I’m nosy. I eavesdrop on conversations in public places. I watch people. I want to know what’s going on. Why? Because I’m a writer. Writers are almost always students of human nature. We have to be. Yes, characters and stories are born in our imaginations but we need to “clothe” those characters and put words in their mouths–words that sound real, not made up. We need to tell stories that could be real, not made up. Even when writing fantasy or science fiction. Because our characters and our stories need to be relatable. Right? Right. So, I want to know! Except according to the Universe, that’s not really how it works. Or does it?

You’ll know when you need to know, Silver, and not a moment earlier.

That’s how it works when the answer you’re looking for depends on other events that must first settle, new players that need to be gathered, and serendipities that are still being calculated.

Silver, sometimes, not even I know, until I know.

But you will,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

In the meantime, Silver, keep dreaming, keep busy, and if you’re feelin’ it, happy dance.

When you stop and think about it, yes, this does make sense when it comes to writing. On several different levels. You don’t want info dumps–about character backstories or their motivation or their feelings. You want the reader to peel back the onion skin, so to speak, of a character’s personality, of their story. The same with the overall plot arc. The story has to unfold organically on the page. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. There are also turning points and black moments, climaxes and big reveals (and I don’t necessarily mean that in the sexy sense, though when writing romance, there should be those kinds too!). So yeah, I get the message, Universe. As a writer, I need to be a reader too. I have to write for the reader, and sometimes, I forget that. That’s what editing and revisions are for, right?