I love the idea of setting my characters loose to figure out the storyline themselves, while I sit at my laptop, fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to type furiously when the action starts. Alas, whenever I’ve employed this tactic, very little has happened. So recently I decided to try something a little different.
Instead of handing my private detective a boring A4 outline and kicking her out into the rain, I first imagined her in the scene I was about to write. I saw her standing in her first-floor office, on the phone to a client who had informed her that a second member of his family had just been murdered.
Then I pictured myself walking into her office as she hastily grabbed her gun and leather jacket, about to leave. Being in this movie with my protagonist, and sensing the tension and drama, instantly raised several questions in my head, questions I wanted to ask her. So I did.
“Rachel, I need to talk to you about the case,” I said, as she pushed past me into the hallway. “Where are you going!”
“No time Harry, there’s been another murder,” she said, heading for the stairs.
“Yes, I know, but what happens next?” I said, trying to keep up with her.
“I’m going to the crime scene, maybe this time the killer got careless and left a clue”.
“No, there won’t be any clues,” I said, “the victim was shot by a sniper, from a distance.”
She stopped and turned to look at me. “How do you know that?” Then shaking her head, she added, “I forgot, you’re the author. Don’t worry, I’ll find something. That is my job, remember!”
She took the remaining steps two at a time and ran out the door, grabbing her helmet on the way, and somehow I knew that she would find something, some clue that would lead her closer to the killer. So I magically transported myself to the crime scene, eager to see what would happen next.
In one way, she was right. Her job is to detect, to track down the bad guys; my job is to write an account of her adventures. My challenge is to resist the temptation to tell her and the other characters what they are thinking and feeling, and how they should behave in each situation. It is our experiences that determine our view of the world and our responses to events, and my characters’ life experiences have been different to mine. Therefore, it’s much better if I can be an observer to their natural reactions, thereby being true to their values and personality traits.
Before you think I’ve lost the plot entirely (no pun intended), I realise this is bordering on fantasy. However, just pull the dream back a little, and substitute the fictional characters coming to life, with putting yourself in their shoes for a moment. Then imagine what you might do in their given situation, based on their life history, a back story which you have provided. The result may be just as inspirational.
Whenever the action stalls a little, I pause the movie and engage with my characters, shooting the breeze with them regarding what has just happened, how they feel about it and what action they would like to take. Sometimes their response is irrational, e.g. pump sleeping gas into the ventilation system of a hotel, just to stop one lunatic gunman, but these fiery retorts can occasionally inspire unexpected and novel ideas. The point here is that my characters represent real people, and as such, are expected by the reader to experience real emotions and exhibit genuine responses.
To make this character interaction more real, I have photos of my characters, or of what I imagine they might look like. Over time, I get to know them and greet them like friends, though I keep a safe distance from the bad guys 🙂
Happy writing,
Harry
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