Which makes me think...there are three important things writers know and do.
Art by Limeuranite
Know Your Characters
"I swear, I'm not writing about paint drying," I tell Hollis, the heroine in my WIP.
"But, you need to plant that seed, use that brush stroke, tender the word that is going to leave an imprint," Hollis continued to remind me every hour or so.
"True. Don't worry; be happy. You will have the same open-mouth-insert-foot characteristic you had in The Nobleman, The Husband, and The Inconvenient Wife mystery. But I also have to come up with ideas for and then create 3...THREE...book covers. Okay, four if you want to include the book about your story. So, please, trust me to write you as you are."
It's complicated. There's a relationship between the character and the author, or the poet and the character of her poem. They enable the existence of each other—in a positive way. Then there are times I'm looking one way and she's off moving in another direction... sometimes alone, sometimes with other characters.
I find a problem in writing.
"But, you need to plant that seed, use that brush stroke, tender the word that is going to leave an imprint," Hollis continued to remind me every hour or so.
"True. Don't worry; be happy. You will have the same open-mouth-insert-foot characteristic you had in The Nobleman, The Husband, and The Inconvenient Wife mystery. But I also have to come up with ideas for and then create 3...THREE...book covers. Okay, four if you want to include the book about your story. So, please, trust me to write you as you are."
It's complicated. There's a relationship between the character and the author, or the poet and the character of her poem. They enable the existence of each other—in a positive way. Then there are times I'm looking one way and she's off moving in another direction... sometimes alone, sometimes with other characters.
I find a problem in writing.
I know so much more about my characters than I'm able to get on the few pages I'm allowed for their story. For example, things I know, that any author knows about his or her characters (or, at least, strongly suspect). It's never really real until it makes it onto the page. That's because the process of writing is also a process of discovery. Things that do not make it onto the page could be more of a character's back story, what s/he likes to eat, his or her favorite color or book or piece of music, what happens to her after the story ends or before it began, even what he does in bed.
Things that don't turn up in the book mean only that they didn't make it onto the page or were not relevant to the story.
Oh, then that means that the character's personalities and what happens in the book are relevant? Yep, it sure does (see "keep characters...etc. below).
And that's usually when the characters begin arguing with me. But, I know my characters, basically, like any good author does. I know them better than I know myself I think. And, the relationship has to be that way. I always have to know more about each character and what they are thinking and how they will react and act.
Okay...I have to also say that after-the-fact revisionism happens. Take for example Ray Bradbury's declaration that Fahrenheit 451 was not about censorship at all. IF you believe him now, it was about television destroying literature.
And that's usually when the characters begin arguing with me. But, I know my characters, basically, like any good author does. I know them better than I know myself I think. And, the relationship has to be that way. I always have to know more about each character and what they are thinking and how they will react and act.
Keep Characters and Theme of Story Consistent
Okay...I have to also say that after-the-fact revisionism happens. Take for example Ray Bradbury's declaration that Fahrenheit 451 was not about censorship at all. IF you believe him now, it was about television destroying literature.
Huh? Yeah.
Well, that statement is looked upon with utter skepticism by the majority of people because for the last 50 or so years it has been about censorship. Hey, even Bradbury himself explicitly noted it.
We all know he took a poke at TV in the book, but the core of the story —and what is in the text —is the effect of censorship on his primary character, who himself is a censor.
It's a free literary world and Bradbury can certainly say what he wants, but his own words and his own character in his text speak against him. I say we go with the text because it doesn't change its mind and readers know and remember.
For example, take the Dumbledore literature news story —J.K. Rowling said Dumbledore was gay. He had always been gay because that is the way she wrote him.
For example, take the Dumbledore literature news story —J.K. Rowling said Dumbledore was gay. He had always been gay because that is the way she wrote him.
Hey, she knows him better than anyone.
Many thought she was making an after-the-fact statement and refused to believe it.
Her readers knew, though, and many remarked, "well, now, such-and-such a scene makes perfect sense." Critics who say Rowling had no concept Dumbledore was gay now have proof that's not the case. She's got backup in her books.
So, Hollis can argue with me all she wants...some things about her will remain because that is who she is and when she appears in other stories, she will be the Hollis everyone learns to like and roll their eyes or shake their heads at.
Now, the scary thought —your characters finally become full-blown people and they see you as their imaginary friend and you begin to fade away and they take over?
I think about that — a lot! In fact, I'm almost done writing that story! FADE (by Mimi Wolske) will be published 2015. :)
So, Hollis can argue with me all she wants...some things about her will remain because that is who she is and when she appears in other stories, she will be the Hollis everyone learns to like and roll their eyes or shake their heads at.
Learn To Control Your Characters
Now, the scary thought —your characters finally become full-blown people and they see you as their imaginary friend and you begin to fade away and they take over?
I think about that — a lot! In fact, I'm almost done writing that story! FADE (by Mimi Wolske) will be published 2015. :)
Art by Limeuranite
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