12/15/10

The Characters Hijacked My Story

So, the 'Jenn Alistor' project (as it's called in my head), also known as The Aftertaste of Revenge (which is going to change, because the plot has changed), was never supposed to last this long. It was never supposed to be particularly deep. It was never supposed to be a romance. It was never supposed to capture my heart like this.

The point of the book began as an interesting question: What if two people who hated/feared each other (both with good reason) had to work together to accomplish a common goal?

I know it seems like the perfect setup for some Darcy-esque romance, but I never intended for it to be. When Clayton Ford (the guy) entered Jenn Alistor's life, I was pretty sure they weren't going to end up as as couple because of her past. And, if romance was going to show up, I had the feeling Jenn would be falling for Clayton...not the other way round.

Then the world got turned topsy-turvy and upside-down. Without my advice (or consent), Clayton fell for Jenn, thus turning my whole plot on its head and making an actually coherent story with the closest thing I have to a legitimate ending in any of my books. What I had was an idea. What I have is a story.

I'm not sure what part I played in it. I kinda just sat back and watched...

So, what about you? Any stories gotten out of control lately? What have your characters done without your permission? Did it help or hinder the plot?

3 comments:

Stina said...

That's happened a number of times in my current wip, and the blasted thing was outlined before I started. I have to keep reminding my characters that they can't stray too far otherwise it will be a complete mess (with me having no idea how to fix it). But so far I approve of what they've done. :D

Anne Gallagher said...

My characters for book2 nearly drove me INSANE in the writing. I wanted the plot to go one way, they refused, revolted, and got their way. I guess it all worked out because I finished the book.

Creepy Query Girl said...

OH yes. My characters tend to take on a life of their own. They do surprise me quite often. Congrts on having a story!