I really don’t know what to blog about today. The Tyro novel is coming along in drips and drabs because none of my characters seem to want to follow the outline I so generously gave them. It’s weird, isn’t it? Figments of my imagination are dictating to me the terms of the story that is my creation. Is this a sign of schizophrenia? Should I get better drugs and take more counseling?

My wife is reading it, and I have to wonder if she’s going to come to the place where they went off the map, as it were, and say “Ah – this is where it started!”

It started innocently enough. I was writing a scene, and it didn’t feel right, so I asked myself, as I do when I don’t like how a scene is developing, what’s the least likely thing to happen now? The idea hit me, and I wrote it down and now I’m here in a city I had no designs other than the name with a side character who is getting more screen time than the main character. I should trust the characters, as one of my writer friends put it. I do have to admit; this is a little more exciting than what I had planned. There are scenes that are going to get put into the novel because I am not going to let Tyro completely derail everything.

I honestly wonder if any other writers have moments like this. Moments where the characters derail the story unfolding in their head and now, they’re trailing behind their main character shouting at them to slow down so they can catch a breath. It’s wonderful, because it maintains interest in the story for me to write it, but it’s also frustrating because the writing pace slows down if I have no idea what to do next – which having an outline was supposed to fix. I think I’m going to just wing my next book. That does seem to be the best way for me to write.

Other than the side-mind mutiny, there isn’t a lot going on here. I watched the movie HIM, and to be honest…I’m glad I didn’t buy a ticket for it. Maybe in my advanced years, I am looking for more realistic horror. I can see what the movie was aiming for, and I can appreciate the message. I just thought the ending was a little…ill-conceived. I’m not going to spoil it, if you’re still interested. It’s a movie that definitely is worth viewing, but don’t take it too seriously. Especially if you’re a football fan.

Well, I think that’s all for now. I need to get back to the novel and see what they’re going to give Barnabas to eat. At this point, it could be a rabbit stew, it could be candy, it could be a handful of grass. I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see his reaction. Ta-ta for now.