New Characters

Beginning a new novel is daunting, especially after living with the characters from my last one for so long.  They became real to me - which is a good thing, I believe.  It's important to have "real" people one is writing about; else how can you expect the reader to accept them?

My new writing adventure is a total departure from my last, and, though I have an idea of plot and a couple of the major characters, I'm still forming others.  Also, because this new novel jumps from one time period to another, I've struggled with my first chapter; trying to get all the exposition in that I felt the reader would need to understand what is coming.  BUT - I overdid it.

Sharing those first pages with my writing group a few days ago, they pointed out that I was giving too much away.  After all, as one remarked, "This isn't a short story; you have an entire novel to get this information out."  All of them gave pointed ways to hone what I'd written, and I'm working on that today.  Even as I was reading the chapter to them, I knew it sounded too formal and full of discourse, and the men of my group have put me on the right path to continue.

So, back to work on that - and thinking about those other characters I need to bring alive on the page.  Always challenging, but fun as well.