If my characters always did what I thought they were going to do, I would probably stop hanging out with them.
I’ll let you ponder that before I go on.
Now that you’ve taken some time to deliberate, are you thinking I might be a little unbalanced or maybe even a lot?
I’ve made the mistake of bringing this up in mixed company (non-writers), and the looks on their faces are usually priceless. I watch their expressions morph from puzzled, to suspicious and then back to bewildered. Some laugh, thinking I’m punking them, while others awkwardly change the subject, as soon as they can politely do so.
Let me share an example that might help explain what I mean. In one instance, I generously created a gorgeous charismatic love interest for one of my characters. You’d think she’d be appreciative, right? Wrong! She developed an attraction to a different character. Unbelievable! Luckily, I was able to persuade her to stop her shenanigans.
For someone who isn’t a writer, it’s hard to wrap their brain around, but whenever I talk to other writers, most immediately bob their head in understanding. Although, some authors say it doesn’t compute, those are the ones I find a bit suspect and a little boring. Why would anyone want to write if they already know exactly what is going to happen?
I write like I live. I find life to be an incredible journey that never fails to take me by surprise, both good and bad. I’ve always wondered if I knew everything that was going to happen in my life before it did, would I still want to live it? I believe my answer would be no.
Remember in your twenties when you thought you had it all figured out, and knew exactly what your life would look like when you turned thirty or forty or fifty? How did that turn out for you? If you are like me, you’ve had moments of happiness that you would never have been able to imagine, while on the other hand you’ve had gut wrenching despair that you couldn’t have guessed at.
I’ve had people in my life that I thought would be there forever, only to have them fade away. And others who happened in by chance, that I never could have guessed would have such a lasting impact. I’ve been blindsided by betrayal I never saw coming, but I’ve also been astonished by real, raw conversations that have touched me to the core. None of these could I have scripted or planned, or for that matter prevented.
One of my favorite lines is from the song, The Dance by Garth Brooks: “Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain. But I’d have had to miss the dance.”
So, I’m good with my characters doing things I’m not expecting; it’s how I prefer it. My characters’ lives will continue to be left to chance, and I will enjoy the dance.
