Over the length of this writing adventure that my book has taken me on, I’ve been startled to discover a character taking over the book. When I first began writing this thriller, Dana Marie was my main character. Her bold, energetic, and forever inquisitive personality leaped off the pages and demanded to be center stage. But gradually another character stepped before her and placed himself in the spotlight. Curiously enough, Dana has allowed him the spot.
Pete Watson. In many ways he hasn’t and has changed. His inner core; the goodness and honesty hasn’t changed. It’s his courage and strength that has. Before, he was the unwitting boyfriend of a villainess. He had the courage of a mouse. By the end of my book, the little mouse eventually stood up for himself but with the help of Dana. Without her help, he’d never be able to stand.
But now. Pete has changed. He is no longer the timid little mouse. He can stand on his own two feet. He’s taken the stage away from Dana without a fight or begging. She’s allowed him the attention because she knows he deserves it. After all, he is the hero. His and Dana’s friendship has expanded as well. Their relationship is stronger and has more depth that before.
I realize those reading this don’t have the faintest what I’m talking about. You haven’t read my book. You don’t know my characters. But hopefully you will.
I’ve read countless times posts and articles written by other authors about characters in their books. They mention how a smaller, lesser character came out from the shadows to be the main character. They’d talk about how surprised they were by a characters actions or true nature. When I read these things, I’d laugh. How silly writers are! Would be my exact thought. They talk about their characters as if they’re real. They make it sound like the character does the writing or telling of the story. They make it sound like they didn’t write the books themselves but the characters.
A famous writer once said, characters tell the story. Writers are only the interpreter. I never quite understood this until I saw for myself. Until I realized how true it is. When I started out with this book, I had a certain idea for it. I had a vision for how it would end up. Well, the original vision is far from what it’s turned out to be. Life seems to be exactly the same. You start off walking on one path in one direction. And mysteriously you wind up elsewhere!
It’s absolutely breathtaking seeing a story unfold before your eyes. Your story. It’s thrilling to hear your characters discussed in public. I’ve only had this a few times after my friends finished reading my manuscript. The characters in your book may be imaginary but they are real. They’re real as you and me. A good book draws you in by how human the characters feel. Your job as the writer is to make them feel real to the reader. Allow them to leap off the page. I really can’t stress how crazy this adventure of writing has been for me so far.
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