I can remember hearing the phrase “you’re not the boss of
me” often when I was growing up – usually uttered by my cousins while I was
babysitting. Years later, married with children of my own, our younger son
could often be heard arguing with his older brother and literally yelling that
same, time-worn phrase. Even my beautiful granddaughters have been guilty of
denying their older brother’s place as “the boss of them”.
So here I sit, diligently crafting my current work in
progress, relishing the peace and quiet of solitude when, all of a sudden, my
heroine screams, “You’re not the boss of me. I’m not going to do that! I want
to do this and so does my hero!”
Why won’t these crazy voices in my head just stay where I
put them? Why must they demand to do something totally at odds with what I’ve
plotted out?
Unfortunately, as writers, we’re often slaves to the whims
of our characters, in much the same way readers want them to take a specfic path in their journey. I want a quiet interlude; they demand hot and steamy! I want
them to be polite; they choose to be vocal about what’s bothering them. It’s
truly a struggle of wills.
How do we get our characters to behave? That all depends
on how disciplined you want your book to be. Do you want it to stick to the
outline without deviation? If so, you need to crack down on your heroine’s
penchant for speaking her mind. Do you want to be adventurous? Then, loosen the
lead and let your characters have their way occasionally. Yet, how much is too
much leeway? It’s a fine line between the story you envisioned and the one that
seems to be sliding onto that blank computer screen.
A good rule of thumb: if the change is going to affect the
plot so drastically that your ending, or possibly even your next chapter, will
have to be thrown out you might want to re-think the hero or heroine’s motives
for hijacking your story.
I remember critiquing a synopsis for a friend years ago. The
story was tight, and she’d even created a chapter outline to keep her focused
on her story. A few months later, she asked if I’d line edit the manuscript.
How could I refuse? I’d been intrigued by her synopsis.
The story she sent me had little to do with what she’d put
in the synopsis. Yet, the finished product was a joy to read and required very
little editing. After I was done, I called her and asked, “What happened to the
scene where your hero has to break up with his long-standing girlfriend? Where
was the scene with the heroine’s dying mother?”
The author’s response: “I tried to go there, but my
character’s kept putting their foot on the brakes.”
Sometimes a hijacked story can become the book of your
heart. Other times, it becomes a dust bunny on your hard drive with nowhere to
go but the trash bin. You, the author, have to be the babysitter, the over-tired
mother, or the doting grandmother and rein your book-children in. Without your
gentle and loving guidance, who knows where the heck they’ll end up!
One can only hope they’ll land on their feet or, even
better, at the top of the NYT Bestseller list!
Speaking of being "hijacked" by a muse ... probably the most hijacked I've ever been is by heroine in my recent release, D*mn Near Perfect. I was trying to set her up with a banker and an old flame -- both her own age. But, my feisty cougar insisted on an artist cub! And, I couldn't have been happier with the result.
Beth Andrews has given up on ever finding a
happily-ever-after. Still smarting from a bitter divorce, she’s decided the
only thing she truly needs is sex.
Unfortunately, wanting sex and actually
finding it are two very different things.
Jonathan Tucker is perfectly satisfied with
his bachelor lifestyle. He has a wonderful career, a kick-ass new condo, and
any woman he wants. As often as he wants. At twenty-seven, he’s convinced he’s
living life exactly as it should be.
Will the older, albeit sexy, ad executive
and the handsome, talented artist both find there’s more to life than what they
have now? Or, will they be satisfied with what the both claim to want—d*mn near
perfect sex!
Warning: This book contains language and
sexual situations some readers may find HAWT!
Follow, Like & Visit Nancy Online
Until I'm back later this month to celebrate another Book Birthday ... stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe, and stay well read.
Nancy
We may as well sit back and realize that yes, they ARE the boss of us. Lol. Life is so much more peaceful that way, right? A great post, Nancy.
ReplyDeleteThe only people who ever get to boss me around are my characters. I can't tell you how many times I yelled that same phrase to just about everyone when I was growing up. My teachers, my parents, my friends and siblings...I didn't take well to orders. But the characters in my stories sure have minds and attitudes of their own. I love that your heroine told you what to do! Her story sounds interesting and quite hot!
ReplyDeleteMy characters are constantly sending me in different directions in my books and even showing me things I never knew about them. But usually it's kind of exciting.
ReplyDeleteMy characters run the show, for sure. I'm generally a pantser, a writer who gets an idea or character and then learns about them as I write. They are definitely the boss of me. great post!
ReplyDeleteI love your picture "I was going to do that..." In real life, not writing, I often have that reaction, or its partner, "I wasn't going to do that until you told me not to." (That's how I ended up with certain tattoos.) I can't say that my characters have ever tried to take over but I envy those who do. It seems like it would make things easier.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! As a fly-by-the-seat-of-pants writer, my characters always take the lead and generally they do not disappoint! I finished a scene this morning -- had no clue where it was going until I wrote the first word, then the heroine took off like a storm and the hero fell in lockstep with her. And so it goes!
ReplyDeleteyes, my characters are always revealing sides of themselves that are surprising. But so far, so much the better.
ReplyDeleteWhen the characters find there voice, I imagine that going with them is often the best option.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I LOVE IT when my characters go rogue! Then the fun begins. Great post, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteI don't think non-writers really understand how "characters going rogue" happens, but it's true. I've tried to force a character into being the person I thought the story was about, but it never works until I let go of the reins. *lol*
ReplyDelete