We all make choice for day to day; what will we wear, where we will go, how we will act, and the list can go on for many pages. This is true for our characters as well.
I could tell you that when I write, I tell the reader every single thing they decide on, but that would be a large waste of time; as most as big a waste as spending time reading about it. But you know that, right? For this post, I am going to assume that you do and that you do not do it in your own writing (partly because this is my blog, and I can).
Your characters need to make choices. But more importantly, they need to make choices that suit them. If you want your character to eat a jelly doing the slips, then go ahead. But what if they are a vegetarian and think that the slips are a way for the evil temptress from the Chasm of Doom to escape when you breathe out causing the Earth to spin out of control because she control the Earth's rotation???
Okay, abstract example, but do you see what I mean? Sometimes it helps to have those way out there examples.
When I write, I have a clear idea of what I want to happen in each chapter of my story. But things can go wrong when I choose to make things go a certain way because that is not always how the story will work. I might have my story thought out from start to finish, but what happens when a character suddenly chooses a different path then the one that was set out for them?
Now, I, in the past, made a few little mistakes with this. I wanted a character to do one thing, but they weren't too keen on going in that direction. So what happened was a sloppy, totally out of character scene that was just too poorly done. Instead of letting them make the choices that suited them, I made them. It's like going to a restaurant and wanting a salad, but the person at the next table orders a steak for you. Things just don't work out that way.
I'm not saying give in to every little thing your characters want, I'm saying that you have to be opened to your creations making there own way and deviating from the path a little. Don't make poor decision for them; they'll do it themselves.
I hope that made sense. This is one of those things that you think about, but make better sense in your head. Basically, don't force your story and make sure you stay within the confines of what works within your characters.
Perhaps I should have just said that. Meh.
Happy Writing,
JB
Hey everyone, I know I haven't been keeping my blog up to date, but I have a lot of things currently going on, so expect updates, but don't expect too many too soon (sorry about that). This one is short, but important.
So the topic for today; your opinion. It's a valuable thing really, and when combined with writing, it can be wonderfully accurate. Or completely, absolutely, totally, dead wrong.
I was catching up on a backlog of editing recently on a chapter that I thought was really terrible. When I wrote it I was very dissappointed with it, and thought that it was best just to get through it, and redo it later. So begrudgingly I finished it, and put it deep in the confines of my filing system where it would never see the light of day.
Things left unfinished tend to bug me, and I knew that it was time to edit the thres chapters I had neglected to edit straight away. So up from the depths that cursed chapter surfaced, and I started editing it. After the first few pages I stopped and reread it agian.
It was good.
And I actually liked it.
You see, I am my own worst critique, as most writer's are. I thought that what I had written was horrible right after I had finished it, but later I found that it worked really well and wasn't bad at all.
You might think what you are doing is wrong and horrible and aweful when you are writing it. Maybe you are right, maybe you are wrong though. It is your opinion.
But can I advise something? Give what you do a fair shot. It isn't fair to you, your characters, or your future readers to miss a potentially wonderful part in your writing just because you had a bad day, or your opinion is wrong. your opinion is not the 'be all, end all' so give yourself time, forget about it, go back to it, and then make up your mind. Perhaps you will find that it is actually really good.
Happy Writing,
JB
