: A wise man changes his mind. A fool never does.
This week’s blog deals with mind changing, including a bit of literary history.
Decades ago, when I was working on Beaumont #9, Payment in Kind, the story ground to a halt part way in—at Chapter 11—and wouldn’t budge.
At the time, I was both a writer and a soccer mom. Shortly after the writing stalled out, I went to soccer practice where I sat down next to another soccer mom, a woman named Vicki. She asked me how I was doing. “I’m really struggling with Chapter 11,” I told her. “Oh, my,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were having financial difficulties.”
Once I assured her it was a writing problem as opposed to a financial one, she became an instant fan. Soon after that encounter, she and her family moved to Oklahoma, and I lost track of her, but that incident popped back into my head just this week.
It turns out that changing one’s mind the most difficult task any writer can face, but shortly after that talking with Vicki, I managed to do just that. I realized that the person I thought was the killer just didn’t have the gumption to do it, so I had to look around my cast of characters to find out who the real culprit was. In the end, the answer to the problem was just that simple.
This week I faced a similar issue. Smoke and Mirrors stalled out, but in Chapter 17 rather than Chapter 11. When a book stops cold for some reason or other, I usually spend several sleepless nights, tossing and turning and trying to come to terms with the issue. For a time it looked as though things were bad enough that I might have to abandon the plot line that was the origin of the book’s title.
Then, two days ago, after getting Bill settled for the night, I was walking down the hall when the answer lightbulb lit up in my head. It turns out that a character I had always assumed was a bad guy turned out to be a good guy after all. And that’s all I needed to do in order to fix the book and get it moving again—I had to change my mind.
So here’s a Mother’s Day thank you to Evie Busk. She just managed to save my bacon one more time.
Happy mother’s Day ??
Thank you. That helps me a lot. On to changing my perspective and back to listening to my characters.
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Chapter 11 is actually a good title for a story.
An early Happy Mother’s Day to you, and a thank you to Evie as well. I am always amazed when you relate how your characters and you work the stories. I shouldn’t be anymore since your characters come alive to me as well. They dance in my head while reading. To the point that when I take a break from reading I’m amazed at how quiet the room is.
Thank you so much, and my brain thanks you too.
I am thankful to Evie as well…
I love the way you draw from real people in your life and slip them into your stories. We have corresponded back and forth a couple few times (thank you for that) so perhaps it was coincidence or perhaps intentional, but recently I found both my first and my last name as character names in one of your most recent books. Coincidental or intentional, it made me smile.
I spend a lot of time on the road and I’m always listening to audiobooks.
Perhaps this makes me one of your more loyal followers, perhaps it shows me to be old and lazy
But I am now on my fourth round of listening to your books in chronological order (J. P. At the moment). It always amazes me at how much I remember, how much I have forgotten and how much I apparently missed the first time (or two or three). They are all long time friends.
Thanks again.
Hey Russ, I’m more of a listener than a reader too, and I am doing the chronological order thing with JP as well, but am having to READ them rather than listen to them, because when they were written, CD’s didn’t exist. Did you READ the earlier ones too, or just start where the audio books began? I’m still going through my JP paperbacks, hoping to soon get to the ones that were recorded.
Praise God for Evie! You never know what impact one person can make.
I believe your sweet Evie Busk should be a charter member of the local chapter of “Common Sense Mensa.”
Happy Mother’s Day J.A. and Happy Mother’s Day to Evie as well. My mom cared nothing about her birthday, anniversary or any holidays, but we didn’t dare forget her on Mother’s Day. That was Her Day and she would be very hurt if we didn’t acknowledge it in a special way. She has been gone since 1988 and until recently I spent every MD at the cemetery visiting with her. Now I still visit with her, but from home.
Blessing to you and Bill.
That is so true
Some mothers are priceless—and timeless!
Happy Mother’s Day, y’all. <3
I always enjoy your weekly blogs and this was no exception. Score another one for the amazing Evie Busk. Happy Mothers Day Judy.
Happy Mother’s Day to you Judy . I’m going to have Dave (husband) use your mom’s saying as his Thought of the Day at his next Toastmaster’s meeting.
And be sure to have him tell them that the year I spent in Toastmaster’s before my first book was published has made all the difference in my presentation over the course of the last forty years.
Happy Mothers Day JA……a a dedicated reader and your only “Northern Arizona Stalker”……. Dann
The old saying is “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind”. With that reminder… You can write just about anything and we readers will go with the flow and trust your judgement implicitly. You are our escape guru! Love all your books that I have read!
It is so special to work hard on something special like your books and have the phrases we grew up with or the songs sung on trips to the mountains rise up once again to help us in real time. I am fascinated by your blogs and how timely they are to my own life. Thank you again for this blog.
It’s such a mystery to me how your characters–that YOU created!–have minds of their own, and turn out to be different from what you planned or expected.