Your opinions, please, on a question about Ambition/Relationships

[julieswanson]

Whether or not I should scrap a story--a story I've worked on for years--hinges on this: I have a definite problem, something the character wants more than anything in the world. I have obstacles that get in her way, people who want to hold her back from her single-minded pursuit of her goal. But my question concerns the character’s growth. If she

Comments

[annemariepace]

How about a multiple viewpoint book where alternating chapters show the growth in the friend that allows her to let the athlete go to pursue her dream?

Hahahahahaha. I'm just trying to get you even more confused.

Seriously, I love the way you described it here. I think it's fine. You're not evil.

[julieswanson]

It's funny that you suggested this because this was sort of one of my thoughts last spring. I even called The Editor Who Was Interested in This up and asked her what she thought of my writing the story from the point of view of the character's best friend--so that I could show her learning to let go and her realizing that this character's ambition was one of the reasons she liked her in the first place. Sort of along the lines of "If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back to you it was meant to be yours." Sort of. But she didn't like the idea. She said she liked the original character and didn't think I'd be able to get in the head of the other girl as well. Well, I beg to differ, because now, where I am in my life, I am, in a sense, that other girl (strangely, I am both the driven in one respect, AND the one dealing with someone equally or more driven in another respect.)But I could tell she really didn't want me to give up the one character's first person POV

[lorrainemt]

I love this premise, Julie, and I think it's a huge sign of growth for a person of any age to come to know what's most important for their own life, their own dreams. As you said, it takes courage and commitment to stay the path. I don't think that necessarily makes the MC unlikeable, especially if she tries to make the friendship work. It's the expectations that are placed on how a friendship is to play out that can be the end of any relationship.

I've seen my daughter (who is now 20) get caught up in feeling that she had to appease her friends to the detriment of her goals, and it's caused her some floundering and grief. I highly encourage you to tell this story from the POV of this character--it's a story worth telling.

[julieswanson]

Thank you. This helps me figure out whether my story idea is no good or if it's just that I've not done a good job of conveying that idea. I'm glad you think it's a story worth telling, and I think I'll try again.

[ex_dotificu]

As I so often do, I love what Lorraine says.

Plus, I'm really digging the fact that the story is fresh-- not expected. Not the same old same old.

And I wouldn't cut back on my writing life for anyone. Not even my husband or children. It's part of who I am, so asking me to not do it is like rejecting me on a certain level.

[julieswanson]

Yes, that's exactly it, Dot. If someone really knows you and understands you, they know they can't ask you to do something like this. Not if they are really your friend or really love you. Thanks for weighing in!

[jmprince]

Sorry my response is so late. My computer access is only hit and miss during our move, so I'm checking LJ and e-mails sporatically.
I wavered back and forth when reading your post. My initial reaction was of mild distaste for a character who puts goals and ambitions above friendship. But, you made some good points about friendships (especially school friendships) not lasting forever and about the importance of friends accepting one another for who they are (even if that means the very ambitious parts). Plus, you hit the nail on the head when you talked about friends who would try to monopolize my writing time. :)
I think the ambition vs. friendship story is an important one to tell and one that you could do well.

[julieswanson]

Thanks for your honesty about the mild distaste. It's what I was afraid of, but you know what, not everybody is going to like every character or book, and maybe some people are just going to think she's selfish and cold. I think it depends on how social you are, whether you have loner tendencies or whether your network of friends is huge to you, whether you are the type who's always connected at the hip to a best friend. But I will have to be careful I can see.. Thanks, Julie.