Skip to main content

Bad Decisions Make Good Stories

There’s a podcast I’m a little obsessed with. It’s all about scammers who somehow convince the rest of us to fork over our hard-earned money in exchange for… well… dreams, delusions, and in some cases, dubious investments in psychic dolphin therapy. (Okay, I made that last one up. But tell me it doesn’t sound real.)

Every time I listen, I shake my head and go, “How could they fall for that?!” And then I remember.

Oh yes. I too have walked the path of the gullible.

Let’s rewind time to a much, much, much younger version of me. Younger Me, bless her heart, had a weakness for mystery, magic, and online auctions. This is the tale of The Haunted Ring With a Genie In It™. I swear I’m not making this up.

I stumbled across this listing: a haunted ring. With a genie. Real, ancient, probably cursed. But with powers. Powers I could unleash if I performed a SEVENTEEN STEP RITUAL. (Yes. Seventeen. Because eight steps would’ve been too easy and eighteen just felt needy.)

Naturally, I bought it.

Now, I won’t go into all the steps, because (a) I forgot them, and (b) I’ve blocked the trauma. But there were candles. Incense. Incantations. Possibly some chanting in the backyard while the neighbors reconsidered their property value.

Did the genie ever show up?

Well, no. Unless the genie was invisible, very lazy, or had a long list of people to haunt before me. But one thing’s for sure—I got a story out of it. And not just any story. A terrific one. One I now offer as a cautionary tale to anyone who thinks they’re too smart to fall for something ridiculous. (You’re not. Trust me.)

And that, dear reader, is exactly why I let my characters make bad decisions.

In fact, I encourage it.

If you ever read one of my books and find yourself yelling “Nooooo! Don’t do it!” at the page… please know: I’m grinning as I write. Because that’s where the magic happens. The tension. The drama. The “Oh, girl, you in danger” moments. That's what gives life to cozy mysteries and paranormal twists.

Let’s be honest: good decisions are boring. No one wants to read about a character who responsibly budgets, always wears sunscreen, and reads the terms and conditions before clicking “I agree.” Snooze.

But a character who follows a ghost dog into a haunted greenhouse? Or agrees to hold a séance in a cupcake bakery? Or trusts a charming stranger who might be a time-traveling jewel thief?

Chef’s kiss. That’s the good stuff.

So the next time one of my characters does something ridiculous, slightly dangerous, or wildly impulsive… just know that it probably came from real life. (Yes, I did once believe a cat could tell fortunes. That’s a story for another day.)

Bad decisions make good stories. And those stories make unforgettable characters.

Even if the genie never shows up.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Writers, Don’t Be a Slave to Word Count: Let the Story Speak for Itself

As writers, we’ve all asked ourselves that nagging question: “Is my book long enough? Too short? How long should it be?” It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, obsessing over whether our work fits neatly into arbitrary word count guidelines. But here’s the truth: Word count should never dictate the quality of your story. The heart of storytelling lies in the narrative itself, not in how many pages it spans. The Pressure of Word Count From NaNoWriMo goals to publishing industry standards, writers face constant reminders about “acceptable” word counts. A novel must be 80,000-100,000 words. A novella shouldn’t exceed 40,000. Short stories have their own limits. These guidelines are helpful, but they can also be stifling. We begin to pad scenes unnecessarily or trim meaningful moments just to conform to these benchmarks. I’ve been there. I’ve wrestled with my manuscript, forcing it to stretch or condense to meet expectations. And you know what happened? The authenticity of the...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Glamorous Life of a Writer (Or, Mostly Just Staring at a Screen)

There’s a persistent rumor floating around that writers live thrilling, adventure-filled lives. Perhaps it’s all the dramatic author portraits on book jackets—moody, windswept, staring off into the distance as if contemplating the fate of the world. Perhaps it’s the movies, where writers are always dashing off to Paris to write the next great novel in a charming café (suspiciously never interrupted by spotty Wi-Fi or overpriced croissants). I hate to break it to you, but real writing? Not quite so cinematic. In reality, my writing days mostly involve staring intensely at my screen, willing the words to appear through sheer force of will. Occasionally, I engage in deep philosophical debates with myself—such as whether my protagonist should turn left or right down a hallway (the fate of the fictional world depends on it). And let’s not forget the highly intellectual process of naming characters, which can take hours because somehow every single name I think of is either the name of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Winter Blues and the Creative Spirit

This winter really kicked my rear end . I don’t know if it was actually colder, longer, and snowier than usual or if it just felt that way, but either way, I felt drained. A kind of low-grade listlessness settled over me, the kind that makes it hard to muster enthusiasm for much of anything. My creativity? It all but hibernated. I’ve always been a summer person. I thrive when the sun is shining, when I can get outside and move, when nature feels alive and bursting with possibility. There’s something about stepping into warm air that sparks energy in me, making ideas flow as easily as the breeze through the trees. But winter? Winter is different. The days are short, the nights are long, and the cold seeps into everything. Even with the glow of holiday lights or the beauty of fresh snow, I find myself counting down to spring. I try to embrace the season—hot tea, cozy blankets, the occasional twinkling snowfall—but the truth is, I have to actively fight my way through these three months...
Post a Comment
Read more