Raymond Chandler said, when in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.” Obviously, the literal quote doesn’t fit every circumstance, but the basic point remains useful: when you aren’t sure where your story should go next, throw in something unexpected. As I revise my WIP, my own version of Chandler’s advice is to introduce new characters to liven things up. So far, I’ve introduced:
-The Glover, a runewife (witch) who wears a glove on her left hand. It appears to be stitched to her wrist. I took a while to figure out why.
-Bloody Eyril, a Barber Surgeon who pulls teeth and amputates from a shop front. He’s also the local crime-lord and has his own agenda, much to my horror.
-Hilaswy, a chieftain of the hill-clans, who became alcoholic in defeat. However, he has a certain dignity all his own that I had to discover.
-Crynephax, a white-raven who dislikes the tales of her kind being guides to the dead and carrion-eaters. “Of course ravens hunt,” she says, “But only when they have to.” She just came around last week, so I’m still learning about her. In all these characters, I’ve followed Avram Davidson’s assumption that everyone is just a little eccentric, if not downright mad. Exploring each of these characters has definitely keep me going, and, I think, made for a better story. Now, two-thirds of the way through my revision, I can’t wait to learn who shows up in the final third.
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