I Think My Characters Have Unionized

I'm a control freak (my husband will agree). I will work until I'm about to drop to get something right (and heaven forbid I ask for help). I made the assumption many years ago that at least while writing, I'm in charge. Isn't that just adorable? I mean, how cute (and naive) to think a few fictional characters wouldn't have a say in the direction their character is going. Their death (suckers hate being killed off), their name (blog post), or, at the very least, they don't agree with a scene. A scene. Yes, seriously. 

Of course they aren't real and yes, I understand they're fictional. But if you're a writer (new or seasoned), you get it. A scene may play out in your head. You think, "Oh, that will work great for this plotline", but sometimes, the characters in your head, disagree. And no matter how hard you try to work that scene in where you thought it should go, your characters have other ideas.

Now, this isn't a constant thing. Most of the time, my characters and I are all getting along nicely. Usually I'm in the zone, typing like crazy, can't get the words typed out fast enough. As long as I'm not fighting the scene unfolding in my head, all is well. It's that word, or maybe an interruption, but something draws your mind away from the story. You come back. Read what you've recently written. Hate it (obviously, it's a first draft...only 499 more to go!), decide to change it up and there's where the mental revolt commences.

It honestly makes no difference just how great I think a change is going to be, sometime
s, they're just not having it. When that happens, I think the union is brought in. If you've seen Inside Out, that's how I picture my characters. All freaking out about a change, making the call to their union rep, and everything shuts down. At least for them. It's like they go on strike. Gone. Curtain has been called.

Unfortunately, I've learned they're usually right. If I attempt to force something, like Margaret Sinclair (feisty girl refused to be called Maggie), it doesn't work. I spent three weeks attempting to use Maggie, and backspacing every single time because my fingers typed Margaret (that was my ex-mother-in-law's name, and I wasn't a fan). Margaret was my first real character. In fact, I used her as the inspiration for my gamer name.

I've lost count of the times I've watched Lady Sinclair walk straight into trouble, in both my writing and my gaming. Lady Sinclair was retired a few years ago, so fictional Margaret Sinclair is the only one currently on the board with me. And the funny thing about creating characters, especially our main characters, we give them personalities, histories, flaws, fears, loves, and then is it really a surprise they unionized?