Willful characters: now I get it!

[Bubastes]

Yes, I sound like the newbie I am as I crawl along my first novel at a laughably slow pace (but slow forward motion is still forward motion, right?).

I'm not even up to 10K words yet, and one of my characters is already fighting back. I had sketched her as being sweet and charismatic, the kind of woman whose attentions run a mile wide and an inch deep. And yet, in her first scenes with the MC, I can see a mean streak in her that's peeking through behind all that charm. It's subtle, but it's there, and I hadn't planned it in my original sketch of her.

Hmmm, interesting. We'll she what she does next. I'm having fun! Thanks, AW -- you've given me a nice guardrail to hang on to as I keep going.

[Tracy]

It's so much fun when characters think for themselves and refused to conform to the ideals. Enjoy! (It can also bring your novel in interesting directions)

[MidnightMuse]

Ah yes, characters that begin taking on their own personalities. I love those. They're the ones that come to life and surprise you.

Let her roll - just keep an eye on the road she's heading down - but give her free reign and she might surprise you in all the right ways. (gah, that kinda sounded kinky and wasn't my intent. It's sure to bring Teddy around) :D

[Qwerty Uiop]

You want to be careful of writing the character and letting it accidently turn into a secret you lashing out like you wished you did in real life, because that can be kind of transparent and boring.

[Evaine]

I'm about halfway through my present story - and it's only now that I've really "had a good chat with the villain". Suddenly I realise that the hero is of much more use to him alive than dead, which changes things a bit.

[TheIT]

I'm writing a first person POV fantasy novel, and I learn more about my narrator every time I sit down to write. When I began I knew she was an artist and that she lived almost as a hermit because of her magical talent. Now 42,000 words in I know why her talent affects her so much, and I've also discovered she has a wry sense of humor and covers her vulnerability with gruffness. It's been an enlightening journey.

[maddythemad]

My MC surprised me by being very wimpy, so I had to introduce some other characters to defend him. :)

[Selcaby]

My main female character is a newcomer to an old story. She's sort of a combination of two older characters whom I cut out, but whereas I know the male MC and his story much better, I'm still getting to know her. Last night she swore at the MC because he corrected her grammar. She knows he's got big problems and that she ought to be nice to him, and on the whole she is being, but this minor thing niggled her and she lashed out. I didn't know she was capable of that. It's not something I would do. I am quite proud of her. Is this evidence of a recurring trait? I'm looking forward to finding out.