Ordeal

How does Paul handle the ordeal mentally, and how would his experience affect him in later life?

Near the end of my novel, Misery, the main character Paul comes across his window of opportunity -after weeks of planning- to escape the clutches of his crazed fan, Annie Wilkes. He successfully kills Annie, but when the police arrive they find the window open and Annie not there. This affects Paul mentally because he believes that Annie is not really dead, even though the police find her body. He eventually goes crazy with hallucinations that Annie is trying to kill him. He will have to always live through life thinking that Annie is still out to get him and he will never live his life the same again.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

Why does Paul have to make his plans for escape so carefully, and how could this help him in the end?

In my novel, Misery, the main character Paul Sheldon is rescued from a car wreck by a crazed fan, Annie Wilkes, and over the span of a few weeks, Annie showed her true colours. Annie Wilkes has been getting away with murders for years, Paul realizes that escape is essential. While making his preparations Paul had to play his cards very carefully. His abductor, Annie, could easily be made angry. Paul had to act with caution around her, he would act as though he cared about her. But while she was out he would gather objects that would be of use of him in his plan. Paul is very vulnerable and would not have the strength to fight Annie off is she attacked him. He had to do gather objects very carefully because if he angered Annie she could have easily killed him on the spot. This could help him in the end because he would be able to get out of Annie's house alive, and go back to his Ordinary World.

Tests, Enemies, and Allies

How does the main character, Paul, handle his first test, and what does he learn from it?

In my novel Misery Paul Sheldon is kidnapped by a crazed fan, Annie, after a car crash that leaves Paul severely injured. As the storyline grows Annie becomes Paul's enemy. Paul is now in a new special world that he needs to learn the rules of. His first test comes around when Annie leaves the house, and Paul takes advantage of her absence to explore his new surroundings. He carefully gets into his wheelchair and picks the lock of his bedroom. He is frightened the whole time, and was tried to be as careful as possible. Paul finds a scrapbook of all the people Annie has murdered, making him rethink the seriousness of the trouble he was in. He returned to his room within seconds of Annie's return. Paul thought he did a good job of covering up his tracks but Annie knew right away that he'd been out. Paul learned from his adventure that escape was necessary, and that his life depended on it.