Plot Will Follow

Well, I don't always get to read what my fellow Southern writers are saying over at our group blog: A Good Blog is Hard to Find. But just now I happened upon this entry by novelist River Jordan, and these words:

Just today I called my mentor, a strange ringing of the phone for her, and asked almost without hello, “How do I continue to tell the truth? I've got a character, I've got a place, but I've got a really bigger than me deadline?" And with all the wisdom she is known for, she quietly replied, “You simply say, Honey, I need you to talk to me. Then you listen.”


How many times have we heard that advice, when a story isn't working, or you can't think of a thing to write about except a funny character, a place you remember. So get on with it. Channel those characters. Talk to them. Let them tell you their stories. Maybe, if you're lucky, plot will follow...