Never a dull moment....

[Tariel]

I'm sure that this has all happened-to some extent- to many if not most of you, and it's not the first time it's happened to me, but that doesn't make it any less strange. One of my protagonists (a girl named Tariel) has decided to spontaneously generate a love intrest. From what I've seen he's a nice enough guy....but it kinda freaked me out the first time he appeared, running up to poor Tari and saying, "I have no time for anything but honesty--I love you." The guy then spends the next three quarters of a page declaring his undying love. It was quite the experience, to be sure. So let's share: what have your experiences been with characters popping out of nowhere and forcing themselves into your plot? Do you think this is a wise way to write? Any and all thoughts--let's here them.

 

[sunstruckdream]

i'm not sure i follow the question. do you mean what happens when we write spontaneously and stuff like that sort of pops up? that's happened to me, and sometimes i get some really good stuff that way. the only thing is that's where i often create a glitch, something that doesn't mesh with the rest of the plot, you know? i personally like to plan an outline, and let the details - and an occasional big twist - find their way in..

 

[NeoScribe]

Something like that happened awhile ago. I was just thinking about how the storyu was going to continue and decided to just play it out on paper. All of a sudden a dude named Matoon pops out of nowhere (literally) and attacks my one of my protagonist. Upside to this is I found this awsome character that triggered the flow of the rest of the story and will remain a central antagonist for the rest of the story. Downside, I lost my one of my last protagonist capable of doing anything protagonistic. I then had to spend a whole night staring at my notepad until some new guys showed up.

 

[sunstruckdream]

hehe, i can relate to the notepad-staring. i once killed over half a day that way and didn't realize it.

 

[CelticRose]

Yep, know the feeling well. I had a very nice young man in mind but my protaganist went for his friend whom I'd never set eyes on! It does my head in just thinking about it. Where do these people come from? Please don't say my mind 'cause I can assure you he wasn't there when I set out!

 

[Tariel]

Yep, know the feeling well. I had a very nice young man in mind but my protaganist went for his friend whom I'd never set eyes on! It does my head in just thinking about it. Where do these people come from? Please don't say my mind 'cause I can assure you he wasn't there when I set out!

I haven't even been calling this young man my character. I refer to, My character and her boyfriend (actually he's her fiance now.)

 

[Lessien]

I'm sure that this has all happened-to some extent- to many if not most of you, and it's not the first time it's happened to me, but that doesn't make it any less strange. One of my protagonists (a girl named Tariel) has decided to spontaneously generate a love intrest. From what I've seen he's a nice enough guy....but it kinda freaked me out the first time he appeared, running up to poor Tari and saying, "I have no time for anything but honesty--I love you." The guy then spends the next three quarters of a page declaring his undying love. It was quite the experience, to be sure. So let's share: what have your experiences been with characters popping out of nowhere and forcing themselves into your plot? Do you think this is a wise way to write? Any and all thoughts--let's here them.

I haven't had many experiences with characters popping out of nowhere, but I think it's a great way to write, provided you go back and tie up the loose ends. I'm currently writing a fanfic and when I started out, I honestly had no idea where I was going. Can't really say how it's going so far...since I'm only on Ch. 7, but....yeah.

If it works for you, go ahead! I personally don't like plotting out stories.

 

[Tariel]

I haven't had many experiences with characters popping out of nowhere, but I think it's a great way to write, provided you go back and tie up the loose ends. I'm currently writing a fanfic and when I started out, I honestly had no idea where I was going. Can't really say how it's going so far...since I'm only on Ch. 7, but....yeah.

If it works for you, go ahead! I personally don't like plotting out stories.

I hate plotting them too no fun....so surprise

 

[Lessien]

I hate plotting them too no fun....so surprise

With my current project, I started with the basic premise, developed it a bit, and plotted out a few key events (that will most likely change), but other than that, I just write.

 

[Tariel]

With my current project, I started with the basic premise, developed it a bit, and plotted out a few key events (that will most likely change), but other than that, I just write.

that's my favorite way to do it I like to let the characters be themselves instead of forcing them into an outline--let them make decisions I really rather they wouldn't. It honestly makes for a better story, I think. It's less manufactured.

 

[Lessien]

that's my favorite way to do it I like to let the characters be themselves instead of forcing them into an outline--let them make decisions I really rather they wouldn't. It honestly makes for a better story, I think. It's less manufactured.

I like it better when I let my characters be themselves, and they just can't do that when I plot out the entire story. I tried it once, and I'll never make that mistake again. Paolini tried it, too, but with all the fawning praise he's getting, it looks like he'll be making that mistake a LOT more.

 

[FriarErasmus]

My entire story is like this... Every character has "popped" out at me, none were "planned" not even the main character (though he often reminds me a bit of myself, and a bit of my brother).

I think that when we write, we are in a way being more like Christ (John 1:3 "Through him [Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."). Christ was a creator, and we are creating entire worlds and peoples in them.

Sometimes I think my characters have a will of their own, and I begin to understand God a little more, as I write their story and say "Hey! Don't do that! It will only end in tears" and yet, true to their character, they go ahead and do it anyways, and I being the storyteller must faithfully share their actions. It is a very different way to write, and I don't know that everyone can understand how it works for those of us who feel that we tell the story, rather than create/write the story.

Am I crazy to feel this way, or do others feel that their characters live their lives in our stories, and that they are not 100% within our control? (ie we may try to write them as we wish, but then the story sounds false)

 

[NeoScribe]

I tried to mold my characters to my will to fit with what I felt would be best for the story. Much to my suprise the characters couldn't care less about the story, everything for them was me, me, me! They went their own ways and didn't give a second glance at what I had imagined for them and the world has been a less pleasent place - though way more interesting. Who'da thought that making one of the Three Stooges (my slang for that trio of Swordsman human, Archer elf, and Axeman Dwarf who accompany the Hero that plague fantasy stories) and Wizard Stooge into girls would have such a dramatic effect on their moods?

 

[MrStaggerLee]

When this happens, I just run with it, and it usually leads me to where I want to be. I often find that the new character works as a bridge between plot elements I didn't know how to connect.

For instance, I recently set out to write what was supposed to be just a paragraph or two of my character trying to find working passage on a riverboat, and finding out that the boat owners only hire from the local guild, so he'll have to pay full price. But the owner he talked to turned out to be a smuggler he knew from his criminal days, and roped him into delivering a message to the mob boss I'd decided would be the sub-villain of the plot. I didn't want my protagonist to encounter the org-crime subplot this soon, but the smuggler refuses to be shouldered aside, so I have to run with it.

So I went to revise my outline, and it suddenly occurred to me that having my protagonist walk into the mob boss's headquarters gives me a chance to let him glimpse the man's son, whom I need him to recognize later when the mob starts harrassing him over another issue. I'd been stumped on how to make this happen, and was tempted to resort to the old 'lowlife tavern in the thieves' quarter' cliche. The smuggler guy fixed my problem for me.

So I'd say, when a character pops up unexpectedly, give some thought to what they're there for, because chances are there's a good reason.

 

[Doubtless]

That doesn't much happen to me. I go in-between with plotting and randomosity. I plot the basic outline from start to finish, and then things just kind of...happen! My character, of course, almost never does exactly what I want him to do, but I don't really find a lot of unexpected people popping in.

I've actually plotted out my books from start to finish. There are six books to my series (I originally was going to do a trilogy, but it's too cliche now, and I found a plot that requires six books, or else there will be two climaxes to each book). The first two, I estimate (yes, I'm very organized when it comes to writing, I have a schedule of finishing dates, publication dates, pages done, pages left, etc. but I'm very inorganized when it comes to real life) are going to be about 400 pages (there's more content in them than CP's Eragon's 500 pages), and from there it goes uphill. The last book I'm going to have to do in two volumes because it will be so big (over 1000 pages, and keep in mind, I'm using smaller than average text!).

As I write, I constantly find myself thinking ahead (that's how it all comes randomnly is by writing and thinking ahead), and thinking up plot twists, throwing in characters, etc. However, I'm a bit more firm with my characters (lol), and will not allow them to come in when they aren't supposed to. Whether that's good or bad, I don't pretend to know, it's just the way I do it.

...............

~ Eric M. Boellner

 

[Tariel]

That doesn't much happen to me. I go in-between with plotting and randomosity. I plot the basic outline from start to finish, and then things just kind of...happen! My character, of course, almost never does exactly what I want him to do, but I don't really find a lot of unexpected people popping in.

I've actually plotted out my books from start to finish. There are six books to my series (I originally was going to do a trilogy, but it's too cliche now, and I found a plot that requires six books, or else there will be two climaxes to each book). The first two, I estimate (yes, I'm very organized when it comes to writing, I have a schedule of finishing dates, publication dates, pages done, pages left, etc. but I'm very inorganized when it comes to real life) are going to be about 400 pages (there's more content in them than CP's Eragon's 500 pages), and from there it goes uphill. The last book I'm going to have to do in two volumes because it will be so big (over 1000 pages, and keep in mind, I'm using smaller than average text!).

As I write, I constantly find myself thinking ahead (that's how it all comes randomnly is by writing and thinking ahead), and thinking up plot twists, throwing in characters, etc. However, I'm a bit more firm with my characters (lol), and will not allow them to come in when they aren't supposed to. Whether that's good or bad, I don't pretend to know, it's just the way I do it.

...............

~ Eric M. Boellner

You sound like my friend. She's like an 18 book series all planned out....though she actually leaves the details of the books up to the characters. very interesting things happen to her characters unless she keeps a close eye on them. I honestly despise plotting out books ahead of time, and have never seen a case where it has worked well. So I mean.....if it works for you....go for it I guess.....but be VERY VERY VERY careful.

 

[Doubtless]

It's not quite the series like that, though. It's more like The Wheel of Time (not in plot or characters, but in size and epic...ness?). I don't mean a mini-series, like Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice books or anything. I mean six full-length novels.

Thanks for the advice, btw. I'm trying to let my characters be a bit more random, and less stick-to-story type.

 

[CelticRose]

Learn to go with the flow at least some of the time. Then you won't find it so hard when the unexpected happens & it is obviously much more interesting/exciting/original than what you had planned.

 

[Doubtless]

I do write randomnly a bit, just the basics are really plotted out. The rest is just mostly thought out, and left to be written howe'er I will it.

 

[Lessien]

So far, I've written the very beginning and one major plot twist in my novel, and I'm just letting the characters carry the rest of the story.