When Characters Talk…
Perhaps I’m slightly schizophrenic. Or very crazy. I don’t know… that’s just the only way I can think of it. Why?
My characters talk to me.
Now, some of you might be saying, “Who is this lunatic? She should be locked up immediately!” Others of you may say, “Oh yeah, my characters do that all the time.” It’s strange the reaction people give you. If I told any other person, besides a writer, he would look at me in a very strange way.
Still, it is a useful tool and it can make your story a little more realistic, depending on the feedback of your characters.
So how do you do this?
I’m really not quite sure. I’ve been thinking up stories and having characters “talk” to me for as long as I can remember. Still, what usually happens is I have a bunch of characters wandering through my head. I think of a plot, cast a couple characters, and then voila.
Once my characters are cast for their role, they try to get in character, much like actors do. They begin to form physical characteristics (at first, they were formless) and try to act like the character. Depending on what role they have to fill, they may need extra time to practice. That’s why I write many short stories or plays before I actually write the story. They want to test out who they are before they decide to do it.
One of the hardest things they have to do while preparing for the character is dialogue. So frequently, before I even begin writing the story, I write many plays. Just experimental things, mind you, but it tests out what they can say that’s absolutely awesome and what doesn’t work at all. Once they find their voice, then they begin speaking to you. And that’s something very valuable.
So yep! Crazy? Definitely. But since when have writers been sane?