Work With Your Characters

Writing Tip # 6:  Characters will often take off in directions you, as a writer, don’t intend.

I was writing on Eye of the Peacock this past weekend. Aubrey, my 21^st century protagonist, had just had her first dinner with the owner of the estate that is the 1906 setting of the story. It was a big dinner – big – and she’s a skinny kid.

Aubrey was really battling with me at the start of the next chapter. She wanted to skip the breakfast she was expected to attend and go walking in the gardens. I kept insisting she go to breakfast as planned. The woman was expecting her to be there. She was a guest in the house. It would be rude for her to not show up. Aubrey was insisting it was going to be another big meal. She didn’t eat like that.

As the writer, I had to find a reason for her to go to breakfast. It finally came to me last night. The owner of the estate is going to be reading a newspaper at breakfast, and the piece of history that needs to be woven into the book is going to show up in the headline.

As a writer, your characters are going to disagree with you, challenge you, and want to take on a life of their own. Don’t try to totally control them. Sometimes they have good ideas. But watch it. Make every move work toward your story’s end.