Welcome to day 5 of the Where Hope Starts blog tour!
A funny thing happened about a year ago while writing my first short story for my website.
The short story form is fun. Discovering the twist you put at the end that gives that satisfactorily feeling of being surprised. But sometimes the surprise was on me.
I pulled out a story written years ago and worked on my rewrites and edits. I sent that story ahead to my critique group.
As we sat around the table later that week, one of my fellow writers asked, “Who is Karen?” Then again, “Who is Megan? Are there five children in this story?”
I thumped my head with the palm of my hand. These were names I added in with the short story rewrites and I never even realized what I was doing.
Two of my characters from my novel evidently wanted to be a part of the short story. I told my characters they would have their day in the limelight and quickly put them back in place and we all had a good laugh.
Don’t let anyone tell you that characters don’t have a mind of their own!
Have you ever had an interesting experience
with a character in your writing?
(If winner is outside continental US,
digital copies or gift card will be awarded)
I used to think writers were crazy when they would answer questions on behalf of their characters, or say something like, 'No, he just won't do that.' But not only do I understand that way of thinking now, I even find myself saying those things.
It's so true. Characters write themselves!