Sometimes you only realize things after you start writing (aka "characters are jerks").
Like how the woman you were going to turn into a vampire is actually a witch, so she can't be a vampire.
Also how she's been hooking up for three years with the vampire that kidnapped her because he wanted to turn her into a vampire. Which really does explain why she's so angry and not actually terrified out of her gourd.
This is why I don't understand people who say "the characters are always under your control." No. They are NOT. I have a limited amount of control over these people, and if I start writing something that doesn't work for them, they're going to make damn sure I know it. Also they're going to reveal these lovely bits of plot elements on THEIR schedule. Not on mine.
I've been working on this novel for YEARS, I finally got to the post-time travel part with the ex-wife hooking up with the buddy and getting turned into a vampire. Except it turns out she's a witch, is going to be apprenticed to her ex-husband's current girlfriend (one of them), and has been hooking up with the buddy for THREE YEARS NOW while investigating her ex-husband's disappearance, because she didn't know about the time travel.
This is why people talk about fictional characters like they're real. Because they do things like this to us. We can't even complain, either, because it makes the story so much better. (I mean, I complain anyway, but they still made the story better this way.)
I really ought to finalize the character names since I've started talking about them here.
This entry has been cross-posted to Dreamwidth (
comments). Comments are welcome on either post.
Also how she's been hooking up for three years with the vampire that kidnapped her because he wanted to turn her into a vampire. Which really does explain why she's so angry and not actually terrified out of her gourd.
This is why I don't understand people who say "the characters are always under your control." No. They are NOT. I have a limited amount of control over these people, and if I start writing something that doesn't work for them, they're going to make damn sure I know it. Also they're going to reveal these lovely bits of plot elements on THEIR schedule. Not on mine.
I've been working on this novel for YEARS, I finally got to the post-time travel part with the ex-wife hooking up with the buddy and getting turned into a vampire. Except it turns out she's a witch, is going to be apprenticed to her ex-husband's current girlfriend (one of them), and has been hooking up with the buddy for THREE YEARS NOW while investigating her ex-husband's disappearance, because she didn't know about the time travel.
This is why people talk about fictional characters like they're real. Because they do things like this to us. We can't even complain, either, because it makes the story so much better. (I mean, I complain anyway, but they still made the story better this way.)
I really ought to finalize the character names since I've started talking about them here.
This entry has been cross-posted to Dreamwidth (
comments). Comments are welcome on either post.