Forever True?

As a writer, I most certainly want readers to enjoy my story.  With that said, I think there's a difference between writing a story that will make readers happy and writing a story that stays true to the characters and the way the story is meant to unfold. 

I think sometimes it's hard to stay true to our characters, especially when they want to go in a direction that may not make readers happy.  As a writer, what do you do? Do you write the story so it'll sell books and keep controversy to a minimum or do you listen to your characters and let them take the lead, even if you don't agree with "their" decisions.

As a pantser (a type of writer who does not plot things out, but rather writes by the seat of his/her pants), I let my characters take the story where they want to take it.  Sometimes it leaves me shaking my head and cringing.  The decisions my characters make aren't always the decisions I would have made for them.  Sounds silly, right?  After all, I'm the one writing the story.  And yet... I feel as though I'd be untrue if I wrote something that didn't fit what my character would do, or the decisions she/he would make.  I also think there's something to be said for writing the story you want to write, without being influenced by what others will think of you or your story.

If you've read my book, Viridis, there's a scene in there that left me cringing, and you'll likely know the one.  Would I have done what Phoebe did?  I don't know.  But what I do know is that the decision she made was true to her character, based on her fears and emotions at that point in the story.  Truth be told, I originally wrote the scene so I would know what Phoebe went through, but had no intentions of putting it in the book, for fear that readers would freak out.  However, my agent convinced me otherwise, explaining that Phoebe's reactions to what occurred seemed like an over-reaction if the reader didn't get to see what actually happened. I took her advise and put it in, and though I feel I remained true, sure enough, not all readers have been happy.

Once more, Devil on a Sparrow's Wing, book 2 in the series, left me thinking and rethinking the ending.  It would certainly be easier to pick an ending that would be less controversial, and yet... any endings other than the one chosen would not have been true to my characters.  I can only hope that my readers will know my characters well enough by then, and will understand it was what my characters would have done.

It isn't easy to stay true, especially when you know they'll be some backlash.  But I'm happy that I've stayed true to my characters, even if my story isn't everyone's cup of tea--not to say I won't try to make everyone happy if there's a way to do it and still keep in line with what my characters want.  ; )
 
How do you get around this sort of dilemma?  Do you find a way to tweak things so everyone's happy, including your characters and your readers, or do you throw caution to the wind and just write your story without giving it any thought?

The Elusive Plot

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I tend to wing it when it comes to my storylines-- in other words, I'm a pantster.  I thoroughly enjoy the freedom it allows, and my characters always surprise me, often taking the plot where I would not have thought to go.  There have been rare occasions when I've tried to work with an outline, however my characters have a tendency to misbehave and it usually results in a deviation from my original plans.

And yet, there are times when I just cannot figure out where my story is going.  Sometimes it's because I've taken a wrong turn.  These are the easy issues to correct-- I backtrack to that fork in the road, and go a different way.  However there are times when I feel like I don't have a very good grip on my plot and it goes beyond taking a wrong turn.  These are the times when I find myself rewriting and tweaking the first hundred pages of my manuscript several times, hoping I'll find that magical combination. 

But no matter how bleak things may look at times, I always try and write through it.  There is no other option for me.  Not writing won't change the problems with my story, so I might as well get on with it and deal with the matter at hand.

Here are a couple of things I like to try to help me find my way.  Maybe they can help you too.

*  First determine if it's something as simple as "The Wrong Turn".  If you think that's the case, determine where your story veered off the right path, and simply back the story up to that point.  You may have to delete a fair amount of pages, but it'll be well worth it.

*  Brainstorm some ideas with loose outlines.  I find this helps solidify my thoughts and the plot.  Even if I follow a vague outline for a short while, I can always let the story go where it wants afterwards, once it's picked up a bit of speed.

*  Raise the stakes.  And then raise them again.  What does your protagonist have to lose if she/he fails? What if their failure will affect far more than just their life?  By raising the stakes, we raise the tension, and the tension can help strengthen the plot.

*  Make your protagonist's life miserable.  If something can go wrong, it should.  Pile on the hurt, and when you think they couldn't possibly take anymore, pile on some more.  However, in between all the misery I like to sprinkle moments of hapiness, which only adds to what could be lost when it all goes wrong.

*  And when all else fails, a dead body always helps to move things along.  *mwa ha ha*  I'd like to say I'm kidding, but really, dead bodies do wonders for raising the stakes, the misery and the tension.  Granted, not every storyline can carry off a dead body, but you'd be surprised.

The very last thing to keep in mind is once you're done, there is always the editing phase where you can tweak your story, strengthen your plotlines and rein in those loose threads.  So, what about you?  Any tips for finding that elusive plot?