Today is "do anything but work" day. I'm mad at myself because I need the money, but I honestly can't face work today. So, instead, I did a task that has been hovering over my head for a week or more.
I'm teaching a critique class at one of the local community colleges, and last week's lesson was on show-don't-tell. After I got home, everybody's characters started yammering at me, insisting that I "show" the authors what I was trying to "tell" them with the critique I'd given. Reluctant to step on people's toes, I finally emailed them, asking if they'd like me to do so. They all replied "yes", so now I was committed.
All the way down to Texas and back, a couple of their characters yammered at me, but I didn't get a chance to write any of it down. So today, instead of doing what I should have been doing, I spent all day so far rewriting a couple paragraphs of each their stories.
I just sent the last of them off, and I hope the gals take them in the spirit intended. I don't want to rewrite their stories to suit me, I don't want them to change their voice, I don't want them to take my rewrite as the word of god... I just want to "show" them an example of taking a bit of their story to the next level.
Anyway, it's done, and I'm really hoping that their characters stop yammering at me. I have too many people in my head already, I don't need other people's characters talking to me, too.
