Okay so I tend to exaggerate a little. 
I’m working on a presentation for our RWAC retreat in May. I’m pulling together some exercises and activities that I found really helpful when I was writing Bond. It got me thinking about the importance of your character’s GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict). I also had the pleasure of seeing Debra Dixon speak at a TRW workshop last May. She is a wonderful person, very knowledgeable, and wrote a fantastic book. If you don’t have it, I strongly recommend it.
In the first draft of The Bond That Ties Us, Haylie was a teacher. Now when you stop to consider I had her involved in preventing an attack on a colony with an alien ambassador, it didn’t really work. I found myself struggling with scenes and how she was reacting to them. Hell, I was having problems justfying why she was in some of the scenes. Her motivation was wrong. On top of that, the conflict didn’t quite work between her and Kamran either. I was forcing her into situation that she didn’t belong simply because she was my heroine. I realized she had to go and a new Haylie was born.
I changed her profession. What? Not a big change? For me it was huge. As the security chief of the colony she could be where she needed to be, and do what she needed to do and it made sense. Her goals didn’t change, but the reason behind them did.
If you are having problems with a story you’re writing, take a look at the character’s GMC. Not just on a scene by scene basis either. Sometimes the problem is larger than that. In the end, your story will be stronger if you can solve the GMC mystery.
Rats. Now I’m going to have to go back to my story and figure out if the GMC works.
I hear ya. I can’t even start a story until I’m satisfied that I know my leads’ GMC. And ideally, they’re each other’s C, at least toward the beginning.
I tried to see Debra Dixon at National last year, but even though I arrived early, the room was packed tighter than a punk band mosh pit. People were even clustered in the halls. I’ll try again this summer, if she gives another workshop…
Debra Dixon’s book is great, but hard to find. eBay has a copy, but it’s quite expensive.
Looking forward to your workshop, especially as I just finished reading the book and working on my GMCjover the Easter holiday. It was a big help, as is the Hero’s Journey. I spent a lot of time last week reading and working on that, and I had the breakthrough I needed for my middle. Before that, I only had the beginning and end.
I haven’t read the GMC book, but I do keep a lot of that in mind, more from the hero’s journey prospective. What does a character NEED and what do they WANT, with all the whys and motivations thrown in. I had to totally kill a heroine, once, because she was so messed up. Ugh. Not a pleasant experience, as silly as that sounds. It really was like I’d lost a good friend.
Sounds like a good idea. I’ll have to go back over a couple of stalled projects.