A ROOTING INTEREST

Every story has a character… 

That you like…
You want good things to happen to them…

If they're faced with adversity or obstacles…
You have sympathy for them… 
And pray they overcome whatever they have to. 

Or if you can identify with the character…

You'll have empathy for them.

That’s a rooting interest in a nutshell.

If the story is in a book…

And if you don’t like how it’s going …

You can flip to see what happens …

Or quit reading altogether.

And if it’s a movie…

You can turn off the TV…

Or walk out of the theater.

But when you have a real life plot…

Scurrying right in your own house…

A mouse in this instance…

You have to deal with it…

There's no page to turn…
No TV to turn off or theater to leave.
So you either have to clean up blood and guts later…

Or find the damn thing and…
Eeeeeekkkk!

Capture it and throw it back outside.
 

                  The plot thickened 

Hmm?

Interesting!
I had to ask myself…

Who am I rooting for here?

My cat who I love so he can have a snack?

Or the shaking mouse staring down at death?

I mean…

Why would I care about a mouse?
I didn't know this mouse…

I had no emotional bond with it.

But I did care. 
Why?
Because he was smaller?

Defenseless? 
The under-dog? 

Because he was cute? 
Naw, my cat is cute too, see?

Ultimately I felt sorry for the mouse…

I put my cat in the bathroom to prevent a ruckus… 
Captured the mouse and put him outside.
Ugh!
The things we do for love, eh?




So?

What about you? 
What rooting interest qualities…

Do you give your characters?

Do you plot/plan to make sure they have one?

Or does it happen organically?

Always,
Em-Musing

Indie, my muse who every other day brings in a mouse, rat, bird, bat, snake, lizard, or squirrel, and yup… I've either had to clean up their guts or capture them. Oh, the fun never ends folks!