m. c. de marco: To invent new life and new civilizations...

A couple of weeks back at Tor.com, Jane Lindskold blogged about Practical Mysticism, the fine art of letting your muse do the plotting:

I still recall how, after getting quite frustrated while working on Changer, a key element came clear when I decided I was getting nowhere and headed out the door for some exercise.

I was two-tenths of a mile from my house when what had fought me at the keyboard came mysteriously clear. I was so thrilled, I had to force myself to finish my two and three-quarter mile ramble.

I think my characters benefit from my reliance on my subconscious as well. I never create a character to simply serve as a victim or object lesson. (Yes. Sadly, there are many writers who do so.) I never force a romance, even when I think two characters are perfect for each other. If they don’t agree, okay, I go down the more difficult road.