Dear Liza,
I love the way my story is growing! It started out just having one character; a terribly shy ten year old girl named Clara. Then, I decided she needed a best friend, who is bookish but confident Cynthia. Then, a resourceful Eastside counterpart named Henry, and his artistic best friend, Frank.
But every story needs a villain! Draco Malfoy, Lex Luthor, Snidely Whiplash, whoever. Every hero needs a villain to test their mettle and allow them to grow. My villain’s name is Margaret.
I found a photo of Mary Pickford as a child and saw my villain in her well-tended, dissatisfied expression. She has a lot, but it’s not enough, and if you have more, she will make you suffer for it. And if you have less, she will tease you about it.
As I wrote more, Grandpa Nelson said she needed her own chapters. So now, sprinkled between the chapters about Clara and Henry are what I am calling “Margaret interludes”, scenes that give you an insight into our villain and her home life.
Of course, a new character means more research. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be done! But I think the only way this story will fail is if I give up on it. And THAT isn’t going to happen.
See you this weekend, sweetie!
Love,
Grandma Judy
