Apologies that this is so late, and apologies that I have been so absent this past week. My straight job has been consuming more of my time and energy (mostly the latter) than usual, and it has meant that I've had almost no time to keep up this week with my writing. But I could net let down the legions of loyal fans that have already come to look anxiously forward to Tactless Tuesdays. I hope the delay in my posting has not caused any medical of psychological conditions.
p.s. If it has, check out Solitude. It's the cure for anyone's blues. LOL
So, Lie #2 that we tell ourselves as writers is an extension of last week's Lie #1, but it works itself out differently. The lie is this: our characters have lives of their own. Here are the forms this lie can take:
* I am so mad at my character for doing this.
* I didn't expect my main character to do that and now I don't know what to do.
* My main character is not cooperating.
* Would my main character do this_or_that?
* How far would my character go?
* I don't know my character's background.
* I need to interview my character.
And so on and so forth. Here's the thing. Just like you're writing your story, and you're the boss of it, you're the creator of your character. If you don't want them to do something, it is entirely in your power to stop them. If you don't know what to do now that they've done something, change what they did. Would they do something? You tell me -- you're the author.
I understand that sometimes our psychology as a writer works in a way that these characters can feel like independent actors. That's fine. I understand being confused, surprised, or upset. You're really surprised at what you wrote, but it fees like it's the character who did you in. I also understand using interviews and backstory role plays and all that as ways to help you develop the character.
I get that.
But here's the problem when you feel like your character has its own life:
They take control of your story. I have too many writing friends who get stalled out because of their character. Their characters ruined their story. Their characters are too confusing. Authors control all that. Like it or not, every character you write about is up to you.
I was trapped in a story forever because of something like that once. I didn't like a character, I didn't understand that character. It took me ten years to finally realize, "Oh, crap, that's right, I can make that character whatever the heck I want to." Woohoo!
That's what's great about being a writer. You can change all the people who are annoying you!
So stop being a prisoner to the people in your imagination!
.Nevets.
Lol, I agree. If my characters get out of hand, they get backspaced.
ReplyDeleteIn a recent draft of an episode of my SF serial, one of my characters went rogue and spouted off a bunch of crap that veered the story off course. I, however, being commander of this here ship called MY STORY, whittled her dialogue down until it, she, and the entire scene disappeared. Freed the story right up!
ReplyDeleteThis may not be as true in genre fiction, but in lit-fic (which is what I like to dabble in), the unconscious/subconscious exploration of character and story is integral to the writing process. Unexplored paths, and all that. I think this 'lie' is all tied up in the human search for meaning. Most writers want to write truth, whatever that is. Building backstory and character psychology and allowing the character to develop organically into an individual instead of a mouthpiece helps the writer to explore and discover the truth of the character, the story and his/her own experience.
ReplyDeleteBut this is all internal to the writer's psychology, right?
The writer isn't the only one operating on that level. The reader's interpretation of the work is not just the words on the page or the images described, but is also informed by their own beliefs, experiences, psychology, etc.
RE wild hares and rabbit trails, divergent storylines and characters poppiong their mouths off: it takes a fair amount of shit to grow a decent garden.
And there I go not putting in my main point.
ReplyDeleteSometimes your writing of truth brings you up against topics and situations you don't want to face. And this can stick you in the mud quick as spit. That's what the back story and interviews are for. To help you work out for yourself what the character would do in that situation.
And...I'd like to say that even though we writers are the master of our domain, so to speak, we do create these characters in hopes that our readers will identify with them in some way, sympathize, empathize, hate them because they are like someone they know, etc. Sooooo, you have to be "true" to that character you have created. You can't just write something because you want the character to do that particular thing or say those particular lines. If it doesn't fit into that character's personality then the reader shuts the book.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, be careful how you create your characters. As B. says that's what the back story and interviews are for.
That lie that your characters have taken over or have painted you into a corner just means that you didn't think them through enough for where you were going with the story and now you have to rework them. Which can lead to a real big mess. I see now why writers blame their characters.
If it doesn't fit into that character's personality then the reader shuts the book.
ReplyDeleteIn the book we're working out of for class, the author uses a smattering of key quotations to illustrate her points. A few to keep in mind about readers.
From Vonnegut: "A story has to be a good date, because the reader can stop at any time. . . Remember that readers are selfish and have no compulsion to be decent about anything."
From Burroway, the author/editor: If the writer screws up with mechanics or characterization, "the reader's focus is shifted from the story to the surface. The reader is irritated at the author, and of all the emotions that the reader is willing to experience, irritation at the author is not one."
It is very true that your characterization needs to be consistent and have verisimilitude, but the basic personality is something you have created and are creating and if you find something not working. It does not exist independent of you. If you are stumped or frustrated or disappointed with it, it's your own fault not the character's, and you're the one with the power to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the writer is the architect and builder. And if the structure falls, it is the writer's fault. Or if planning grinds to a halt, again, culpability falls to the writer.
ReplyDeleteYet, there are things like beauty and proportion and style. If the writer builds a squat functional governmental plot with efficiency, he shouldn't expect rave reviews.
Tea has to steep before it reaches its apex. (But not too long, or your teeth disintegrate.)
Yeah, I don't think I ever said we should write like crap, just that we should remember that we're creating the characters. LOL
ReplyDeleteI guess the point I was trying to make was that WE WRITERS create the characters (as everyone here agrees)so if they aren't cooperating in order to make the story a good date then it's our problem to fix...whether we cut them out of the story or just perform a nose job, it's up to us. Just depends on how much work we want to do.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all just re-hashing the same point. LOL!! But I like the discussion!!
I think it's more fun and easier to say, "my character did X unexpectedly," than to say, "I was writing along and my stream of consciousness took me in X direction and it wasn't what I would have ever thought to write."
ReplyDeleteEtc.
No harm done. But, I heartily agree that it's a falsity when truly examined.
My concern isn't necessarily with the ultimate truth or untruth of it. And I definitely don't deny the usefulness of some of these turns of phrase in helping the writer through some challenges.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I got my point across clearly enough, but the main challenge I was attempting to address was in this paragraph:
They take control of your story. I have too many writing friends who get stalled out because of their character. Their characters ruined their story. Their characters are too confusing. Authors control all that. Like it or not, every character you write about is up to you.
However a writer wants to approach character development or think about character process is fine. But if your writing gets hung because of something a character did, that's when it's good to remember that you're in charge, not the character. So don't let a character you invent and control hold your writing hostage.
"I think you'd be interested in a cool contest going on at my blog. The Grand Prize is the first and second book of Hunter Brown."
ReplyDelete