I feel so horrible about not posting last week. The week moves by so fast that I never know I've forgotten to post until a few days after. So on Sunday last week, I realized it was Sunday and that I hadn't posted. Like tonight, I just remembered I didn't post. So, even though I'm a little late- I will be talking to you all today about my chemical X. (for the record, I loved Powderpuff Girls when I was younger. I even dressed as one for Halloween one year)
Like a few other bloggers here on the YA Lit Six, my characters Chemical X is their flawsand various quirks. In the novel I'm working on right now (which has been retitled Lovely Lies), I have a main character who is socially awkward but due to various circumstances, she has been forced out of her comfort zone. I like taking whatever my character fears and putting them in a situation where they are standing face to face with it. I also like to showcase their quirks because that is really what makes one character in a novel individual from all the others.
Something that all my characters have in common when I'm writing the first draft is angst. I don't think that this is their Chemical X per say, but I think through editing (editing and more editing) I eventually weed out most of the angst which enables me to really figure out what makes my character tick.
Though I'm on the first draft of Lovely Lies, I've had to edit it various times to help fully develop characters. Doing that really helped me realize that my MC wasn't totally a hopelessly angsty character. She's angsty, socially awkward, an annoying person to be around, and likes pushing people away- I know that. But I've finally realized why she's like that. For those who don't know what Lovely Lies is about (and I don't think most of you know what it's about. Unless you are on Absolute Write, and if you are on AW- I love you very very much), Lovely Lies starts out six months after my MC's brother was murdered. She was always really close to him, where as she was never close to her mom or dad. So naturally she has issues getting close to people because the person whom she was closest to, died. I think her fear of being friendly and social and caring towards people stems from her brothers death, and all of that is her Chemical X.
If she weren't socially awkward and loved pushing people away, then I would have no story and she wouldn't be the character that I know and love.
So that is my story and I'm sticking to it. For me, I get Chemical X out of my characters imperfections and quirks. The thing that helps me find that Chemical X is editing. Tons and tons of editing and late night pondering of characters.
Sorry for being a flake and forgetting to post.
xo,
Zoe.
