Pep Talk #2
We're into week two now, which means another pep talk! This was written by our fearless leader Trolligans, who runs the MySpace section of wrianojune. We hope it motivates you!
Arguing with Characters
It's happened to us all at some point, and if it hasn't happened to you, it will. As a writer you will come to understand that though you type the words that make up your story, you are not nearly in control as you would like to believe.
When writing Plan-Z I had a nice outline for all three novel and it made a great story. It was all going to turn out wonderful. Then, halfway through the first novel, the characters decided to disobey me. They completely ignored my outline (pretty sure I gave my characters a copy of that) and completely ignored my pleas. Instead of following the story, the rebelled against me, did their own thing, and destroyed the entire outline for the rest of book one and all of books two and three. People got angry, others got shot, and a few characters died. The story was ruined and the group was divided.
On top of all this, the main character argued with me constantly. I decided where he was going and what he was doing. I'm the writer. I can make those decisions. But as a character, he had made the decision to ignore me for the most part and went his own way, regardless of how it would change the story.
This is perhaps one of the most frustrating things an author can endure. Someone can (and probably already has) tell you that your writing sucks, but you can ignore them (or slap them). But you can't really ignore your characters, not unless you want to no longer be a writer. So what do you do? How do you get your characters to cooperate?
It's easy. You don't. If there's an argument between you and your characters, the best thing to do is simply come to terms with the fact that you will inevitably lose said argument and move on with the story, letting the disruptive character do his thing his way. If you continue to argue, you will only delay the writing process. You will not change the character's mind, nor will you fix the story. Your character knows best. He's actually there, experiencing these things, so take his advice. Even if it's a villain who doesn't belong in your story at all, ultimately the story will be better and feel more natural if you follow the character's lead. You cannot win, so accept it or stop writing. Those are really the only two choices.
The character that argues is part of your subconscious that sees a little further ahead in the story than you consciously do. He knows that something different must be done in order for the characters and story to progress in a sensible manner. He's doing what comes naturally to him, so don't try to force him to do what comes naturally to you.
Accept the fact that your characters are smarter than you and they know what's best for the story. I hope this helps.
Now if I can only find a way to get that guy out of my world...
Arguing with Characters
It's happened to us all at some point, and if it hasn't happened to you, it will. As a writer you will come to understand that though you type the words that make up your story, you are not nearly in control as you would like to believe.
When writing Plan-Z I had a nice outline for all three novel and it made a great story. It was all going to turn out wonderful. Then, halfway through the first novel, the characters decided to disobey me. They completely ignored my outline (pretty sure I gave my characters a copy of that) and completely ignored my pleas. Instead of following the story, the rebelled against me, did their own thing, and destroyed the entire outline for the rest of book one and all of books two and three. People got angry, others got shot, and a few characters died. The story was ruined and the group was divided.
On top of all this, the main character argued with me constantly. I decided where he was going and what he was doing. I'm the writer. I can make those decisions. But as a character, he had made the decision to ignore me for the most part and went his own way, regardless of how it would change the story.
This is perhaps one of the most frustrating things an author can endure. Someone can (and probably already has) tell you that your writing sucks, but you can ignore them (or slap them). But you can't really ignore your characters, not unless you want to no longer be a writer. So what do you do? How do you get your characters to cooperate?
It's easy. You don't. If there's an argument between you and your characters, the best thing to do is simply come to terms with the fact that you will inevitably lose said argument and move on with the story, letting the disruptive character do his thing his way. If you continue to argue, you will only delay the writing process. You will not change the character's mind, nor will you fix the story. Your character knows best. He's actually there, experiencing these things, so take his advice. Even if it's a villain who doesn't belong in your story at all, ultimately the story will be better and feel more natural if you follow the character's lead. You cannot win, so accept it or stop writing. Those are really the only two choices.
The character that argues is part of your subconscious that sees a little further ahead in the story than you consciously do. He knows that something different must be done in order for the characters and story to progress in a sensible manner. He's doing what comes naturally to him, so don't try to force him to do what comes naturally to you.
Accept the fact that your characters are smarter than you and they know what's best for the story. I hope this helps.
Now if I can only find a way to get that guy out of my world...