11.21.2013

Sometimes, I wish I controlled my characters.

I'm participating in NaNoWriMo once again. I love the community of writers that get together and how supportive it is.
However...

I'm behind. 

Like... REALLY behind. 

Like 26,625 words behind.

I do have a good reason. Well, a decent reason. Okay, it's just a reason. 

Every day I sit down to write. I take a deep breath, put my fingers on the keys and begin typing. As I write, I notice that all my character does at the moment is whine. Seriously, all she does is cry and whine and complain about how hard her life is. 


I try and put her in situations where she has to interact with people-- she goes in a corner and sulks.
I introduce her to a new character-- she just imagines their life is better than hers and she sulks.
I leave her at home to wallow-- and she sulks
I've even tried writing from different parts of the story-- as still she sulks. 

she sulks like this....

It has gotten to the point that I am not enjoying this character. I was never raised to be a girl who whines about her life, I don't like characters like that. I like female characters who can hold their own and stand up to bullies. I like female characters that can take as good as they can give. That can be damsels but also heroines. 

It's not that I'm blocked, I know what I want to happen. I know how I want to get there and roughly the steps to take. But my character is just not cooperating at all.

I mentioned this dilemma to a few of my friends at work and both responded with "You know you control the story right...?"

You would think that is the case. Logic tells you that a writer controls the characters, not the other way around. 
In my situation, you'd be wrong.

I don't know what I'm going to do. I want to win this year, but I don't think I can do it with this story, and the idea that I can write a whole NaNo in a week is, frankly, out of the question. 




2 comments:

  1. Write it backwards. Maybe if you start with the happy stuff she won't whine so much?

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  2. Oh man I know what you mean! My characters are totally the ones who are in control, and if they don't like what's happening, they pitch fits and refuse to cooperate.

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