Otherways- Fiction Fanatics

Someone asked me recently how you could write every day and not get into a rut. Perhaps I shouldn’t attempt to read another person’s mind, but I think what they were really asking is what a writer does to keep their characters from becoming derivative. After all, what you write comes out of your head. What you like, believe, hate, and fear, probably hasn’t changed a lot since yesterday, so it is a very real concern that the people you invent will become merely shadows of your best, or worst, self. If you’re only planning on writing the one novel, then that wouldn’t be an issue, we rarely show the world our true selves anyway.

To write more than one, you may need to employ a few tricks to keep yourself from falling into that rut. First, learn to observe people. Keep a journal if necessary. I don’t think you should ever use real people, but to use an element from them, say the way that person walks, or the nervous habit you notice while she’s waiting for a date, is perfectly acceptable. Avoid going to the same place, or the same type of place every time you want to ‘people watch’. It’s tempting to do it every time you’re in a particular internet café with your laptop out, but this is problematic for a couple of reasons. Usually you’re supposed to be writing then, so your people watching becomes a form of procrastination, and if you use the same location over and over, you will be observing the same kind of person, leading to a different kind of rut. If you’re a modern art fan, go to a rodeo. If you only like grunge rock, then try an open air blues festival. Outside your comfort zone is where you will meet the people that are truly different from you, and they can become inspiration.

Read, then read some more.

Read outside your chosen genre, and don’t limit yourself to novels. Psychology, sciences, history, and all those self-help books have their place in broadening your outlook and keeping what you write fresh. Even things that are patently, and ridiculously untrue can be great sources of inspiration for fiction writers, which is why I keep several paranormal feeds in my social media, as well as conspiracy theory pages, and both sides of the political craziness. Not only do the articles spawn some interesting ideas, the comments that people make can prove invaluable in understanding certain characters.

Then there’s the DIY option. Some people, even those that don’t believe in a bit of it, use astronomy, astrology, numerology or other methods to flesh out a character. All these systems are designed to tell a person about their character, their future, and how they interact with the world. Who needs to know these things more than an author with a deadline and an uncooperative character?

If nothing else, when you’re unhappy with a character taking the time out to really write out a history for them will help you discover why you aren’t pleased. Perhaps they are stale, or too much like another character you’ve created. Most often, though, you find that they either don’t have any reason to do the things you’ve got them doing, or their character isn’t being true to themselves through the work. Yes, it is necessary for characters to grow and change, but an assertive, egotistical individual shouldn’t randomly become shy and passive, not without a compelling reason.

In a pinch, anything is worth trying. These are, after all, fictional characters, so using a fictional fortune telling system seems appropriate to me.

Cheers,

Michelle