5 Fun Ways to Show YOUR Uncooperative Characters Who's Boss

Have you ever had a character that just wouldn't listen to reason? The ones who throw a tantrum in the middle of your Muses glorious good day? Yes, that's the day when you are tempted to drop a piano on said character. Until you remember that it's your MC. . . and the story is in first person. Damn! You think, "What!? I created you! You ungrateful little--"

Well, there are two big ways these characters can go rouge:



1. Breaking rank and doing their own thing (as in: not what you planned in a million years): 

"I don't want to go to Stanford! I want to get knocked up by the smokin' hot mail man!"

2. Refusing to do anything at all:

"Eh, I dunno writer man/lady . . . what do you wanna do today?"

Both of these are serious problems. Number 1 is a pain in the ass, but at least there's something to write! It's number 2 that will really make your laptop fly through the window.

So what do you do now? Well, that can be more fun than you think:

1. Walk A Mile In Their Shoes:

 Get up tomorrow (or right now) and be your character. If they would wear sneakers and sweat pants, then that's what you'll wear. Your hair, make up (if applicable), and breakfast are now dictated by your character. Think with that voice, act on that personality, and let them take the wheel for a while. How would they react to a rude waitress? What kinds of judgments would they make about people around them?

Okay, now this could be a little harder for those of us who have characters of the opposite sex, but hang in there and remember that writers are famous for being a little odd, right? Okay. . . well maybe just try the next one.

2. Day Dream:

For those who cannot legally, sanely, or politely run around in their characters shoes - this one's for you. Instead of staring at a blank screen, kick back and imagine from square one what your character would do when they woke up in the morning and follow them around on a normal day (not where you are in you're story, just a normal day.)

Crank it up a notch: Get up and go through the morning routine as your character. Get into their skin before you write. If they wouldn't be in a house, you can imagine that they've been dropped in your home and think of how they'd react to you're surroundings. What would they think of you?  Of you're stuff?

3. (For Number 1's) Go With The Flow:

That crazy off ramp your character's trying to take? Follow them! You don't have to keep it in your MS, but what have you got to loose? It will take you somewhere totally different and maybe there's something usable in there. Or, maybe it's pure genius and you're really on to something great. But unless you follow, you'll never know and God only knows how long you'll be playing tug-of-war with that feisty character. 

4.  Think Outside The POV:

What POV do you use? First person, Third Person Unlimited...? Switch it up! That's right, I'm not just talking about head hopping, go a step further and change the camera angle. For first person-ers this may give you a look at the big picture, for third person-ers this can give you a chance to see the unseen and find a new way to manipulate it. You can re-write a scene, a chapter, or even write the next scene. No matter what, you'll get something new. 

5. Steal The Script:

WWSK?? What would Stephen King do? Or WWDB? What would Dan Brown do? You can do this two ways: the movie way or the hard way. 

Movie Way: Take a good movie (to really have some fun try one that's totally outside you're genre) and imagine that your stuck scene morphs into something from that movie. For example, if you're watching Jurassic Park, imagine a T Rex just put his foot through your MC's garage. And Action! It's all about playing. Play with your story and you'll find little diamonds in the rubble left behind. 

Hard Way: What would your author of choice do with your story? Let him/her take over your keyboard for a while and see what happens. It doesn't have to stay! That's not the point, just play! 

So you tell me, what do you do when your stuck with a bratty MC? What kooky things did/would/will you try from above?