Thanks for the hugs, lil sis! In truth, this particular book is one of the hardest ones. It's been in process for over a year now, I'm having trouble keeping the coherence together, not to mention keeping the three main characters true to their own nature and personalities. So much has changed in my own life, so much of my own self has modified that I find it hard to not have those things pass on to my dear characters.
I realize that characters also grow and mature and change. Pockets is not the simple character he started out to be. He's not as trusting, not as happy as he once was. Realizing that the a way to defeat the Green Preacher was to disemble himself into the world, and use that world to work with him came as a relief to him. Even if it meant his ending. In truth, he was miserable alone, realizing his differences made it impossible for him to ever have what might be a normal relationship. He knew, even with Esme, that he was just a secondary character. She would grow and leave him behind. Pockets was glad to go, he was tired of life.
Bags has changed. He cares more deeply about other people than he ever did, but he has also become tired of the silliness and pettiness of the world. He longs to go back into the wild, to live the life he once did, and he knows he never will again. He loves his family, but he is on the verge of becoming bitter, having to deal with the day to day job of making decisions that he shouldn't have to make, if only adults would act like adults. He wants to run, but will not out of his love for Grizelda and Esmeralda, and his sense of duty.
Griz is pretty much the same... Sherry is a great model for the character, and if anything Grizelda is even stronger than she was. Even if her role is smaller than it had been, or appears to be. Grizelda is the one that I have no fear of dramatically changing from her original self. Little changes, yes. A bit more fear of growing older and unattractive, but that happens with all of us. The fact that she shows her weakness to Thom in this book is an indication that she is desperate to talk to someone about it, to be told that she's all right and still desirable.
My characters have become to real, and in becoming that way, they become far to complex to write honestly about.
So that, darling sis, is the true part of my misery. This is the last BP&G book, maybe, and I do not want to do an injustice to them.
Re: Part II
I realize that characters also grow and mature and change. Pockets is not the simple character he started out to be. He's not as trusting, not as happy as he once was. Realizing that the a way to defeat the Green Preacher was to disemble himself into the world, and use that world to work with him came as a relief to him. Even if it meant his ending. In truth, he was miserable alone, realizing his differences made it impossible for him to ever have what might be a normal relationship. He knew, even with Esme, that he was just a secondary character. She would grow and leave him behind. Pockets was glad to go, he was tired of life.
Bags has changed. He cares more deeply about other people than he ever did, but he has also become tired of the silliness and pettiness of the world. He longs to go back into the wild, to live the life he once did, and he knows he never will again. He loves his family, but he is on the verge of becoming bitter, having to deal with the day to day job of making decisions that he shouldn't have to make, if only adults would act like adults. He wants to run, but will not out of his love for Grizelda and Esmeralda, and his sense of duty.
Griz is pretty much the same... Sherry is a great model for the character, and if anything Grizelda is even stronger than she was. Even if her role is smaller than it had been, or appears to be. Grizelda is the one that I have no fear of dramatically changing from her original self. Little changes, yes. A bit more fear of growing older and unattractive, but that happens with all of us. The fact that she shows her weakness to Thom in this book is an indication that she is desperate to talk to someone about it, to be told that she's all right and still desirable.
My characters have become to real, and in becoming that way, they become far to complex to write honestly about.
So that, darling sis, is the true part of my misery. This is the last BP&G book, maybe, and I do not want to do an injustice to them.