When I was little I used to talk to myself. I worried why everyone else didn’t. Was I crazy? Or worse yet, was I destined for politics?
Then it came to me, I wasn’t crazy, at least not in rubber walls and white jacket way. I was a writer. Talking to myself was more an emerging method to work through a scene, finesse out a plot or better yet, wrangle an unruly character into doing what I wanted them to do.
Building suspense, sharpening the hook, dangling plot twists like choice tidbits, all of these skills have become my primary education as an emerging writer. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have met some amazing people along the way, one in particular, who have helped me with either a nudge or a shove in the right directions. There is one thing, however, that no one could teach me or, rather didn’t try to. That’s because the process of learning how to listen to your characters and let them out of the closet, so to speak, is a unique and highly personal experience.
Not so long ago I leapt feet, head and heart first into the creation of my first full length novel. I had this vision, pretty and petite, of my main protagonist and no matter how much she protested I kept sticking her in pencil skirt when she was hollering for blue jeans. I didn’t listen, I was as stubborn as the proverbial Missouri mule. It isn’t that I knew I was being stubborn or even blind. I was just being influenced by the character profiles I had been reading for years. Was it any wonder that I struggled?
I have no idea why I wanted to treat my character like a rebellious adolescent rather than an adult. It only gave me a headache and stalled my writing.
Finally, one night, when I was too tired to fight and my character pounced and with one mighty blow, she had me on the mat. She firmly insisted that I was getting her all wrong. She wasn’t the timid bland creation I’d been bumbling along with; she was hardcore, a bit on the coarse side even. She was most definitely not as passive as I was making her out to be. She was, in short, herself and if I listened I’d hear and see her as she was, not how I wanted her to be.
I stopped coercing her and started giving her the run of the place. What I found is the story, in her words. I’m not saying this technique will solve all the problems, but there will be a flow where there once wasn’t. I have found a freedom to let my stories unfold naturally by letting my characters have their say instead of me putting words in their mouths.
You're definitely not crazy, and I still talk to myself. My kids catch me at it sometimes and comment, my husband doesn't even notice it anymore. I even talk back to myself, having these two way conversations with myself, out loud. The Behavior Analysis Unit from Criminal Minds would say that makes me psychotic, but I think it's just another sign of a writer. (It isn't as if I'm discussing offing people. Not usually, anyway.)
My characters take over at the gate, different parts of my own personality I think.
I also worry about the things some of my characters say or do, especially the more street type of characters who say things I wouldn't say, but if they all only said and did what I say and do, they would all be the same character, and trust me, none of them would be very interesting.
I'm nearly finished with my Master's in Mental Health Counseling -- really -- and quite honestly, aside from all the other great stuff, one thing I have really enjoyed learning was that, truly, if it doesn't hurt you, it ain't crazy : )
Very liberating to learn that. It is also good to hear all these positive lessons from listening to these characters...
I should post this in my office: "The character is always right" maybe I'll start asking my characters: "would you like fries with that?"
okay, okay, I better stop...
Maybe we are crazy, but in a good way. that's what makes us unique! I think we sometimes don't want to listen to our characters out of laziness. When I finished my second book, A Reunion to Die For, I felt completely let down. Without showing it to anyone I set it aside to ferment for several months. When I picked it up again close to a year later I read through it and realized to my dismay that one character that I had made a good guy was itching to be a cad. Talk about a fight! I knew he was right, but geez! To do what he wanted meant a complete re-write of the whole book. After a lot of cussing, I finally gave in to him and found he was right. It was a much better book in the end.
Oh thank you! I agree with you completely that it's no use fighting with your characters. I get into trouble with family sometimes when a character says or does something horrible or outrageous or disgusting or whatever. But it's *not* me, it's the character. Try explaining that and not sounding crazy (to a non-writer) : ).
I love the insight into your process! I feel crazily inspired! You're awesome and thank you for sharing!
My character Christy is the quiet type, but not her sidekick Lennie. However, the "voice" I never expected to hear was Great-Grandma Dobbs. I have no idea where this Dustbowl granny came from, but Lennie quotes her off and on through the books. I don't even know where the quotes come from! They're original and I simply write them down. It's a delight for me and, hopefully, for my readers.