Hurry! Catch the Escaping Fictional Person!
In the world of fiction writing, the line between author and character can often blur. This is a phenomenon that Lev Raphael, a prolific author with 25 books under his belt across various genres, is all too familiar with.
Raphael, who blogs at Writing Across Genres, shares that when he says a character has surprised him, he means it in the sense of an unexpected connection or development in his work, not that the character has taken control of the narrative.
Many writers, Raphael notes, enjoy telling dramatic stories about their characters taking control, which can make the writing process seem more romantic and glamorous than it is. However, he is glad that such moments of creativity continue to come in his long and fruitful career.
Characters, Raphael believes, can sometimes feel as if they "speak back" to the author, a feeling some writers find motivating and creatively energizing. Yet, when characters become inconsistent or seem to act outside the author's intended portrayal, it can frustrate both writers and readers.
Raphael clarifies that his characters do not tell him what to do or get away from him. Everything in his books, from plot and setting to dialogue, characterization, action, punctuation, is created by him. He once found himself in a surprising situation where he realised he had the wrong person committing murder in a book, but this was not the result of the murderer, victim, or gun giving advice. Instead, it was his own mind spinning straw into gold.
Raphael has been doing readings from his fiction since the early 90s. A common question he gets after readings is whether his characters tell him what to do or get away from him. He assures his audience that they do neither.
You can find Raphael's books at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more insights from the author, you can check out his guest post in this article. This article falls under the topics of Writing Articles, Writing Fiction, and Women's Fiction.
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References: [1] The Guardian. (2017). How to Write Characters Who Feel Real. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/apr/11/how-to-write-characters-who-feel-real [2] The New Yorker. (2012). The Life of the Character. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/09/the-life-of-the-character [3] The Atlantic. (2016). The Magic of Writing. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/09/the-magic-of-writing/499660/
Despite Raphael's renowned career in fiction writing, the idea of characters taking control of the narrative remains more of a romanticized concept rather than a reality in his work. However, spending time in his home-and-garden may provide inspiration for his lifestyle that helps shape his literary creations.
