Character forming
Listen to your characters to create people who will really draw readers into the world of your novel, urges Margaret James
FICTION FOCUS
Margaret James
Who’s in charge – you or your characters? You’re the novelist. So, if there’s any disagreement between you and your characters, of course your decision is final. After all, you’re the boss.
Or are you?
Over the years, I’ve spoken to plenty of novelists who’ve told me that although they might have had specific plans for certain characters, sometimes these characters turn out to have completely different plans of their own. They tell their creators they want to change their physical appearance, their marital status or even their sex, and they refuse to co-operate until their creators comply.
I can certainly identify with novelists whose characters refuse to do as they’re told, because mine are perfectly capable of lurking in a bus shelter, scowling like truculent teenagers and scrolling through their messages, even if bus shelters and smartphones haven’t yet been invented, and ignoring me.