Julius Caesar, Suffering, and Revision

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My intention was to write a pithy post combining the Ides of March, Shakespeare and revision, in terms of the importance of making your characters suffer.

But how can I do that when Singin' In The Rain is playing in the background? And frankly, pithy isn't  what I do best. But it is March 15th, and Shakespeare did have the soothsayer warn Julius Caesar: "Beware the Ides of March" AND William was mad awesome at thwarting his characters from getting what they want. (Caesar does NOT beware, hurtling towards his tragic end.)

I am polishing my manuscript and I think I'm done. How could I possibly ratchet up the tension any MORE without being melodramatic? Thinking that I'm "done" most probably means that I am wrong, because we are NEVER done! (Okay, I take that back. Sometimes we are done. We have to be willing to let go in so many ways, and then when you "get published" your words take on a collaborative effort, not only with your editor, but more importantly with your readers.) So, I am looking at it again to make sure everybody is doing what they're supposed to be doing, and NOT getting what they want. But we have to make sure that we're clear on what they DO want on many different levels.

Think of yourself. What are your objectives, your motivations? What stops YOU from getting what you want? It's hard to know, isn't it?

Related articles

• Ides of March: what to read on March 15 (csmonitor.com)
• Beware The Ides of March (mindstimulant.wordpress.com)