One of the most exiting things about writing is creating true to life characters that readers can relate to or barrack for.
As an author, discovering who the hero and heroine are, what makes them tick, their individual histories, the people who influence them, the events that shape them – it’s all a fascinating part of the process.
Once all this information is sorted, we live with them in our heads 24/7 for as long as it takes us to write the book. We worry about them, we share the lows and highs and shocking experiences and we go through the same emotions as them when something happens to them. In essence, they’re just like real people to us.
On the flip side though (cue evil laugh and much hand rubbing), it’s a well-known fact authors like to torture their characters, so it probably comes as no surprise to hear that we like to devise obstacles and hurdles for them to deal with – setbacks, challenges, events that rock their world and force them to take action they normally would avoid or never contemplate. We love pushing them down dark, mysterious pathways and throwing them into unusual or awkward situations just to see how they’ll react under pressure.
But what happens when characters won’t cooperate? When they protest or utterly refuse to cooperate and take the twists and turns you envisage for them?
Well, that happened to me in Allegiance Sworn. (Did you know characters also like to torture their authors – a little known fact!)
Imhara and Arek, my heroine and hero in Allegiance Sworn, put up a hullabaloo over the plot I’d semi-planned (I’m not a strict plotter, more like a scener – I know where to start, where to finish and some of the points in between but no idea which scenes will come in what order).
Without giving away any details or spoilers, in Allegiance Sworn I saw certain events happening with and to the characters. I imagined particular conflicts – good, bad and ugly. There were fight scenes and even the death of a major character scheduled. I thought I had it all worked out and diligently set to writing those scenes.
But as I wove various plot threads together, and the story of Arek and Imhara progressed, I discovered BOTH of them becoming harder to write, certain scenes started to stall.
When this happens the first thing I suspected was that I’m wrote it from the wrong character’s perspective.
So, thinking I had a point of view issue, I switched to the other character in the hope the writing would flow again.
The writing ground to a halt.
Next, I tried reordering certain scenes.
Nope, that didn’t work.
Perhaps it was a decision, an action I had them making too soon. I came at the scene from another angle.
Failure. Again.
No matter how much I wanted Arek and Imhara to go where I wanted them to, the scenes, their dialogue, their actions, the revelations I wanted to hint at, or uncover or confront, the action I saw taking place fell flat.
Arek & Imhara point blank refused to walk the path I wanted them to take.
With this particular story thread (which I can’t reveal because it’s a major spoiler – let’s just say it has HUGE ramifications to not only Arek & Imhara’s story but the external plot that drives the over arching conflict of the series), writing stopped for almost two weeks as I tried to figure out the reason why.
Two weeks!
A lot of time wasted when I could have been writing and finishing off the story. It frustrated and worried me but when the “ah-ha” moment came I couldn’t believe how logical and true the reason ended up being.
Turns out I was trying to force a scenario that would have given the story a too easy solution, too convenient an ending to the thread I was trying to tell. To tie it up the way I wanted it would cheat Arek and Imhara of a more appropriate resolution, one more satisfying for them personally and of greater significance to them as a couple than as two people bent on revenge (*hint, hint, wink, wink as to the particular story thread for those who know the series*).
Robbing the characters of conflict also meant swindling readers out of the emotional roller coaster ride that comes with conflict.
Did I resolve the problem? Yes, but not in the way I imagined. Arek and Imhara were right to put up a protest and even though inside my head I was screaming, “Nooooooooooo! I want X to happen in the story – you’ve got to make that happen!” I ignored that voice, listened to my characters, and wrote the thread they suggested.
Did the story thread have a “happily ever after”?
Depends on your point of view. Happily ever after’s do occur but sometimes not in the way we anticipate or expect and this was definitely the case for Arek, Imhara and me.
Amazing things happen when you let characters take over the story…I just hope when you read Allegiance Sworn that you’ll understand why certain things did or didn’t occur. And I’ll be anxiously biting my fingernails, and curious to know if their story met your expectations.
I’ll be wondering whether you were able to predict the twists and turns or if you were led down that dark, mysterious pathway along with Arek and Imhara and just as surprised by what happened as they were.
As a reader I’ve sometimes started reading a book with certain expectations of how I think the plot is going to go or what the characters are going to do, and then been totally surprised by the story the author has written. Had this ever happened to you? Perhaps you have an opinion on reader expectations?
Thank you for sharing some of your Allegiance Sworn secrets with us Kylie, and a HUGE thank you for the awesome GIVEAWAY too!
So what are you waiting for?
Leave a comment with your answer and email address at the bottom of this post, answering Kylie's question and you're in the draw - simple!
Giveaway is international and will run until April 13th :)
Author Bio:
Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.
Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.
Kylie lives in a small rural village in
outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of
emergency service organizations in her local community. Visit her website at
www.kyliegriffin.com
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There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born... Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na'Reish king, longs for more than a tormented life among her father's people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she's gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy...
With the Na'Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na'Reish horde have increased. As chosen leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.
When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father's dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into a civil war...
You can read my review of Vengeance Born here
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There is no mercy in
the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict,
anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind
priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul… Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.
Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.
When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart the war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human—is an alliance. However when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves...
You can read my review of Alliance Forged here
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There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a demon leader seeks to unify the races…With the alliance of the humans and the half-blood Na’Chi forged, the demon Na’Reish prepare for war by seizing human blood-slaves. Captured during a rescue mission-gone-wrong, Light Blade warrior Arek Barial finds himself claimed by a Na’Reishi female who offers him an unexpected choice.
Raised in the elite ranks of a society she abhors, Imhara Kaal lives a dangerous double life as a Na’Reish Clan-leader and an advocate for a caste-free life that honors the Old Ways. Openly rebelling against the Na’Reish would mean her death, unless she can find an emissary willing to present her petition to the human Blade council.
But Arek isn’t about to blindly follow a demon—despite the intense attraction growing between them. And while hatred for the Na’Reish is all he has ever known, Arek must learn to trust Imhara, or risk the destruction of all three races…
You can read my review of Allegiance Sworn here
Author Links
Website:
http://www.kyliegriffin.com
Blog: www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylie-Griffin-paranormal-romance/152760788151938
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KylieGriffin1
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882841.Kylie_Griffin
Blog: www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylie-Griffin-paranormal-romance/152760788151938
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KylieGriffin1
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882841.Kylie_Griffin
