How do you deal with your characters surprising you?

Blue Tortoise

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This is one of the things I googled many times before joining, but I doubt anything will beat straight responses! My main character has essentially been adopted by two siblings, one guy and one gal. One of the main sub plots I'm trying to craft is just how strong these friendships are, especially with the sister. But at some point in this process, the thought that two people who love each other so much might actually love each other keeps popping up in my head. It would completely shred future plans and really not fit what I'm going for, but nonetheless the kernel of an idea exists and I am struggling with what to do with it. Ignore it? Kill it with fire? Explore the idea but have the characters pull back? So I'm curious, when things like this happen to you, how do you deal it?
 

The Urban Spaceman

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This is one of the things I googled many times before joining, but I doubt anything will beat straight responses! My main character has essentially been adopted by two siblings, one guy and one gal. One of the main sub plots I'm trying to craft is just how strong these friendships are, especially with the sister. But at some point in this process, the thought that two people who love each other so much might actually love each other keeps popping up in my head. It would completely shred future plans and really not fit what I'm going for, but nonetheless the kernel of an idea exists and I am struggling with what to do with it. Ignore it? Kill it with fire? Explore the idea but have the characters pull back? So I'm curious, when things like this happen to you, how do you deal it?

Depends on how hard the idea hits me. Sometimes I can shrug it off as, 'meh, something interesting to think about for future' but other times I NEED to do what my characters are suggesting to me.

I go with my gut.
 

indianroads

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In Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions', the author (who shows up unexpectedly in his own book) describes how he doesn't have much control over his own characters. What he said was something along the lines of: I don't control my characters via steel rods, it's more along the lines of old worn out rubber bands.
 

Kjbartolotta

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One of writings greatest pleasures. I tend to let them do what they want, even if it jacks up my outline. I get more sadistic when this happens, tho.
 

Blue Tortoise

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I've never experienced this but find the discussions surrounding it, quite interesting.

Same here, always read about this happening and thought it was a funny concept until it happened to me! Minor elements or situations have taken on a life of their own, and I usually can't find a reason to not embrace it. This time, this would shred all the planning for the entire back half of my series project.
 

Enlightened

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I think of what is tolerable to the potential readerbase I shoot for. If it is something taboo, I would not use it. If I want to hinder my potential readerbase, and I thought the story supported something not planned, I may pursue it. If I lose interest in sales, acquiring an agent/publisher, other, I'd have to live with the consequences. I am not that open to risk, so I would keep a tight leash.
 

Richard White

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I know other people have argued this point with me, but I've always stated, you know your characters well when they start arguing with you about the plot.

Author: "OK, in this scene I'm going to do X and Y"
Character A: "Nope, I'm going over here."
Author: "I'm in charge, you're going to do X."
Character A: "No I wouldn't. I would do this and then this instead."
Author: "But my plot (outline, etc.)!"
Character A: I can't help it your plot stinks. I'm going over here."
Author: *sigh* Follows character A to see what the heck he's talking about ... three plot bunnies later, we're more or less back on track
 

DeleyanLee

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How comfortable are you with this kind of exploration? Will it completely kill the Story you're inspired to write if you follow it? Honestly, just answer to yourself.

If it doesn't completely kill your motivation to write this Story, then explore. What's the worse that happens? You have to delete some stuff and write new words. What's the best that happens? You uncover new layers to your characters, theme, Story that you hadn't cognated yet--which is a giant win.

If it does completely kill your motivation to write this Story, then look at what you've already developed and see where this idea's springing from. Hunt it down. It could be all of three words lost in a paragraph or it could be an entire character's background/personality. When you find it, change it. If it's killing your desire to write THIS Story, then it doesn't belong in this work. Save it for another time. Then keep going.

Good luck.
 

sideshowdarb

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Like in most of my relationships, I retreat.

I'm currently dealing with a character who refuses to do anything I want or expect, and has pulled an entire trilogy now toward her. I've withdrawn twice to try and figure it out. I work on things, shorts, in the interval and think about the story. I'm a pantser. Writing for me is like walking into a dark room with a flashlight. Some people can see in the dark. I can't. It's there, I know it's there, but I don't see it until I see it.
 

Curlz

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Well, if those characters have ideas that "really not fit what I'm going for", then I make them stand in the corner until they apologise :evil.
 

Twick

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I actually kind of hate when "we're best friends and there for each other through thick and thin!" turns into "Hey, let's $&%." There are so many romances, and so few paeans to the joys of true friendship.

But you do you. If that's what you want to write, just make the best job of it you can.
 

lizmonster

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Depending on the situation (and the character), I:

1. Change the plot
2. Change the worldbuilding
3. Give them a POV and tell them to behave

I've had to trash whole storylines because my characters got recalcitrant. Who invented these jerks?
 

Murffy

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I'm not sure what I'd do if my characters started acting up. I'd be tempted to create a deep place of eternal torment and cast them into it.
 

The Urban Spaceman

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If it is something taboo, I would not use it.

Interesting. I see writing as more of a platform for social commentary, and a chance to ask readers to question why certain things might be verboten. Even if I wasn't a massive Trek fan due to my SFF geekery, Star Trek would be something I put up on a pedestal for daring to film television's first 'interracial' kiss. Brokeback Mountain would probably be on the next pedestal over. I have an enormous amount of respect for writers (or actors/producers/musicians/whatever) who dare to question the status quo.

On the other hand...

If I want to hinder my potential readerbase, and I thought the story supported something not planned, I may pursue it. If I lose interest in sales, acquiring an agent/publisher, other, I'd have to live with the consequences. I am not that open to risk, so I would keep a tight leash.

Even if writing was my sole income, I'm not sure I could work like that. Being afraid to take risks for fear of offending, always holding back, worrying about what others might think of my opinion... I don't think I could cope with forcing restrictions on my own creative freedom.

Fortunately, I'm not in the position where writing is my sole income, so I don't have to test that particular conviction. :tongue
 

blackcat777

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OP, do you plot or pants?

The most important question is: how does this "character surprise" connect to your plot and themes? If it makes the story stronger, do it.
 

Clovitide

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I never understood this too much, how a character can surprise you. I understand somehow working out a cool idea, a new subplot, a solution, but that's me surprising myself, not my character's taking reign and pointing me in certain directions.

In your case, though, I'd consider what you want from the novel and if changing it fits with your vision. If you are okay changing up the path of your novel. Also, might be helpful to split it up to, keep the original document, as you work out this new idea in another document. So if it doesn't pan out you can always return to before you made the decision. I've done that before, and usually the decision pans out for the better.
 

Dave.C.Robinson

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I never understood this too much, how a character can surprise you. I understand somehow working out a cool idea, a new subplot, a solution, but that's me surprising myself, not my character's taking reign and pointing me in certain directions.

In your case, though, I'd consider what you want from the novel and if changing it fits with your vision. If you are okay changing up the path of your novel. Also, might be helpful to split it up to, keep the original document, as you work out this new idea in another document. So if it doesn't pan out you can always return to before you made the decision. I've done that before, and usually the decision pans out for the better.

It's always me; my characters don't actually have a life off the page. However, I find that describing it as the character surprising me does a better job of conveying my experience. What happens with me is that I lay out a rough outline before I start writing, maybe a hundred words for a novel. I then block out scenes going forward as I write. That works just great until I reach the point where the character I've developed through writing to this point has become someone who flat out wouldn't do what I'd planned for them in my rough outline. A lot of my character development is subconscious; I'll put in details in the early part of a story without understanding why, only for them to make sense when I come up with something weeks or even months later.

Once I have developed characters to a certain point the idea of "what would this person do in this situation," tends to outweigh what I as a writer may have previously planned.
 

The Black Prince

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I never understood this too much, how a character can surprise you. I understand somehow working out a cool idea, a new subplot, a solution, but that's me surprising myself, not my character's taking reign and pointing me in certain directions.

I'd guess that's mainly because it hasn't happened to you yet. You know that feeling at a séance when a really strong independent force feels like it's moving the glass? That's a bit how it feels when you've written characters into a particular place and they find a different way out to the one you had planned. It's actually a really inspiring feeling - to me it means the characters are so strong they are literally vying with their own creator for control.
 

Tazlima

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It's happened to me. I had a character lined up to be the protagonist's best friend. Then they had a falling out and the former friend ended up hating him and became the antoganist. I was like, well... I'd better get him a new friend.

Obviously I know I'm in ultimate control of the story, but it's like planting a garden. You have this mental image of a a garden like the ones in magazines anf you plant the seeds all spaced out perfectly, but as they grow, one plant may be puny, another extra robust, and a third keeps growing at weird angles no matter how carefully you prune.

Character development is an organic process. You can guide it, and if something just won't fit, you can always pull it up completely or transplant it somewhere else, but you can't predict every leaf and shoot.
 

BethS

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It would completely shred future plans and really not fit what I'm going for, but nonetheless the kernel of an idea exists and I am struggling with what to do with it. Ignore it? Kill it with fire? Explore the idea but have the characters pull back? So I'm curious, when things like this happen to you, how do you deal it?

My litmus test for situations like this involves the following:

--The idea won't leave me alone
--The idea has potential that excites me as a writer
--The idea, if implemented, could/will have consequences that will deepen the story and be worth exploring

If the idea looks as if it would change the story in a way I don't like or take it in a direction I don't want to go, then I kill it. And that's not usually hard once I realize it's not a good idea. All that glisters is not gold, and all that.
 
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Carrie in PA

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I love it when that happens, and 9 times out of 10, I'll roll with it and see where it goes. Many times, I don't have to do the actual writing to see if it'll work - I'll go for a walk and sort of "zone" into my story and daydream my way through it. I can usually see my character's point and we go from there.

That said, I'm not much of an outliner, so I imagine it would be more frustrating to be trying to keep them on Path 1 and they're veering off toward Highway 6.