When characters plead for space, inclusion

Tonight is July 12 and it has been four and a half months since I began this "epic" process. If you would've told me one year ago that by fall of 2017, I'll have written upwards of seven hundred pages, I would've laughed and said, "Let me fix up the first ... ten pages I took a stab at years ago."

But here we are. Three drafts down, about three hundred ninety pages written so far. And what's one thing I've noticed along the way? The biggest, most pronounced element to all this: taking left hand turns here and there. The outline calls to me, sure. But sometimes, a character needs to be fleshed out; he/she practically begs you to give them a chance. It's like choosing teams in a schoolyard kickball game -- everyone wants in, wants to contribute. And if they're already there, on said page, they just want more, more, more.

A novelist learns early on when studying his craft to always have "motivations" for his/her characters. In my latest work Happy Medium, which is book number three, Ron Seidon, TV extraordinaire and executive producer, does just that. He was originally conceived as a meaningless personality that would help expose Brooks and keep him in the news cycle. But he's done more than that.

Since appearing in book number one, Ron Seidon has changed career paths, attached himself to a major movie franchise, pleaded for help, and he's even delved into his own background a bit. What's so funny about this? He was originally allotted just a few lines in book one. But, he's become a prominent character, in relation to Brooks' mysterious girlfriend, Jessica, and the even more mysterious group, the Loiterers. Anyway, that's a look inside Once Famous as it is being dreamt up and brought to life. And there is so much life. Be on the lookout for more regular posts about the series. Check Twitter for useful updates, too (@dangun127).