My main character's motivation puzzle took me a full day to crack

I was writing a short story about a baker who finds a magic rolling pin, but I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't just sell it. I spent a whole Saturday trying different ideas before landing on her fear of losing her family's legacy. What's the longest you've been stuck on a simple character detail?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_brown23d agoTop Commenter

I used to rush past character stuff, but getting stuck on a minor villain's backstory for a week taught me to slow down.

nathanburns22d ago

Spent three days on a side character's favorite color once, felt so dumb. @wren_brown gets it, that stuff matters more than you think.