There comes a point in every
writer’s life when their characters are so well defined in their own minds that
the characters take on a life of their own. You can hold conversations with them
as naturally as you would a real person, and even though you think you know
inside and out, they will continue to surprise, show unseen depths and sides as
you continue to write them. They are your friends, your children, your babies.
And just like real people, they fight back.
You may assume that just because
you created their world, breathed life into them, and designed their
appearances and characteristics, that you somehow have a say in how they act. This
is your show and you are its master surely? (Throws head back in hysterical
laughter). No, not in the least. You see once the characters come to life they
will act as they see fit, and that won’t always mesh with what you want them to
do.
You see the problem is when you
first come up with a story the characters aren’t much more than a few scribbles
of notes that move through the plot like chess pieces, but the more you write
the characters, the more you learn about them and get the sense of their voice,
the more they change. In the end the characters you’re writing will be vastly
different to those cardboard cut-outs you initially came up with.
This means that inevitably you
will come to a part of your story where the characters refuse to do as they are
told, because what you want them to do no longer fits their character. Now
there are two ways around this, either you break the character and force them
do what you want, or you have to backtrack, reconfigure the setup so that the
character’s actions fit with the character, or maybe even take a different
route entirely. Now while the latter options may sound like a pain, they are
far more preferable than the first. If you see the character as a real person,
then so will your readers, and if you break the characters they have come to love
they will hunt you down and, well they’ll probably just voice angry complaints,
but you don’t want to upset your readers that much.
Look, I know your story is your
baby, and its perfect the way it is and nothing could ever make it better, but
you have to be open to change. Your characters develop as you write them, and
the story has to follow them. Who knows what new ideas might come to you down
the line, what flash of inspiration or suggestion from a friend, and that’s
long before the editor comes knocking at your door with their array of
sharpened pens designed specifically to carve up your book. You have to get
used to the idea of change, and accept that the story you end up with won’t be exactly
the same as that original synopsis you had in your head.
It’s a scary thought, but its ok,
because your story will be better for it. The world is not a static place, and
your story will continue to grow as you write it, you’ll learn more about your
characters, and even how you write will improve. So when you find that your characters
aren’t doing as they’re told, perhaps you should sit down and have a talk with
them to find out what the problem is. Your story can only get better.
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