Fiction Writing

Lamott Packet Character

Pg. 8

For the Lamott Polaroids packet I read on page 8 about characters.  The excerpt explained that as a writer you should not have the knowledge of your main character all down.  You should not be able to see what your character is going to be like in the future.  It was said that "You avoid forcing your characters to march too steadily to the drumbeat to your artistic purpose."  You should let your character develop as it should and not as you want all the time.  Treat your character like it is a real person, you would like to have this person one way but from his/her past experiences he/she became another way.  I don't think that the author should not be in control of his characters but not to be in absolute control.  If the author is in complete control the story won't be as enjoyable to go along.  When you let your character develop as you go it will be as much as a surprise to create your characters actions as the viewer reading your characters actions. This is especially for fiction writers.  As you go along you must leave room for your characters to develop on their own (metaphorically speaking) there have to be room for potential side characters to eventually branch out to become main characters too of the story too.  I have seen this in many shows I've watched and even heard the writers said that they do not even expect to see what their characters are going to do.  It is a basic thing to do as a writer so you can enjoy your story as much as your readers.