the characters made me!

[contrariwise.livejournal.com]

So I was browsing at the library and picked up Janet Evanovich's^* How I Write. Right there, on page 14, an interesting passage jumped out at me:

Q: Some people say they start writing and the character tells them what's next. In other words, the characters take over for the author. Do your characters ever surprise you like that?

Janet: NO! What does surprise me is that people say this happens. This is fiction! Your character doesn't do anything you don't want him to!

You do have to be very careful never to force a character to do something simply because you think he needs to do it for the sake of the plot or because you think it's funny or because you think it's hot or it's cute or whatever. Characters have to do what they are supposed to do according to your creation of them and your plot line. The bottom line is: Writers control the story and the characters. And don't let anyone tell you different--particularly your main character.

For some reason, I thought immediately of a certain author...


^*She writes the Stephanie Plum series, featuring a spunky (but not very good at her job) bounty hunter, her wacky family, and her two on-again/off-again hot dudes. It's a fluff series, but it knows it. *g*

Comments

[easol.livejournal.com]

True -- many good authors change things as they go along, sometimes because of what the characters do, and sometimes because of what the plot demands.

My big problem with LKH saying that is that
A) she uses it as an excuse for anything people might not like, such as that horrible early sex scene in "Blood Noir." Ohh, it's not my fault, Jason and Anita decided to have sex and I had no choice in the matter!

B) she uses it as part of the Great Artiste Who Writes In Her Own Blood, because that's how Devoted She Is To Her Art! Which, incidentally, is a sign that she is not a great artist, because the true greats do not and have not had to notify us that, oh by the way THEY SUFFER AGONIES FOR THEIR GREAT GROUNDBREAKING STORIES! Oh woe!

C) she actually seems to mean it, which smacks more of mental illness than devotion to one's craft.