Last week a character walked into my brain. She's quirky, impractical, and kind of loud. She's informed me she's not going anywhere until I write her book. The trouble with this? NO PLOT.
You need to understand, I'm a plot gal. The story ideas I get are usually in the form of plots. I focus very much on plot when I'm drafting and outlining (and I outline pretty heavily.) And moments when I'm feeling down about my writing, I console myself with the idea that I can create a decent plot.
So where's this character coming from? And what's with the lack of plot? To tell the truth, I'm kind of nervous about this.
That said, I'm in an adventurous mood.
I remember going to a poetry reading in college, where the brilliant Leslie Norris said we need to create the character first, and then let that character tell us the story. So I'm going to put Mr. Norris' words to the test. I'm going to get to know this girl in my head, and then I'm going to set her loose in a Word document.
Wish me luck.
15 comments:
Oh Dear God! It sounds like my third daughter has invaded your mind.
Sorry.
Thought I had a better leash on her....oh well....
There will be stories...yes, there will be stories.
have fun!
Shelley
Does she have a name? I've never had character invade first. Good luck with that. If she gets too loud maybe you can drown her out with Dr. Pepper.
Have fun! Welcome to my side:) Character first party! hehe. Sometimes it takes time to find that plot, but it'll come! The more you investigate that character, the more ideas you'll get.
DUDE I have the same problem! This character, all dressed up and nowhere to go...it's MADDENING. But exciting all the same, because anything can happen! Good luck, woman :)
Cool! I hope you have fun with this character, she sounds entertaining.
Let us know how it goes. (I'm very interested in plotting vs. not plotting right now.)
Good luck!
I came from Natalie's blog, so hi! :) Also, it's a very nice blog you have here, and your mermaid book sounds fantastic.
Anyway, I get books both ways, with characters first and with plot first. I never know how a book's going to come to me anymore lol. But it's always good to try new things!
Ooo, good luck! I don't know if I could pull that off. :)
Shelly-Ha! I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in store for me. :)
Jessie-No name yet. And I've never had a character come first either. It's weird.
I may yet need that Dr. Pepper. . .
Natalie-I can see that already. Because the more you know a character, the more you know what they want. Plot potential right there.
Sara-haha, we can commiserate together. :)Good luck to you too!
Miriam-I'll definitely let you know. I'm quite interested to see myself.
Amanda-Thanks! And yes, trying new things is what I think I really need right now. :)
Michelle-heh, thanks. I'm not sure I can either.
Sounds like y'all are gonna have a lot of fun together. ;)
Is it spec fic? Or realistic? Can you get away with just writing/journaling in her pov for a while until a plot presents itself?
If it is spec fic, I say do a complete character profile on her including her hometown/background (or whatever, maybe she moved a lot). That might help you figure out a plot.
I had a character who was mouthy like that once. She made me give her a supernatural power because she was bored with the way I was plotting the story.
I can't wait to meet this girl in your head. :)
Oh Miss Renee. If only I was a plot girl. That sounds lovely, then maybe I could finish a novel rather than just laugh it up with a character for two years. But I suppose the grass is always greener.
By the way, if you're not following this blog, you might be interested. And if you enter the contest, make sure you tell them I sent you!
Good luck! I love it when that happens!
Tere- :) I think my character will let me keep her contemporary. For now. Who knows what I'll discover though . . .
Leisha-Thanks! :)
Charlotte! Great to see you here on my humble blog. :) You know, plot is a comfortable thing in many ways. With an outline in hand, you always know where you're going next. Trouble is, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to write that scene.
oh, btw, thanks for the link! I'll definitely check it out. :)
Jill-Thanks! It's definitely a fun, new experience.
How fun. I love it when characters take over. :) You can do it.
It's like gaining a new best friend that slowly morphs into your worst enemy as the book progresses.
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