Wow! Talk about a busy few weeks! As many of you know I am going through the beginning pains of a military activation. The tearful goodbyes, the acclimation from a dry climate to a hot & humid one, and then the
I have been told that I am a discovery writer, and I believe this is true... To an extent. I don't start with a written outline, or even research and notes. I do start with a story mostly fleshed out in my mind, then sit and start writing. Often times the characters will take the story in places I hadn't originally anticipated. When I create a character, I will have a rough idea who they are supposed to be, and how big a role they will play, only to learn through their dialogue and actions that they aren't who I thought they were in the beginning.
Some might be thinking, "But wait! You are the author... Don't you dictate who they are and what they do?" My answer to this is yeah/no. I create them, give them voice, and design their setting, but their actions have to be taken into account on everything they do. If I were to force their actions, it would be apparent in my writing, and I don't want that. I sometimes feel like a parent to these characters, even getting teary eyed when one has to die. I HATE killing my characters.
The one thing I feel I can force, is the scenery. It rains when I tell it too, the sun sets and rises on my whim, and the geography is laid out rather nicely. At one point in my story, I realized that there had been no rain. So, to make up for it, I created a downpour... And one of my characters ended up getting sick. A great (IMHO) delusional scene came from that. My character was fleshed out more, his motives examined, and in the end, he was a stronger character. But none of this was in my original vision of the story. There are many, many other examples of this happening in my story.
In the end, I wouldn't say I am a cut and dried discovery writer, but rather an amalgamation of sorts.
What kind of writer are you?
