Had a good writing session with Unwritten over the last two mornings, creating some important foundation and back story as well as making a really new and interesting character in Charles Hughes, who is black and gay and former military. In this manuscript I’m intentionally making an effort to have a more diverse cast of characters, as I know when I’m creating someone I tend to default to “white male,” and this just isn’t right or realistic. So I’m making a change.
I’m also enjoying the writing with White Horse, because it’s once of the most intimidating projects I’ve worked on so far. By this I mean that when I know I have a hard and/or tricky scene to write involving characters and dialog and development and such, I tend to put it off as I know it’s going to be hard work and I’m not sure if anything good will come out of it, or for that matter if I’ll be able to write anything at all. With White Horse, while I’ve certainly encountered the same emotions and feelings with various scenes in this way, I’m using a new approach of just accepting it’s going to be hard, but not hesitating, just diving in and writing. The result has been great, with the characters doing there thing and creating scenes and events I’d never even considered.
“So where’s the missus, or is there one?” Alan asked.
Charles gave us a look that he’d probably given a lot of people many times in his life. Hesitating for a moment and then that impenetrable smile was right back.
“I’m gay actually. Realized this when I was about nine. I’ve had some serious guys in my life, but none I could never see spending the latter part of my life with. And of course, being military and all, you can imagine how that is. Also came here in search of that special someone and apart from a few close friends, haven’t found him yet.”
