Comments on: Channeling Characters http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/ about the craft and business of fiction Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marc Vun Kannon http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-115018 Marc Vun Kannon Mon, 25 May 2009 10:32:59 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-115018 Yes, indeed. The whole process of writing, for me, is to take these characters, who start out their lives as names and very little else, and try to 'figure out' what they'll do, how they'll respond to the other events of the story. Many of my characters pop up literally at the drop of a hat. In my last novel, St. Martin's Moon, the Communications Officer, who becomes a love interest and a crucial component of the resolution of the major plot of the story, didn't exist until the hero turned around and saw her. It makes for a better story, but sometimes it comes out indescribable. I gave up trying to write a query letter for SMM, because I couldn't synopsize the damn thing. The whole book was characters pursuing their own goals, which all worked to bring about a result that none of them could have foreseen but that all of them wanted, without any one single plot being the dominant thread of the book. Yes, indeed.
The whole process of writing, for me, is to take these characters, who start out their lives as names and very little else, and try to ‘figure out’ what they’ll do, how they’ll respond to the other events of the story.

Many of my characters pop up literally at the drop of a hat. In my last novel, St. Martin’s Moon, the Communications Officer, who becomes a love interest and a crucial component of the resolution of the major plot of the story, didn’t exist until the hero turned around and saw her. It makes for a better story, but sometimes it comes out indescribable. I gave up trying to write a query letter for SMM, because I couldn’t synopsize the damn thing. The whole book was characters pursuing their own goals, which all worked to bring about a result that none of them could have foreseen but that all of them wanted, without any one single plot being the dominant thread of the book.

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]]> By: Satima Flavell http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114647 Satima Flavell Fri, 22 May 2009 07:02:37 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114647 It's great as long as the characters don't invite all their friends and relations to be in the book, too. One book of mine, that will remain forever in the computer, wound up with over a hundred characters, seventeen of whom insisted they were entitled to POV. What a schmozzle - I've learnt to be more circumspect now. If a character suddenly turns up with a friend in tow, I say firmly, "No way! Tell your friend to stand by and if I need him I'll call his agent.":-) It’s great as long as the characters don’t invite all their friends and relations to be in the book, too. One book of mine, that will remain forever in the computer, wound up with over a hundred characters, seventeen of whom insisted they were entitled to POV. What a schmozzle – I’ve learnt to be more circumspect now. If a character suddenly turns up with a friend in tow, I say firmly, “No way! Tell your friend to stand by and if I need him I’ll call his agent.”:-)

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]]> By: Dennis http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114618 Dennis Thu, 21 May 2009 23:56:30 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114618 I'm in total agrement. There is nothing more thrilling than to have a charcater pop up without an invitation and inevitably that character becomes the most interesting. I’m in total agrement. There is nothing more thrilling than to have a charcater pop up without an invitation and inevitably that character becomes the most interesting.

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]]> By: Rachael http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114604 Rachael Thu, 21 May 2009 19:47:56 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114604 Sometimes I feel like I'm not actually writing I'm just telling someone else's story. It's great when your characters just seem to take you off in a totally different direction, even if it's different from the one you wanted to go in. Sometimes I feel like I’m not actually writing I’m just telling someone else’s story. It’s great when your characters just seem to take you off in a totally different direction, even if it’s different from the one you wanted to go in.

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]]> By: Stace http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114588 Stace Thu, 21 May 2009 15:57:45 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114588 Those character building worksheets never tell me what I need to know about a character. I find I learn much more about them when I see them in action. Those character building worksheets never tell me what I need to know about a character. I find I learn much more about them when I see them in action.

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]]> By: Donna http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114587 Donna Thu, 21 May 2009 15:53:02 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114587 This is a great description of the process. I don't know what I *need* from a character until I see him/her in action, and if I try to script them too much, they balk. Characters are like people in real life: they reveal what they want you to see, and what they want you to know about them, and on their own schedule. Trying to figure out too much ahead of time leads to frustration, esp. when they take a detour and act -- God forbid! -- "out of character". Thanks -- great article. This is a great description of the process. I don’t know what I *need* from a character until I see him/her in action, and if I try to script them too much, they balk.

Characters are like people in real life: they reveal what they want you to see, and what they want you to know about them, and on their own schedule. Trying to figure out too much ahead of time leads to frustration, esp. when they take a detour and act — God forbid! — “out of character”.

Thanks — great article.

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]]> By: D. Robert Pease http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114586 D. Robert Pease Thu, 21 May 2009 15:48:08 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114586 I struggled for years with writing because all the books said you must plan everything out in advance. Then I read a biography of Tolkien and discovered he was a "Pantser". When he wrote the Lord of the Rings he had a general idea that he wanted Bilbo's ring to play a central role, and he wanted it to be a quest story. But that was about it. One particular thing I remember was when Frodo met Strider for the first time, Tolkien had no idea who Strider was. He just needed someone to guide the hobbits because Gandalf had disappeared for reasons that again Tolkien didn't know. What an amazing revelation this was to me. Sure in the end it probably requires more revision, but to me it is well worth it. There is nothing better than to discover along the way who people are, and what they mean to the story. I struggled for years with writing because all the books said you must plan everything out in advance. Then I read a biography of Tolkien and discovered he was a “Pantser”. When he wrote the Lord of the Rings he had a general idea that he wanted Bilbo’s ring to play a central role, and he wanted it to be a quest story. But that was about it. One particular thing I remember was when Frodo met Strider for the first time, Tolkien had no idea who Strider was. He just needed someone to guide the hobbits because Gandalf had disappeared for reasons that again Tolkien didn’t know.

What an amazing revelation this was to me. Sure in the end it probably requires more revision, but to me it is well worth it. There is nothing better than to discover along the way who people are, and what they mean to the story.

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]]> By: Keith http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114550 Keith Thu, 21 May 2009 13:25:45 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114550 Nice post. I can't tell you how many times I've resisted putting pants to chair because I'd been told that I needed to know everything about my characters *before* writing the story. For me, that is the perfect way to kill creativity. Nice post. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve resisted putting pants to chair because I’d been told that I needed to know everything about my characters *before* writing the story.

For me, that is the perfect way to kill creativity.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114542 Therese Walsh Thu, 21 May 2009 12:18:06 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114542 Ray, you've done a great job here of explaining the process for people who might not already be writing this way. Thanks for the post! Ray, you’ve done a great job here of explaining the process for people who might not already be writing this way. Thanks for the post!

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114532 Kathleen Bolton Thu, 21 May 2009 10:10:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/21/channeling-characters/#comment-114532 "For some writers, at least this one, channeling allows a character’s characteristics to surface in the context of a scene." YES! exactly. This is why I like to keep it loose, because you never know what they want to do until you get them there. Glad to know I'm not the only one who does this, Ray! “For some writers, at least this one, channeling allows a character’s characteristics to surface in the context of a scene.”

YES! exactly. This is why I like to keep it loose, because you never know what they want to do until you get them there. Glad to know I’m not the only one who does this, Ray!

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