And so, here's my resurrected post:
The Characters of Characters (and how they influence their world)
It is actually through my work in theatre where I learned the true importance of character. A theatre practitioner, called Konstantin Stanislavski (1863 - 1938), taught a style of acting known as 'method acting'. Part of this was to know your character inside out. Stanislavski taught that, in order to portray your character truthfully, you must know them as well as you know yourself. Therefore, even if it had no importance in the play, you should know everything - where they grew up, how they voted in the last election, the name of their first love, what they had for breakfast that morning. Everything.
And it is important to remember that people are not 2-dimensional. They have the capability to be anything. People are kind as well as cruel, giving as well as selfish, honest and deceitful, modest and arrogant. A protagonist can be violent, an antagonist can be merciful.
When writing, I always let my characters lead the way. I create the characters through the narrative, pushing them this way and that, leading them through the plot. But as they become more rounded, fuller - more human if you like - they take over; it is their characters that drive the plot, not the plot that drives the characters.
It is then that the real fun begins. When I throw situations and conflicts at my characters, I have no idea how they are going to react, what they will do, how things will resolve. But in our own lives, do we really know how we will react in any given situation? Not usually. Not until we're stood in the middle of it. So why should our characters be any different?
Characters are not only capable of manipulating plot, but they are capable of re-writing it entirely. I have had characters change the entire genre of a piece, fall in love unexpectedly, prove themselves braver than I had anticipated, or more vicious. They have done things I hadn't even imagined, and they have taken me along for the ride every time. That's why I write. And that's why I love doing it.
This is an interesting one, even though it's not the approach I use, because I feel it leads to characters who aren't necessarily connected enough to one another.
ReplyDeleteIt's true you have to know your characters really well when writing a novel, but isn't it fun when they surprise you and do something you didn't see coming? Love it when that happens. :)
ReplyDeleteYep, the ride is the best part!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for joining the Blogfest!
Having characters change things can be exciting, frustrating scary and exhilarating all at the same time. I love it when a character keeps secrets from me, only for them to come out later. Thanks for the share.
ReplyDeleteI'm a outliner, so my characters rarely surprise me by taking over the plot or story, but they do tend to take over a scene or two.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic, and a wonderful selection for re-posting. Thank you for helping to make our blogfest so special! :)
I think I'm similar with my writing. I throw things at my characters, but I let them lead the way. It's awesome when they speak to you, when they reveal bits of themselves that you weren't aware of when you first conceived them. :)
ReplyDeleteWell said, Angeline! I enjoyed your repost!
ReplyDeleteI try not to let my characters take over entirely, but have you ever tried "interviewing" yours? I have, and they usually reveal surprising things about themselves that I never knew.
ReplyDeleteNice re-post! I don't usually think of things this way, perhaps because I'm so darn controlling, and my plans for my characters are really no exception. But I know it works like this for a lot of writers! Nice to meet you through this blogfest, Angeline!
ReplyDeleteWhat's really freaky is when you start to think about your characters as real people... I'm definitely guilty of that!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I like it when my characters start to take over and do things and make choices seemingly on their own. All I do is write it down.
ReplyDeleteOh. Boy. I agree with Colin's comment above. When I forget for a moment that my characters are not real ... it freaks me a little, but then I laugh ... because I love these characters SO MUCH.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
You're right that characters can surprise us. But if we know them well, we can handle it.
ReplyDeleteI love that, don't you? It brings the characters to life when they make their own choices. Sometimes they can be so stubborn I just can't get to a plot point. That's where the headache of revisions come in.
ReplyDeleteHi, Angeline! Checkin' in from the déjá vu blogfest. :) Characters are my favorite; I can deal with reading a so-so plot as long as the story includes dynamic characters. But I can't get through a book with lousy characters. Of course I strive to write both an amazing plot and characters, but I pay particular attention to my characters! Great repost. :) Hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteGreat post; we must love our characters -- even the ones we torture or kill off.
ReplyDeleteWrite1Sub1 RELOADED
Glad you reposted. I feel the same way about writing characters. Plot is important, but without character who cares?
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