Cuts

Here is evidence that one must be very careful when it comes to writing authentically!

Last night, in a moment of desperation, I cut my hair. Off. Under the influence of my characters’ dialogue!
Two of my protagonists were having a rather heated conversation about things that really matter, and how our perceptions define us.

“Who are you?” MC 1 asked. “Who are you really?”
“I’m just—just me,” MC 2 replies. “At least I try to be real.”

And of course I was forced to think, who am I? Am I being real? I paused for a moment of reflection, and when I sat back down to resume the dialogue, I found neither character had anything left to say to me.

For four hours I battled a severe case of writer’s block and all the while the question rang in the back of my mind . . . Am I being real? Even to me?

Now, a girl’s hair should not have as much to do with all of this as it did. But for the past couple of months, every time I glanced in the mirror I have thought, “blech. I need a change. That doesn’t look or feel like me.” So as I got up to pace the room yet again, pushing my curly hair out of my eyes I decided, ok. I’ve had it. This bird’s nest has got to go.

I dug the sheers out of the kitchen drawer and chopped away.

When I sat back down at my computer thirty minutes later—liberated—I found my characters were finally able to continue their conversation. And I . . . I feel exactly like me.