I'm a little terrified. Not gonna lie.
I've had several characters pop into my head in the last month, and each time it happened I wrote down a sentence or two and saved them for Nano. So now I have this epic list of characters, which keeps growing cuz i keep realizing i need someone for such and such role......the world, whatever world it is, is forming around them, and the plot is coming into view from the fog....
But. I'm still clueless, somehow. Like what are all these people doing, how can I possibly develop ANY of them, what are they trying to accomplish, etc, ad infinitum. I guess I'm just feeling overwhelmed with the information flooding into my brain. I have to figure out how to incorporate all the elements crammed in my brain, OR get enough sense of what's going on to know which elements/characters I can cut.
Whew. What I DO know is there IS going to be Newfoundland dog in here somewhere....y'know, the big black ones. He's been lurking around for a while, it's time I put him in a story.
Oh yeah, I also know the title of this post is going to be the unofficial tagline for my story. ;) It ocurred to me, and it amuses me, so I shall keep it.
3 comments:
I understand your dilemma, it probably happens to a lot of writers. I know that at least for me, I have tons of characters and worlds but usually no plots to go along with them.
With all the characters running around in your mind, perhaps you can break them off into multiple books. This way you don't have to feel so overwhelmed.
Your tag line is definitely catchy! Good luck preparing for NaNo!
Yeah, I just have to figure out which things would be best left to other stories. :) Plots are elusive, aren't they?
Good luck to you as well!
I would try what Shield Maiden suggested, if it works. However, you might want to "interview" your characters first. Get to know them. Not all of the characters may be main characters. Perhaps most of them are only secondary or third or fourth tier characters.
When I interview characters, I picture them in my mind and choose what I think would be a comfortable setting for them. Then I ask basic questions. Besides gathering that information, pay attention to how they answer. Do they mumble? Are they shy or outgoing? Any odd habits?
You get the idea. It's a fun exercise, and you could even do it on paper, if you like. It's almost like freewriting. You just ask questions and record answers and information as it comes to you, completely unfiltered. I find that this really helps me get to know a character, and it helps them become three dimensional in my writing.
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