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Wherein I ramble about books, movies,
music, TV shows, my life, and occasionally, hot emo boys.
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Monday, March 12, 2007
bitchness
Fucking characters.
One character, who shall remain nameless (you know who are, bitch) is just so goddammned stubborn. For the first time in my life, I'm writing a series, ya'll. And I have some idea where the story arc is going.
This character is such a hobag. She thinks with her vagina. I've never had a character so obsessed with sex. No matter what I'm writing, how I'm advancing the plot, doing cool stuff like foreshadowing, all she can think about is when she's gonna get laid and with whom.
Last night, around 8 p.m., our conversation went something like this:
Her: "Come on, just let me sleep with him. Sex doesn't have to take place within the confines of a relationship. I'm a modern woman and I NEED TO GET LAID. So go on, just write the scene for me, okay? You know you want to."
Me: "Look, I don't want you having sex with every guy that comes into the book. That will turn you into just another MarySue Slutbag that nobody wants to read about. I'm going to make your story different, goddammit. And that means you're not sleeping with anybody until we're several books into this thing and I have a feel for your relationships. I'm also going to take reader feedback into consideration when deciding who you end up with. I am in charge here, now STFU and pick up the chihuahua."
Her: "Readers will understand that I have NEEDS, yo. Just write me one sex scene. It doesn't have to mean anything. Your readers will be disappointed if you write a whole book with no sex. How can you do that to them? Traitor! Now how about him? Or him? No, okay, well, I'll take some cyber with--"
Me: "Don't even start with the traitor thing, you know that's why I have separate pen names. This isn't an Annie Dean story. You're such a stubborn bitch."
Her: "Takes one to know one."
So we're kinda stalemated on this sex issue. I don't want to point her vagina at the nearest male character and say, "Shazam." I want to build some relationships and intriguing possibilities before I let her have the sex. Unfortunately she's not big on self-denial. Lord help us both.
Are your characters such stubborn bitches? If so, how do you haul their asses back in line?
One character, who shall remain nameless (you know who are, bitch) is just so goddammned stubborn. For the first time in my life, I'm writing a series, ya'll. And I have some idea where the story arc is going.
This character is such a hobag. She thinks with her vagina. I've never had a character so obsessed with sex. No matter what I'm writing, how I'm advancing the plot, doing cool stuff like foreshadowing, all she can think about is when she's gonna get laid and with whom.
Last night, around 8 p.m., our conversation went something like this:
Her: "Come on, just let me sleep with him. Sex doesn't have to take place within the confines of a relationship. I'm a modern woman and I NEED TO GET LAID. So go on, just write the scene for me, okay? You know you want to."
Me: "Look, I don't want you having sex with every guy that comes into the book. That will turn you into just another MarySue Slutbag that nobody wants to read about. I'm going to make your story different, goddammit. And that means you're not sleeping with anybody until we're several books into this thing and I have a feel for your relationships. I'm also going to take reader feedback into consideration when deciding who you end up with. I am in charge here, now STFU and pick up the chihuahua."
Her: "Readers will understand that I have NEEDS, yo. Just write me one sex scene. It doesn't have to mean anything. Your readers will be disappointed if you write a whole book with no sex. How can you do that to them? Traitor! Now how about him? Or him? No, okay, well, I'll take some cyber with--"
Me: "Don't even start with the traitor thing, you know that's why I have separate pen names. This isn't an Annie Dean story. You're such a stubborn bitch."
Her: "Takes one to know one."
So we're kinda stalemated on this sex issue. I don't want to point her vagina at the nearest male character and say, "Shazam." I want to build some relationships and intriguing possibilities before I let her have the sex. Unfortunately she's not big on self-denial. Lord help us both.
Are your characters such stubborn bitches? If so, how do you haul their asses back in line?
Labels: SBD
When my characters won't behave, I just throw something awful at them. After that they're practically begging to get back into line.
I run into something similar at times with paintings that want to go in the direction they want to go in, not in the direction i have worked my ASS off planning, plotting, sketching and finally breathing life into. I've found - it's best to let the creative lose and then fix it later. Otherwise the process can fall apart during battle.
You know, oddly enough, I've been writing a scene just like that today, and she seems much more cooperative. I guess she's afraid I'll kill her off if she isn't careful!
Thanks, Rhian, glad you liked it.
I refuse to let her turn into a slutpuppy, though. In this I am firm. She gets no up-n-down until book 2 or 3. Build up anticipation and whatnot.
Now, the question is, what do I throw at them to make them behave? No idea yet.
There's nothing like a putrescent flesh monster to kill the libido.
OMG, the mental images. That's awesome.
kc
By which I mean, I know shit-all about my stories when I start writing them. It's a big joyous surprise when I come to the end, sort of like whacking open a pinata.
I generally have SOME idea of where the story is going when I start (or, at least, I've realized that if I don't, it'll take me three times as many words to write the story as are actually required to tell it), but I'm a pretty inveterate pantser when it comes to actually writing what gets me from point A to point Z. I think it would bore me to tears to write a story I knew EVERYTHING about, much the same way it would bore me to tears to READ a story I already knew everything about. I like the mystery.
As for getting my characters back in line, I don't think putrescent flesh monsters really belong in a Victoria-set historical romance, so I'll have to pass on that idea *g! However, I realized my problem was that I was trying to make my heroine behave in a way that's antithetical to her nature. I wanted her to pussyfoot around and not tell the hero she wants him to screw her and NOW. Um, duh, that's not HER.
Yes, my heroine is a Victorian hobag. Go figger...
Frankenstein.
*scurries back to her current project*
BTW, do you think it would work to call a male character a slutbag? Just wondering...