Bless Maass...

Bless Donald Maass. I know, I know, I was cursing him not so long ago. But the guy and his workbook have really made me dig deep and think. Now there's a shocker!

I had this breakthrough on Camilla yesterday and it's all because of him. It started out as a typical workbook question: What is something your character would never say, do or think? Now, make a situation where your character must say, do or think that thing.

Once I got past the really, really extreme examples (and some of you know what I'm talking about!), I moved in to the realm of possiblities. And once I got my brain really awake and moving... other things started popping in there that had nothing to do with his questions.

I thought of a dozen ways to deepen my characters and make them unique. Ways to up the "funny" in the story without making it slapstick. Some great new scene ideas popped up.

And, for the first time in a long time, I'm excited to write in Camilla again.