Since I've gotten some great feedback on the last post, I'm making you read another:P
The other day, I was about halfway finished with a scene when I realized how differently the characters were behaving from how I originally intended. One was being terribly selfishly while another was surprisingly supportive. One worries me that I'm going to have to adjust her behavior a bit to make sure things don't seem out of place later on, however, it was pretty neat to see them take on a life of their own!
Comments
Just wait ...
... say no if they try to move in with you, they never pay their share of the rent on time. ::grin::
-- Donna Lamb, Flack
Some of my books and stories are sold through Doppler Press to help support BigCloset. -- Donna
-- Donna Lamb, ex-Flack
Some of my books and stories are sold through DopplerPress to help support BigCloset. -- Donna
Characters lives
Mignon, you should check out the comment I made for an english professor out at
the university of Mini-soda. It can be found on my Princess and the Other Pea
story.
http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/wysiwyg/505/princess-and-other...
At the time, I had a friend who was in the doctoral program out there, and when
one of the professors was looking for a novice work from the internet publishing
venue, somehow I got chosen. The class used my work for their project, part of
which was the submission of several questions to be answered with the story.
*Whew!*
Long story short, it is not at all surprising that I gave them very much the same
answer that you yourself have. I think it's something that a lot of writers must
be stunned to realize, that perceiving the person in a character to have certain
personality traits, inbues that character with a palpable personality.
Sometimes it seems like you could almost talk to them. Don't do it though! The
Non-writers amongst us will seldome understand such 'creativity.'
Sarah Lynn
You 'talk' to me sometimes ...
... and I really am a figment of your imagination. My reality is totally different from the one I seem to have here.
On my one and only longish story my characters surprised me several times by explaining to me in words of one syllable how they should behave and what their back story was. It surprised me at the time. I suspect it's universal.
Geoff
Single syllable?
Were your characters concerned that you wouldn't understand them, if they used multi-syllable words? :-)
As to the question on characters taking on a life of their own... I've heard several published authors express this feeling. In my case, they tend to only diverge from my plans in little ways. Sometimes, they'll do things before I'd planned on them doing it. Others, they'll try to do things that are not in character with what I'd planned for them. I usually rein them in from the latter (rewrite!) and, in the former, I check to make sure the early action fits with the story line, and if not, they are chastised and told to not try to give things away to the readers too soon. Generally, they are pretty agreeable once things are explained to them... Yeah, right.
More seriously, I tend to rein in myself, when I find my typing going in directions I'd not planned except on a few occasions where I incorporate the change into the ongoing story, as it solves a problem I'd had. I figure this was the result of my subconscious working to solve the issue, and giving me a "hint" as to the solution. The best example of this is "Reverend Willie" from my story (The Reluctant Bridesmaid). I'd needed a calming influence, and he provided that quite well. Another, in the same story was the police officer bridesmaid... She was planned to be a police officer from the beginning. Then, I had someone at the party causing trouble, and suddenly I realized she'd be an obvious person to help keep the peace.
So, yes characters occasionally do things I hadn't plotted, but when I let it happen, it's in line with the characters anyway, and sometimes it's solving an issue I'd known I had (& had put off solving).
Now for the disclaimer - you can ignore most of my comment, cause it's from a mediocre writer. Listen to how the good ones here respond... :-)
Annette