I tend to write like this:  Writewritewritewritewritecollapse.

Then, I go back into my document the next day and delete the last two pieces of writewrite, pick up from writewritewrite, and start all over again.  I find that I can usually get out about 5,000 good words, with 2,000 or 3,000 that either don’t belong right in that spot, or don’t fit at all.

I hit a really good streak last night, getting Destinee out of some physical peril, only to have her wake up to social peril.  Then, I wrote her out of the social peril.  What I need to do tonight is scratch that “wrote her out of the social peril” bit and stretch that conclusion.

I like to fix problems before I go to sleep at night.  I know how Destinee will solve her problems, but I need to write the process so it doesn’t read like, “This happened to Destinee, and she thought this, and she did that, and we all lived happily ever after.  Hey, Royce!”

Yesterday, I was talking about the balance between writing a feminist character (and make no mistake, Destinee is a feminist), who is a beauty pageant pro and makes a living off her looks.  Feminists come in all shapes, sizes, and occupations, with varying degrees of concern over what one might call exploitation, and another might call career path.  That’s a theme running through Destinee 2 (working title MISS MAYHEM.)

How much of yourself can you put on show and still maintain control of your image?  How much of your image has to do with what you show, and how much has to do with what you tell?  At what point does empowerment become embarrassment?  I’d say it’s different for every woman.  And if you can suss out those issues and catch a killer at the same time, I’d say you deserve a nice, big slice of pie.

I need to give Destinee some time to marinate in the juices of her latest social debacle and soften up her self-confidence so we can get some character growth out of her.