When Your Characters Stop Listening to You

Raise your hand if you haven't experienced the difficulty of characters who just flat out don't want to do what you tell them. If you raised your hand, lucky you. This blog post probably won't be of much use to you.

But if you do have this problem, what do you do? What are you supposed to do when you want the story to go one way, but your characters are taking it another?

Well, the first thing you should do is good advice for basically any situation: don't panic. Just take a deep breath. It's okay if it's not working out how you originally planned. Several times during the writing process, I have come to the realization that the plans I had for the story when  I started writing just fly out the window.

Take a break
Always take a break first and see if that solves the problem. When we're going at it too long and too hard, our brains mess things up. We need to relax and switch activities every once in a while. So, if you're suddenly having trouble with your characters, make sure you take a break before you consider other options. A break may be all you need. If however, when you return to writing and the problem is still there, you may have a character that just isn't listening to you.

Let the characters lead
When you've created well rounded characters who you know really well and can carry the weight of the story, you may find that they actually know the story better than you do. They may have their own ideas. So, if your characters are resisting your instructions and pulling in a different direction, don't be afraid to explore that direction. If your character is trying to take control, it's okay to let them for a little bit and see where it takes you.

It can be very frustrating sometimes, though, when we desperately want our character to do something, but we can't realistically make it happen. We, of course, can write it, but something about it feels very forced and awkward. Listen to your gut. If your hand doesn't want to write it, maybe it's a sign that you need to reconsider the events taking place.

I once had a character that I had specific plans for when I started the story and I thought it was a brilliant idea. I realized, though, by the end, that this particular character ended up being someone completely different than I had intended him to be without my even noticing it. I just followed his lead and it ended up working much better with my story.

Re-evaluate your character
If you have a specific character that is causing trouble, take a moment and re-evaluate them. Maybe they changed and you didn't realize, which is why you can't seem to get under control. Maybe your story changed and you really just don't need them anymore.  

So, relax, this isn't a disaster. Just remember that if your characters stop listening to you, maybe you should start listening to your characters.