Changing characters

I've been sitting on a story for what seems a long time--really cool ideas in my head to stir into the mix, some intriguing characters and situations...but it was just never coming together. I would jot down notes, come up with new things to throw in the mix, get excited about the story, but then when I'd try to start writing, I could never find a way in to the story. It just felt flat, despite all the cool things flashing around my head.

While we were taking a mini-vacation this past weekend, it occurred to me that maybe I was focusing on the wrong character. The intriguing characters I'd planned to write about will probably still be fascinating, but fascinating (and perhaps somewhat terrifying) from the perspective of someone else. So I added a new character to the mix (at this point a pretty bland, undeveloped character, but hopefully that will change as I write), and writing the story from his perspective finally allowed me to get writing.

Now I haven't written much, and I can't promise that I won't flounder with him and decide a different tack is necessary. But at least I've started, which is something I'd been unable to say for the past month.