[Dianne] Weeks 9-10: Writing Back Story (Part Deux)

The second and third exercises for Weeks 9-10 are a bit more in-depth. This time, I had to choose a pivotal date and write a scene to go with it. I chose the event that made Nico begin to consider that he should make a career change.

It wasn't the first time Nico had run into this situation. It was just the first time he'd realized he was never going to stop running into this situation unless he walked away. But Nico is nothing if not determined, and a big part of who he is and how he sees himself is wrapped up in taking care of people. He grew up taking care of his mother and little sister. Now he takes care of people in emergency situations... but is there another way to take care of people? It takes him some time to figure it out, but when he finally does, he ends up in James's house, taking care of Bianca and Vali...and James.

The last exercise asked me to make a Wants List for Nico. He's a simple guy, but the things he wants are actually only simple on the surface.

What I've Learned So Far: Don't assume a pivotal decision happens all at once. And get some sleep before attempting to figure out what the character wants. (My first attempt sounded something like: "cheese. a dog. and clean sheets." which was not helpful in the least.)