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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Pressure

I had no happier memories yesterday.

I have been under some mental duress this week. As of yesterday noon, it's gone, and I'm glad. Glad, glad, glad, glad, glad. (Huh. I wonder if she's glad?) Where's it from, people?

I do not like pressure. I live my life as pressure-free as possible. Thanks to my past breakdown, I know exactly how much pressure I can handle before I crack.

I was nowhere near cracking this week, but I was uncomfortable. I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to post. I didn't want to eat (I understand why most of the fasting examples in the Bible are associated with repentance and national grieving). I even considered giving up Farmville. It was bad.
But, with the pressure off, I am back to normal.

What did I do? I made a choice to do something to relieve the pressure.

I've harped on this before, and I will no doubt harp on it again. Your characters must be so uncomfortable, they have to do something to relieve the pressure. A story must go somewhere, and the best way to get it moving is to put pressure on the main character. The greater the pressure, the greater the impact of the story.

Even a nervous breakdown can be interesting if you're reading about it.

When you're living it, not so much.

2 comments:

  1. ok - here is my response like we spoke of yesterday. But even if we hadn't - I would have posted anyway...what did you do? That is fine telling us that you did "it" but what was "it"? You kind of left us all hanging with that one dear!

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  2. My Dear Friend, had I wanted my readers to know that, I would have explained in excruciating detail. Suffice it to say, rather than a debate over right and wrong, I was forced to choose between the lesser of two weevils. I hope I chose wisely. hehe!

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