What to do when a character fucks it up?

First, think of some real individuals you’ve come into contact with today (waitress, coat-check girl,car-wash attendant, etc.) and place them each in a scene with one of your characters. How will theseindividuals interact? What might they discuss? You never know when one of these “minor contacts”will have a big impact on a more prominent character. (And if you find one of these minor characters interesting, you may wish to draw up a separate character bio.)

Sarah Domet. 90 days to your novel. Day 7th

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It happened one day that I wanted to have a boring teacher to explain part of the plot. The jealous minor character jumped out and accused my very important female support, of not knowing a lesson. In a world where not knowing was the same as being heretic… Thus death awaited.

I was unable to erase her interaction. It was my first time with a character doing what she wanted. No matter my designs. She was being real, vivid and honest. Bollocks!

Annoying.To erase her was to destroy a more or less good story. I’m no Borges, yet it was at least good enough for an opera prima… One I re wrote 5 times. Hereby, I was there. In need of a knight in shining armour to rescue my character…

This gave shape to the how I made it to the ending I wanted and had me erase a lot of bad scenes I loved [but equally lacked and were as cheap as making a girl rescue a dog from villager kids stoning it… In the middle of a harsh winter in the opening just so you know she has a very good heart].

Do treat your minor characters with respect. They’re not upsetting flies. They’re butterfly wings changing what’s going up in the dessert. They deserve you listening to them, your imagination allowing them romping around, doing mischief and dropping one or two H bombs behind. Your work will get better by trying to solve the aftermath.

Enjoy characters fucking it up. Pasto kalo.