| It's the characters that do it! | | | | watching." |
| It's not so much the characters that you keep in | | | | "Yes. That was me and you cut me out. Why" |
| a story but the ones you kick out. | | | | "You were a distraction from the plot. I had to |
| Writers must edit their work. | | | | get rid of you." |
| There is always a lot of worthless junk amiss the | | | | "You could have used me somewhere else in the |
| beautiful framework of a potentially good story. | | | | novel. You could have given me a name." |
| If you don't take it out, your editor will. | | | | I said, "I could have done a lot of things." |
| Those of us who are not lucky enough to have | | | | While she was sniffling in her handkerchief I said, |
| an editor must do it ourselves or no editor will | | | | "How about Mildred?" |
| ever read the story. | | | | "No! That is a horrible name!" |
| I was editor for an international trade magazine | | | | I said, "I was naming you after my cousin." I tried |
| for a couple of years. I quit when I found that it | | | | to look hurt. |
| was interfering with my retirement. | | | | "I'm sorry," she said. "Mildred will do if you call me |
| With a trade magazine you can write and write | | | | Millie." |
| and never have a character jump out at you. | | | | I said, "Fine! Now get out of here. I've got work |
| That is not true if you are writing a novel. | | | | to do." |
| The other day I had a character drop in from | | | | She didn't leave. She said, "Do you ever revive |
| Bone China. She was only in Bone China for a | | | | the characters you cut?" |
| minute. Detective Richard Lacey and his | | | | I pushed her away from me and said, "Of course, |
| sweetheart had hiked up to Little Round Top on | | | | Millie. I took Peter Ott from Bull when he got out |
| the Gettysburg battlefield. | | | | of hand and used him in Revenge on the Mogollon |
| Puff, puff! | | | | Rim. He was the protagonist." |
| That's where the character got into the story. | | | | Millie said, "Oh Taylor, will you do that for me. |
| She wore a tank top and shorts. Her hair was | | | | Write a novel with me the protagonist. Please!" |
| auburn and her eyes were green. She spoke with | | | | I said, "No!" |
| a British accent. | | | | She sipped on her lemonade and asked, "Why |
| She startled me when she crept up behind me. | | | | not? You don't like me, do you, Taylor." |
| "I'm very angry with you!" is what she said. | | | | "I don't know that much about you," I said. "I |
| I said, "What! Who are you?" | | | | never developed you as a character. Now scram!" |
| I'm No Name from Bone China. | | | | Millie was crying when she left. She appeared |
| "I don't know what in the heck you're talking | | | | outside my window and blew me a kiss. I closed |
| about. Get a glass of lemonade, get it off your | | | | the shade as she disappeared in the morning mist. |
| chest, and get out." | | | | Now you know why I stopped writing novels. |
| You've got to be tough with lost characters. | | | | Actually the reason was that my computer |
| She said, "Little Round Top." | | | | bombed with a Microsoft Service Pack II |
| I said, "And?" | | | | download and I lost Showdown at Diablo. Now |
| "You had me in the scene where Richard Lacey | | | | there is one heck of a bunch of angry characters |
| came puffing up the hill, right behind his secretary." | | | | and they carry shillelaghs, coupsticks, guns, and |
| I said, "Oh, I remember now. You are the one | | | | knives!copyright©John T. Jones, Ph.D. |
| who accused Lacey of disturbing your bird | | | | |