Dustin
asked
Susan May:
Greetings, Susan! What are your thoughts on writer's manipulating the emotions of their characters? To you, is that dishonest, or are they simply exploring the limitations/minimal aspects of said characters?
Susan May
You know, Dustin, I don't really understand the question. If you mean that authors put words and emotions into a character, then that's their job. lol.
However, if you mean they make a character behave how they shouldn't just to get a response or manipulate the story, then I guess that is a road paved with possible disaster.
For me, I have been fortunate that I don't write the characters or make them do anything. I feel as if I pick them up and put them down in a little scenario and watch what they do. Then I write it down as fast as I can, following behind. I listen to them talk. I argue with them on their decisions to do certain things, but I never tell them they can't go here or there, or act a certain a way. I just say, "Well, off you go, and if it doesn't work out, we can always edit that out later. Nobody will know you goofed."
I know this sounds strange, but this allowing the story to just flow out without willing it to be any particular way is a breakthrough thing that happens when you've written enough. It happened to me writing a short story about three years ago, and I have never had to write another word since. The characters and the story do it all. That's why I don't need to plot. How can I plot, when I don't know these people in my story and I don't know what they are going to do.
In Deadly Messengers in the last quarter of the book something terrible happens to one of the characters and some readers have written to me saying how shocked they were, but that it made the story very real. Well, when that happened to that character, I asked the character who did the terrible thing: "Are you sure? Readers aren't going to like this." In fact I was surprised myself. But, no the character was adamant, this was the story and this was how it went.
And finally, I leave you with words from Stephen King:
"Write what you feel to be true. Use what you know and what is unique to you and this will bring an honesty and truth to your characters, dialogue, and scenarios."
However, if you mean they make a character behave how they shouldn't just to get a response or manipulate the story, then I guess that is a road paved with possible disaster.
For me, I have been fortunate that I don't write the characters or make them do anything. I feel as if I pick them up and put them down in a little scenario and watch what they do. Then I write it down as fast as I can, following behind. I listen to them talk. I argue with them on their decisions to do certain things, but I never tell them they can't go here or there, or act a certain a way. I just say, "Well, off you go, and if it doesn't work out, we can always edit that out later. Nobody will know you goofed."
I know this sounds strange, but this allowing the story to just flow out without willing it to be any particular way is a breakthrough thing that happens when you've written enough. It happened to me writing a short story about three years ago, and I have never had to write another word since. The characters and the story do it all. That's why I don't need to plot. How can I plot, when I don't know these people in my story and I don't know what they are going to do.
In Deadly Messengers in the last quarter of the book something terrible happens to one of the characters and some readers have written to me saying how shocked they were, but that it made the story very real. Well, when that happened to that character, I asked the character who did the terrible thing: "Are you sure? Readers aren't going to like this." In fact I was surprised myself. But, no the character was adamant, this was the story and this was how it went.
And finally, I leave you with words from Stephen King:
"Write what you feel to be true. Use what you know and what is unique to you and this will bring an honesty and truth to your characters, dialogue, and scenarios."
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