Always have the courage to try something. I read constantly about favorite topics in writing whether it be character issues, viewpoint, or harnessing that creative energy. Take what you've read about and try it out. Remember there are no mistakes, just results that are not quite what you're looking for.
Recently I've been perplexed by a comment made by a critiquer about one of my characters. Now this character is relatively minor in the scale of things. But for whatever reason, a comment was made that this character lacked subtlety. I worried about this for days (Get a life, right?). I read and a good friend put me on to a book from the Writer's Digest series on Character. There right in the chapter on Character Hierarchy was the answer. I read the section with great interest and realized that I had it right in the first instant and that the critiquer, despite their best intentions, did not understand the story. I went on to read other chapters and they confirmed many of my thoughts about the use of stereotypical minor characters and how a character can be viewed from the eyes of your protgonist. Got me thinking about the idea of an unreliable narrator and the creative juices started percolating.
Thanks to the negative comment and my curiosity about finding the answer to my distress, I have a richer story at the end of the day. The pain was worth it as I had growth as a writer and I've extended myself.
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