Tag: interview

The Evolving Storyline

What do you do when you set out to write a story and suddenly it is no longer the story you set out to write?

The evolving story, as I like to call it, happens to me quite frequently. When I wrote my story “The 50 Deaths of Annabelle Joy” there was clearly my heroine plagued by the affections of the villainous Grim Reaper. I knew she would hate him the entire time, be repulsed by his affection for her, and fight to get away from him every day of her life. My original plan had Annabelle growing up, marrying, and giving birth to a daughter. As Annabelle’s daughter grew up, Death would begin to shift his interest from Annabelle to her daughter. When Annabelle learns Death intends to release her and to begin courting her daughter, Annabelle would agree to become his bride. That WAS my plan, but after I started writing it, the story evolved into something entirely different.

I am the author who becomes more acquainted with my characters as I write my story, I let my characters tell me the story and I write it. My last post I talked about character interviews, getting to know you character as the/she grows during the story. The interview was especially important in my book referenced above. As I wrote and interviewed my antagonist, I began to see the story from his perspective and that he was not, in fact, a ‘bad guy’ but a victim of circumstance.

The evolution of a story is not always as dramatic as it had been in my case, it could be something small like an unexpected ally or perhaps a game changer of finding someone else is the true villain. Allowing for evolution is partly why I do not attempt to outline my entire book, because I know the plan will likely change. As I write I find favorite characters die, while some deaths turn out to be only a near-death. I’ve had bad guys soften their hearts to become a hero and I have had strong alliances turn out to be a front, none of which I planned from the beginning.

People have asked me, ‘How did you not know your character would do that? You’re writing the story.’ Yes, I am writing the story, but I write what I see as I see it. 

All I would like to say is you should not plan your book so stringently you do not allow for things to change. We have a vision for our books as we set out to write them, but sometimes what comes from the evolution is so much better than anything we could have planned.

Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan. John C. Maxwell

I would love to hear of a time from you when you wrote a story that turned out differently from what you had planned.

Getting to know all about “You”

When I sit down to begin a novel I am writing, I often feel as though I truly know my hero/heroine inside and out; the truth is, there is often more to know. Different people have their own tips and techniques they use for character development, but aside from day dreaming of events that will never be written, I like to interview my character.

The interview is best used for main and supporting characters, but it can also be useful for any character you may feel as though is not shining through in your work. Part of the benefits participants in the NaNoWriMo competition is access to blogs, chats, and tips from other successful writers. My favorite help guide shared by the Nano community is this Character Questionnaire.

In my experience, I find going into as much detail as possible is best. One of the best benefits, my opinion, of the interview is when you find yourself suffering from Writer’s Block. I understand this technique is not always applicable, but imagine you have your hero and your “villain” stuck in a situation in which they must work together, but you see know way for it to happen. Looking back at the interviews, perhaps at a favorite memory, you may notice something that could bring your characters closer together, if only for a scene or two.

I have a character in my story (Elixia) who has a short temper with my MC, and while he is meant to be the love interest, it took interviewing for me to understand why his temper had become short. For me, my characters are as real as anyone walking down the street, so I often imagine interviews with my characters. What I learned about my character was he had a wife once and his wife was led away in her sleep and murdered before him. My character if afraid of loving someone else because he fears losing her, being unable to protect her, and also he was afraid of being unloyal to the memory of his wife.

You see where I listed the three reasons my character had a short temper, in a questionnaire, I could leave it with those answers. The point of an interview is to dig deep. So now I would try to answer the questions “Why do you think you will lose her”, “How do you think you would respond if you did lose her? “Why do you feel you must protect her?” “From what do you think she must be protected?” “Why do you think loving someone else would make you unloyal to your deceased wife” etc… I can continue to find question after question, and the more specific my questions become, the more I can understand how my character has become that way and what my MC can do to turn him around. This interview can also provide me with dialogue if I feel I need more to say.

There is one more thing I want to share about interviews and your story. In any good story the main character evolves along the way, so my suggestion would be to re-interview throughout the story. A questionnaire is a great starting point, because it can show you who all of your characters are, but the interview will help you to truly know them.

 

 

Camp NaNoWriMo is currently running during the month of April, but another will start in July. If you want to practice setting a writing goal and writing each day, NaNos can help keep you accountable and reach other writers.

Thoughts or opinions? Share below, let’s discuss!