How close to their characters should writers be?

[Calliope]

I just came across this interesting snippet in Truman Capote's excellent Paris Review interview:
I seem to remember reading that Dickens, as he wrote, choked with laughter over his own humour and dripped tears all over the page when one of his characters died. My own theory is that the writer should have considered his wit and dried his tears long, long before setting out to evoke similar reactions in a reader. In other words, I believe the greatest intensity in art in all its shapes is achieved with a deliberate, hard, and cool head.
I'm probably more with Dickens than Capote. I don't know who else might cry but I find my born-to-die characters quite upsetting. At the moment, I want to scream at one of them, 'Don't get into that plane!' but of course, if he doesn't, his whole reason for existing, indeed, my whole story, will be pointless.

I'm wondering how attached other writers become to their characters?

[Stewart]

I think I'm more with Capote. When I'm trying to write I rarely think of the characters beyond being words on the page. It doesn't mean they don't interest me, but they will always be the function by which the story is told. And once told, it's fine by me to leave them.

[roddglenn]

I can get quite emotional over some of my characters. I got quite upset over a rape scene that I was writing a while back - it was a brutal attack on a very loveable character and I had to stop writing for a while and make myself a cuppa coffee.

[nonsuch]

I think you can't help being close to your characters when you write about them - you love even the annoying and unpleasant ones. Not that I've ever cried over any of my creations or been afraid of them. They are just the chemicals used in The Great Experiment - they may surprise you - and perhaps should on occasion, but they are your creatures and you love them.

[lucyb]

I think you have to be close to them to make them believeable for the reader otherwise the effect could be quite clinical.

[roddglenn]

Totally agree. I even get attached to my nastier characters too.

[FirelightSpirit]

My characters come from aspects of myself or from people I've encountered. I wouldn't say I love them, but I do try to identify with them in order to make them real. If they're not real to me, they won't be to anyone else and the won't be believable.

[Barblue]

In my own little bits of writing I'm not sure I go with Dickens or Capote - they seem such extremes. On the other hand, characters must surely be real to the writer, otherwise surely they will never be real to the reader. If I can't get inside a character's head I can't write about them, so there has to be some emotional connection.

I read an interesting statement by Joanne Rowling the other day saying losing Harry P was like getting a divorce. Being emotionally attached to a character through seven novels is understandable - be it writer or reader. I'm not sure I would have used the word 'divorce' because that must contain some element of anger - but then again maybe that's what she meant! :confused:

[nonsuch]

I don't believe there's any rule about being 'close' to one's central character. Obviously Dickens was close to David Copperfield and Pip, and Orwell to Winston Smith. But CD is diffused in Bleak House as is Orwell in Animal Farm. Where is Emily Bronte in Wuthering Heights?

[kelby_lake]

I do- a lot! Which makes it hard for me to write because it goes all soppy! The only female character I've felt sorry for in my book is Eve but I've felt sorry for most of the male ones! :love: I'm soppy

[Moondance]

When I create a character they have to be real to me, I make up a whole lot of back story that I never use in the novel or short story but I think if you do it well the character takes over and comes to life. I almost feel I have no control over what happens to them. (hope that doesn't make me sound insane lol)
I have cried over quite a few of my characters, and other peoples too :) isn't that what a writer hopes for? To create someone we care about or feel something for? Whatever emotion that might be.

[Flingo]

I almost feel I have no control over what happens to them. (hope that doesn't make me sound insane lol)Not at all - I've heard so many authors say that. As you say - it makes them real! Welcome to BGO too. :)

[Squirls]

Totally agree. I even get attached to my nastier characters too.


Is this because your nastier characters have redeeming features?

[Calliope]

I almost feel I have no control over what happens to them. (hope that doesn't make me sound insane lol) There are stages of writing when I feel like I don't have control over anything - character, plot, not even description. Particularly early on or if I have to rewrite sections. The only thing I can (try) to do is imagine all the crazy words as being like the clay that a sculptor uses or the paints on an artist's palette. I just let them come out any old way and trust I can shape them into something meaningful afterwards. They say it's easier to edit than to create - but I also think that more work goes into rewriting than anything else. What I mean is, if you write best by letting your characters take over, then maybe just go for that. But if you want something publishable afterwards, you might have quite a lot of tidying up to do!

[lucyb]

When I create a character they have to be real to me, I make up a whole lot of back story that I never use in the novel or short story but I think if you do it well the character takes over and comes to life. I almost feel I have no control over what happens to them. (hope that doesn't make me sound insane lol)

This is happening to me at the moment. One of my characters (who was no angel to begin with) is getting far darker that I would normally be comfortable with. I'm kind of going with the flow at the moment but I suspect working through the next draft could be interesting.

[kelby_lake]

It's hard to control your characters but you have to a bit before they become distorted charactatures of the original:

“A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist.”

[r3nu4l]

When I create a character they have to be real to me, I make up a whole lot of back story that I never use in the novel or short story but I think if you do it well the character takes over and comes to life. I almost feel I have no control over what happens to them. (hope that doesn't make me sound insane lol)
I have cried over quite a few of my characters, and other peoples too :) isn't that what a writer hopes for? To create someone we care about or feel something for? Whatever emotion that might be.
This is very similar to what I do too. I have back story about characters that hasn't been used so far but may eventually be. I even find myself discovering things about past events in the character's life that shapes their current thinking/reaction in a situation but never explain that in the writing.

I would definitely be one who places myself into the characters emotions as I'm writing. I find that doing this makes the dialogue much snappier and more realistic.

[Tim Haigh]

I find that characters are never cardboard cut-outs who do exactly what we mean them to. There is no right answer, but I can't imagine not getting involved with characters I'm writing - there is a dynamic, an intercourse (and if you can have intercourse with your own characters, you are probably not doing much writing...). Reference the Dickens position, though - writing is not a dry, post-creative act - I am never happier than when I read something and a joke I had forgotten I put in makes me laugh. That happened to me this week, and I was simply delighted.

[David]

Wow! Three-and-a-half years since your last post, Tim - that's quite an absence! It's very good to have you back with us again and I hope it won't be 2011 before your next post! ;)

[roddglenn]

Is this because your nastier characters have redeeming features?

Yes, my 'bad' guys always have something about them that makes them more likeable to the reader. I try to unsettle the reader by whispering to them "this guy/gal ain't all that bad...they're just misunderstood...remember that nice thing they did earlier?". I think it makes for a more realistic rounded character.

[kelby_lake]

I have that too. Generally it's something that makes them look pathetic, in an incredibly sad way.

[Nightfly]

I always find that if I'm not at least a little emotionally attached to my characters, I find it hard to get into the story. I tried and tried to write something good, but I couldn't finish because the characters and their problems didn't mean anything to me, but when I discovered characters that really mattered, I found that my enthusiasm didn't fade.