Sometimes I joke about my characters "refusing to toe the line". It's basically just a way to shorten up the explanation.
What really happens (to those of us who aren't batshit crazy, anyway) is that for one reason or another--be it that you're very focused and into what you're writing or something similar--a character starts developing qualities and really fleshing out in ways that you never intended before you began the actual writing. This is really no surprise. Most things tend to develop more once you start translating them from head to paper (or word processor, I guess).
But the author gets the final say in whether or not a character goes beyond its original purpose. Because one thing that is absolutely NOT a reason for this happening is your characters talking to you. Saying that the characters "told" them what to do is just an author making up excuses and not taking responsibility for their own work.
So if your characters are waking you up in the night demanding you write something such-and-such a way, do yourself a favor: Roll over and go back to bed.
no subject
What really happens (to those of us who aren't batshit crazy, anyway) is that for one reason or another--be it that you're very focused and into what you're writing or something similar--a character starts developing qualities and really fleshing out in ways that you never intended before you began the actual writing.
This is really no surprise. Most things tend to develop more once you start translating them from head to paper (or word processor, I guess).
But the author gets the final say in whether or not a character goes beyond its original purpose. Because one thing that is absolutely NOT a reason for this happening is your characters talking to you.
Saying that the characters "told" them what to do is just an author making up excuses and not taking responsibility for their own work.
So if your characters are waking you up in the night demanding you write something such-and-such a way, do yourself a favor: Roll over and go back to bed.