Slow Words

The words have been slow to hit the page recently.  I’ve been splitting my time between a few projects as I try to decide where I want to go next.  I’ve been trying to put more purpose behind my words and more drive behind my characters.  I want to have new depth to my characters’ purpose and more thought behind their complexity.  I don’t want them to be complex for the sake of complexity. 

I feel like it’s time to go back to school for writing.  It’s time to question the box that my books are in.  If I am writing an urban fantasy, why does it have to follow these rules?  I’m not talking about breaking for the rules just to be a rule breaker.  It’s first about understanding the rules and why they were established in the first place.  Only then can you step outside the rules and slip free of the box in a thoughtful manner.

Over the weekend, I encountered an interesting article called “I Hate Strong Female Characters” and I thought it brought up some valuable points.  I particularly liked the line:

“In narrative terms, agency is far more important than strength – it’s what determines whether a character is truly a part of the story, or a detachable accessory.”

It may be time to stop dropping words on the page and start thinking more about why this character is so determined to save the world.