Although I knew the general plot through my outline, around midway through the writing of my book, my characters started doing things that I had not planned for them. They surprised me by certain decisions and or actions. This was when I knew that I had created dimensional characters that came off the page.
I wrote my first story when I was ten years old. It was called The Magic Pen. This story was about a pen, that when used, created stories and poetry without the use of any human input as if a sacred power came through the ink of the pen. I could have never known that this story would end up being so relevant in my adult life for as I write now, I often feel a divine force coming through me, telling me what my characters should say or do or feel; telling me about a scene I should add to my novel; or whispering some great line of dialogue or description in my ear.
I didn’t always have this experience through writing. It’s something that only began happening to me a little over a couple of years ago when I began writing my first novel, Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees. In this novel, 23 year old Silvia Greco makes peace in her feuding family while finding direction in her own life. Around one third of the way through writing this novel, she surprised me by deciding that she wanted to pursue a career as an art teacher. She could not have decided on a more appropriate career path: She is a free-spirited painter who comes to realize, through the course of the story, that she enjoys children and wants to fill their lives with art. I did not know that Cosmo would do a magic trick for Isabella in the final chapter or that Silvia would decide to become an art school teacher, or that Donna would change her mind about the party. I did not know that Frank would be the first to show up at the party and did not know that Donna would decide, definitely, to leave Frank. When these characters made decisions or performed actions I didn’t anticipate, I knew that I had created a dimensional character who was truly alive.
I did not know that Cosmo would do a magic trick for Isabella in the final chapter or that Silvia would decide to become an art school teacher, or that Donna would change her mind about the party. I did not know that Frank would be the first to show up at the party and did not know that Donna would decide, definitely, to leave Frank. When I was ten years old, I wrote a story entitled The Magic Pen. In the story, the main character had a pen, that when used, would create stories as if by magic.
This post is from my blog series, “Tips for Writing Fiction.” Be sure to check out my Greco Family Trilogy books, which include Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
