Hello everybody. I've found myself to be writing a story and I've not not this before and with coronovirus lockdown I've more time to write. So I thought I'd sign up here to perhaps get some support or ideas. It's Science Fiction story as that is the genre I've always loved reading. I have a question which may be quite common for new writers: Before I started writing I made a bare bones plot and ideas for the six main characters in the story (there is no principle character). Then I've just plunged in and started writing. However, as the scenes are written, I discover more about the characters and looking back, the way they behaved at the beginning doesn't quite fit my understanding of them now. Does anyone else find this and at what point do you go back an re-write so the characters behave in a consistent way?
Hi Gareth I’m one of the forum moderators, and I want to welcome you to the forum. You've asked a very good question ...and there is a good thing to take away from it as well. If your characters have been evolving since you first envisioned your story, they are probably becoming more honest and more believable. They're no longer just the means to convey a plot. They are 'people.' It's a sweet spot to reach, isn't it? I reckon there isn't any exact time when you should go back and make changes. Feel free to go back any time you want ...either to make the actual changes or to make a notation of what needs to be changed. Things may evolve even further, so don't get too obsessed with perfection yet. Just try to keep the elements of the story on track. Once you get to the end, you'll have a much clearer picture of what needs to be done. Of course this will require very careful editing, in stages. Probably the first stage (once the story is completed and you've achieved some distance on it) is to look for plot holes and continuity issues. Get those sorted, then start working on getting the character portrayal more consistent. It will take a while, but it's so worth it when it clicks into place at last. Anyway.... In order to help you get oriented and get settled, here are a couple of links I strongly recommend that you read at the start, if you haven’t already. They will give you a good idea of how we operate here on the forum: New Member Quick Start Forum Rules You will notice in the New Member Quick Start that in order to post your work in the Workshop area—the only area of the forum where you are allowed to ask for feedback—you will need to do at least two critiques for other people, in exchange for receiving feedback on one of your own pieces of work. This 2:1 ratio lasts as long as your membership here. In order to help you get started doing critiques, here is a link to a good article written by one of our former moderators: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/constructive-critiques.20627/ One of the popular areas of our forum is our contest section. There is a monthly contest running for Short Stories, Flash Fiction and Poetry. You can enter these ongoing contests, even as a new member. And we really encourage you to visit the site, read the current entries, and vote for your favourite when the voting period starts. This means a lot to the people who have written these entries. And it will also give you a good idea of what our members are capable of writing. https://www.writingforums.org/writing-contests/ While the Role Playing Game section is not new, it’s being given a revamp. So if you are interested in playing and writing Role Playing Games, you might want to visit this section and get in on the fun. https://www.writingforums.org/threads/resurrecting-the-dead-rpg-section-rebuild.165055/ I hope you have fun getting to know us and let us get to know you, via the posts you make. Please feel free to explore the forum. There is a lot under the hood. This site map might help you find your way around more quickly than the menu bars do, so feel free to use it. https://www.writingforums.org/faq/ If you encounter any difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact me or one of the other moderators, whose names appear in yellow at the bottom of the Community page. We will be glad to help. Again, welcome! Cheers for now, Jan
Hello Gareth! Welcome to the forum! This quarantine situation should have us all doing the thing that brought you to this forum in the first place! Also, to answer your question. There really isn’t any right or wrong answer. You might find their true colours come out pending on the different situations you put your characters through, since they are constantly evolving entities. You could always rework them again in the second draft if you don’t find them to be consistent enough in the first. Hopefully you’ll enjoy your time here and you learn something new and useful.
