Painful But Necessary

As I've noted in previous entries, I'm spending more time with characters in this version of Online; A Ghost Story than with any other work I've ever done. I've always been a little timid about states on inaction within a book. That. seemingly, is no longer an issue with me. Of course there's a side effect. I now care more deeply than before about certain characters. I've spent a lot of time with one in particular that, although she played a signifigant role, it was a very small role. Now her time is coming, her exit from the Grand Stage of Life, and I find myself much more unwilling to write the pages than before. We've just spent a solid 12 pages in a row with her ... and believe me, for my style of writing, that's a long ass time. She's strong, resolute and well, beautiful. Her father is a nervous and caring man who dotes on her. What's going to happen to him once she's gone? But what can I do? Life, or more correctly, death doesn't take these things into consideration when it chooses to take one of us. It doesn't look at our loved ones and say, they'll be so sad when this person is gone, maybe I'll let them stay. And the world of the novel, at least if it's well-written has to play by the same rules as the world in which we live, fantasy and sci-fi aside of course. Having said that, tomorrow I must write pages I'm less than thrilled about. Indeed, I think I've even been stalling a little, waiting for word from the Governor for a stay, perhaps. Alas, none has come and I'll walk with her tomorrow as she steps through her last moments. Man, sometimes this omniscient thing sucks.

Well, I've finally finished reading Small Town and was more pleased by the end than for most of the book. I state a little more in my message board and you can go there if you're curious. Overall not a terrible book, but also not what I was hoping for. I will get to start Stephen King's Cell today, and I'm pretty excited about that. I always get a sick thrill out of being dwarfed when I compare what I'm working on with this literary giant. It makes me try harder, strive to be better. And I ask you, what's wrong with that?