Talk to Me, Goose

Have you ever worked yourself into a corner in your writing? We all do it. We write one of those great climax moments where everything is coming to a head, it’s working, it’s fitting, the tension is high and the stakes are out of this world. We know readers are going to perch on the edge of their seat, salivating with every page turn.

…except we’ve created SUCH a good climax we don’t actually know how to get our character out of it.

It doesn’t have to be the end either. I’ve had it happen at smaller plot points elsewhere in the book, too. But for whatever reason we get momentarily stuck. We realize we’re not exactly sure WHAT our characters will do next.

We can’t yet see the brilliant solution that (no doubt) will come to us in a flash of inspiration and make everything okay again. We start to doubt our skills as writers. What if we can’t make the plot work? What if we can’t get our characters out? What if it all falls apart?
At times like these, I think of Top Gun.

Yes, that’s right. Tom Cruise in all his serenading fly boy glory. Remember the last dogfight, when he’s scared to re-engage? Everyone’s screaming at him to do something! And he whispers, “Talk to me, Goose.”

Sometimes I feel like doing the same with my characters. Talk to me. I know you’ll figure this out. I just have to close my eyes, listen and let you show me the way. What’s your next move? C’mon, talk to me.

It feels strange to pause and wait for a fictional character to provide the clarity and guidance for our next scene…but sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Have you ever had a “Talk to me, Goose” conversation with your characters?

And just for fun...