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When Your Plot Gets Hijacked
I’m a pantsy-plotter, which means while I plot I fly by the seat of my pants to get to the end. Why? Because I have to steal time to write, that’s why. So, while I’m at work or cooking etc, part of me is submersed in Jenn’s World where my characters live and breathe. It’s hard to stay on course when that happens. I don’t keep my outline in front of me all the time while I’m thinking about my stories, therefore, surprises happen. I myself was a surprise for my parents so that may have something to do with it. Mama says I was a happy accident. You say tom-ah-to and I say, well, actually, I say ‘mater. But really, it’s all about where you’re coming from. ‘wink’
Case in point:
I’ve finished The Wolf’s Heart and started on the sequel. I’d planned for one of my secondary characters to be the hero of this story. He was, hot, broody, and did I mention hot? In other words, he was the perfect candidate for a follow up.
Yet, the longer I wrote, the more I felt that something just wasn’t right. Looking back on all ten (yes, count them, ten) chapters, I noticed how often another character cropped up. He was a fast talking, wise-cracking, son of a gun that wouldn’t shut up, no matter how I tried to force him to the background. He wanted to be the hero. In other words, he hijacked my story.
I could actually hear him say in that smart-alecky tone of his “Put me in coach.” New Guy was sure he deserved the spotlight and the glory. Heck, he’d already stolen all the good lines anyway, so I may as well give it up. But most importantly, he deserved the heroine, because, he was in his own words, “smokin’ hot.” However, I was worried. Was he worth going back and doing major rewrites? To which he replied. “Heck yeah I’m worth it!” I never said he was modest, now did I? But he was right because after fixing the MS and putting my new pitcher on the mound, I wrote 15K in two days, and by the way, the heroine was a happy little catcher too.
Baseball metaphors and the disturbing voices in my head aside, sometimes, you have to toss the plot out the window and go with the flow. While plotting makes writing easier, it also makes the surprises, like New Guy up there, who I love, despite the fact that he’s a total pain in my keyboard, fewer and farther between.
I’ll be truthful; pantsing has left this redneck as the Rebel Without a Clause, a time or two. Honestly though, I’d rather have a character like New Guy sneak up on me once in a blue moon than plot out those I’m familiar with day after day. While I won’t tell him, I will admit it to you; he’s worth all the work I had to do to make him the focal point of my story. It flows, it sings, it pops! Surprise, happy accident whatever you want to call it, I love the serendipity of inspiration. Plotting by the seat of my pants may not be the most productive way to write but it sure is the most fun.
Picture me sitting here giggling sympathetically.
I actually have a term for those “put me in coach” types: FRC for the Free Radical Character.
They drive me nuts, but what can you do? 99.99999% of the time they know better how to deliver than I do, so I’ve learned just to give in. It’s a losing battle otherwise.
I complain about the totally-out-of-control nature of pantsing, but as a suspense writer, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. If I’m not surprised by what happens, no one else will be, either. And that would be bad.
Besides. I live for those “What the…” moments.
Ah, the best part of writing…I’ve had to rewrite to accomodate those type of characters as well. I love it!
I’m sitting here laughing we well, Jennah. I looooove pantsing even though it does make me nuts every once in awhile. And I’m with you … have to mull things over and make them come alive in my head before I can write them down.
Never had another character highjack my story before, but I sounds like an adventure. Good luck with New Guy.
He was just very vocal, and kept on being that way until I wised up and listened. My crit partners just gave me the cyber version of the mommy face. But once they read the new version, they completely agreed it was much better too. I love surprises in my own writing, but would rather they were of the ‘OMG, I can’t believe I wrote 20,000 words today!’ sort.
That’s fascinating! I’ve had something similar happen, in which a secondary character becomes so much more compelling to me (and even the readers). I never let him get away with it, but in the future, I think I’d rewrite the way you did.
There’s something very odd about being a pantster. It’s more like channeling or something. Like a court stenographer.
When asked “how do you write?” I usually say “I have no idea. It feels like part of my brain I don’t control.”
I notice it even happening with the book I’m rewriting now, Key West Magic. The conscious part of me is aware that I’m rewriting the book, deepening motivations, etc. But it “feels” like the characters are stepping up and speaking for themselves. “Oh no, I said that because…” or “I would never say that. Change it…” Very strange, indeed!
I had this happen with the third book in my fantasy series here at Samhain. I’d written the second book, THE WOLVERINE AND THE JEWEL, and when it came time for the third, I was trying to think who would be a good hero, and the wise-cracking secondary from “JEWEL” was the only choice. :)
He stood up and said “Yoo-hoo! Over here, woman!”
:P
~~Becka
I just love a great surprise. And let me say I’m so happy that I’m not the only ‘crazy author’ who hears voices. snickers at Becka
[[Free Radical Character]]
LOL! I’ve had one of those. :)
FRC! I love that! I start with a pretty vague outline, but frankly even that is a joke. I haven’t yet had a supporting personality hijack the story away from one of my main characters, but my protagonists often seem to hijack the story away from me!!
It was hard on my ego at first; realizing that they knew where the story was going better than I did, but I’ve gotten used to being their “stenographer”!
I’m so glad you followed your instincts, Jenna. I’m sure it was hard as hell to go back through all those chapters and fix,add, tweak, etc. Ugh. Good job, girly! As always, I can’t wait to see what you come up with :P
Yaayy! Karen’s got a monitor-side view of my struggles with Jordan the big mouth scene stealer. The only consolation is that he’s sorta kinda hot.
Ah, you’ve made me feel better about all the work I’m going to have to do to tweak, fix, add emotions and reactions now that I’m sticking several scenes in the middle of what I’ve already written.
In my case the villians insisted on doing more bad stuff. lol