And that's why I can't write in a non-linear fashion.
Two of my characters just got together, no good reason. I think it'll add to the plot nicely, but it wasn't originally planned. Originally I thought that they'd have nothing more to do with each other than cursory interactions. I already had a couple of characters in my last book get together, so I thought I had the whole love interest angle taken care of. And then this happens, lol.
Yep, if you can't tell my story has reached the point where it tells itself.
So what have you had happen in your novels that you'd never have expected?
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2005 - Shadowfall (Winner, but WIP)
2006 - Dark System - Elios (Winner)
2007- Dark System - Corinth
50,015 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2007 - 22 35
Tons of things. I usually just go with it. A lot of times what changes for me is their sexual relationship. I expect it to go a certain way and they often surprise me. That's happened in the last three MS's that I finished. I've also had characters run off to be with the wrong person when I had thought I'd made it perfectly clear who they were supposed to be with. Like I said, I just let them do their thing and it usually turns out better for it.
66,184 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2007 - 22 53
Aah, see I usually have minor characters turn into major characters. Since the relationships are usually an integral part to how the story plays out I usually don't have characters switching love interests on me.
But once in a while a relationship will develop where I didn't expect it to.
:D
57,244 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2007 - 23 11
I haven't had anything unexpected happen this year, which is proabably part of why this year's project isn't going so well. My characters aren't taking off on their own. Time to leave the nest, shoo, SHOO! but they just don't take off.
I have a couple of currently minor characters that might end up picking up the novel and making it go. I'll have to see whether they can rescue me.
50,105 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2007 - 03 44
With my stories I start with an event. This year: what would happen if the entire U.S. was without electricity - permenently. Throw in a terrorist attack that caused it and some run of the mill people and see what they do.
I think that the thing that took me most off guard was when a charactor scooped up a small child of the street. Neversaw it coming and I left it up to her to figure out how she was going to clothe the little waif.
I just love it when they tell me what to type... and so does my cat! He loves it when the fingers are flying. Causes typos though!
So glad to see that you are all doing so well!
50,070 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2007 - 08 44
OT, but Eileen, I love that idea. Makes me think of The Stand, which is definitely one of my favorite books (author notwithstanding).
Unexpected...this year, not so far. Actually, it's been rather tame. I've only really gotten the real story running in the last few thouseand words, and I'm hoping some fun stuff crops up soon. Maybe I'll throw something unexpected in myself!
50,015 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2007 - 22 45
Well, I just unexpectedly decided to change POV from first to third at over thirty thousand words and yeah, that was very unexpected.
66,184 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 10 03
O.o for some reason my novel wants to go the other way, but I'm tracking so many different characters that I'm not letting it. I'm currently at 7 MC's and about to add 2 more. There's no way I could pull off a first person with such a setup.
but switching perspective, yikes! hopefully it's a good thing though.
57,244 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 12 41
Ah, the unexpected has finally happened. The eccentric aunt arrived from Atlanta via taxi -- a journey of about 100 miles, so the fare was, um, rather high. I was expecting the aunt to provide color, but instead it's the cabbie, a Sikh who used to be a cop in Calcutta. He's crashed the reunion until such time as he gets paid, and Harry's cousin Kate is falling in love with him.
66,184 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 16 38
not unexpected, but sad...
one of my survivors from book 1 of the trilogy (written outside of nano, book 2 was last year) has now been almost completely sidelined for book 3.
What HAS surprised me is how much I'm still wanting to keep this character in the story. I keep finding reasons for him to interact with other characters even though his usefulness played itself out pretty thoroughly.
I guess the real surprise will be finding out what role he has left to play.
66,184 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2007 - 23 55
well unexpected... my sidelined character (who happens to be blind BTW) just got handed a job and is back into the story.
He's happier than he's been since his first introduction in the first book. I still don't know exactly what role he has left to play. But it's nice to see him happy for once. (He had a brutal past that left him farly cynical)
50,015 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2007 - 10 10
I changed my mind again and decided it just didn't work and switched back to first. But that was fine because I was really doubting my choice to use first and when I tried switching POV's and saw that it couldn't possibly work I felt much better about my initial choice. So all is well. :)
AJ
57,244 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2007 - 00 18
Totally unexpected, but then you can't count on the weather.
I had no idea this afternoon/evening, but it turns out a tornado is descending on the lake house. Details are available in the new excerpt I have posted.
50,068 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2007 - 07 19
I killed of my main character, I was writing away and had 3,000 words and 2 hours to go when, I saw the ending stretching farther and farther away from me into the 60K to 80K mark. I was trying to figure out how to actually make it a little shorter and the whole story just seemed like it would end nicely with the main person dying, so he did.
Brendan