Brain droppings: January Digireads

Do we write what we know? Or is it that we write from what we've read and further back what our parents have read? The origin of literary creativity is as much of a mystery as that of the universe. At least we can understand more of our background and how it relates to the thing we're trying to create compared to trying to understand how this immensity we're a part of relates to our quest for originality and completion.

"Character driven" is a more appropriate description than critics imagined. Why? Because once a character assumes a fictional life he or she does a few things: moves the author to work on the story, waits patiently for the author to bring the character back on the stage, and when the story is concluded teases the author with possibilities for another "drive."

While writing the current novel, characters from the Peter Dawes' stories clamored for another story in which they can assume a continued life. They are not articulate, nonetheless they are forceful in their demands. I suspect I'm not the only writer to have characters I've created urge the creative aspect to go in an unplanned direction. Much like a tune or a saying that plays in the caverns of the mind these diaphanous people continue the drumbeat for a sequel.

A sympathetic character overcomes various obstacles to achieve a desired end. Those eleven words succinctly describe the gist of a plot. However, a reprehensible character can also be used to wander the ups and downs in a story. Many readers do not achieve satisfaction with the trials and tribulations of an unsympathetic character, which results in the small number of plots developed in this manner.

Back in the day a researcher listed all the possible plots and the list was small. Whether a writer inadvertently duplicates one of those on the list can be conscious or not.

Jack London at one time said he would pay for a good plot. One wonders whether this was an apocryphal instance or wehter one of the preeminent writers of the early 20th Century ran out of ideas after The Call of the Wild, White Fang, etc.

Sometimes plots develop from the character involved in the story. This approach is usually avoided since at some point a deus ex machina must be employed to achieve the desired end.

In my current novel I decided to take the character driven approach. As the writing progressed the elements of the plot fell into place and by the time I had written 60K words the end seemed reasonable.

I may have to change my mind after a few more readings but so far the plot hangs together. You can look for The Jabberwocky Murders when it is published.

The story has to happen somewhere so the “where” will probably precede characters and plot. Conjoined to where will be “when.” Is the story historical, contemporary or futuristic?

With the where and when of the story set details of the setting to firmly place it in reality may come next. It’s much easier to create characters if they have a “real” place to occupy.

Perhaps the plot drives the where and when. For example a  sympathetic character overcomes vast odds to extricate himself from a situation in which he must choose life or death for a friend. This plot could be historical, contemporary or futuristic.

Choosing the voice of the story, i.e., first person or third will probably occur naturally although even with the story underway the temptation is always there to set a scene in a different voice. There are devices that can make such a shift work, but it’s usually better to stick with the voice that began the story.

After the grueling job of writing all the scenes, adding details to both setting and characters, and resolving the plot, the task of editing and finding how many pedestrian phrases were written will cause some anguish but also satisfaction as you replace those mundane descriptions with ones that have more sparkle.