Paranoia, paranoia

My class is going pretty well so far. Most of the other students seem like swell people. We've all posted our story ideas and gotten our feedback. The critiques have been thoughtful, helpful, and not at all appalling like some of the ones when I took this class the last time around. I think this has a lot to do with the instructor. So far, she is really pleasant to work with. I think her manner just rubs off on the rest of us. (Or maybe we're all just pleasant on our own; I don't know.)

I turned in my outline already--nine days early! I didn't mean to. It was sort of a miscommunication thing. But, my assignment is posted. Several others followed suit. And now I wait for the feedback. The suspense is killing me! I log into the "classroom" off and on all day to see if anyone has left me feedback, but they haven't! Meanwhile, the person who posted directly after me has received feedback from five people so far.

Is my story just so confusing/poor/involved/something! that no one wants to take the time? Argh! I know, I'm ahead of myself. The homework isn't even due until Tuesday, the 3rd. I just really, really want to know what people think!

i

I've been seeing the lower case "i" online all over the place lately. It seems that many people will start sentences with a capital "I" (in the me, myself, and I way), but use lowercase at other points in the sentence. Like: I don't understand why i have to go to work tomorrow. I really think i'd rather stay home.

You see? Why do people do this? What started this trend?

(FYI: I'm not offended by it. Just confused.)

Thank you!

Hi, everyone. Thanks for all your suggestions for my "party motivation" scene. I'm trying a few combinations of things to see if it will work. Thanks again!

Brainstorming help. Anyone?

For my current manuscript, I'm writing a story about a sixteen-year-old boy. I am having a hard time coming up with a motivation for a scene. I have one ready to go where the (not well-off) protag's best friend convinces him to go to a party at some rich kid's house. The events at the party are important to the rest of the story. (Not least because the protag will meet his Love Interest here.) These two guys have to go to this party.

My question is, WHY would they? They don't like these kids in particular. It isn't their crowd. They can get free alcohol elsewhere. So, why? I mean, sure, they could just be bored and hear about this deal and decide to show up for the hell of it. But I'd like the reason to be more important than that. I want them to have a goal in this scene. Something they want and are trying to get.

Anyone have any suggestions? (I have thought of a half-dozen or so, but none of them seem quite right.)

Maybe it's me.

I'm finally getting going on Chapter 1 v55 (or whatever). I've been working with this character for almost ten months. I spend half my waking hours in his head and a good portion of my sleeping hours there, too. Seth and me, we're likethis. And, yet, I'm still learning things about him.

Here are three major things I learned today:

1. When Seth drinks, he gets depressed and introspective. Every. Single. Time. I can't tell you how many times I've started a scene with drunken wackiness in mind only to come away from it with... no wackiness at all. The boy is a serious downer.

2. Seth is incapable of being indifferent to Rosetta. My original idea was that he would have a big old crush on this girl, but later I decided it would work better if she was pursuing him instead. She's doing just fine at liking him a whole, whole bunch, but he is not doing well at NOT liking her. He can't NOT notice when she's around. He can't NOT be affected by her. He can't NOT think about her. It's becoming a little problematic for me.

3. Seth is a loner. I thought I was doing something wrong not giving him a clique to hang out with, so I put him in situations where he can be around lots of people and do and be anything he wants. Most often, he chooses to retreat. Or to go off looking for the girl he's supposed to be indifferent to.

Now, I'm not one of those writers who insists my characters are writing themselves and making choices on their own. I recognize that I'm the real-live human being in charge of this story. I just can't quite figure out if these three things I mentioned come about because the character traits and history I've created simply won't allow for them. Or is Seth capable of being different and these botched scenes are entirely my fault? Like, am I letting me get in the way here?