Experienced Writers: How do you stop yourself from forcing your characters to change too early?

Question

I'm writing a story. The protagonist starts of as a pretty bad guy. My goal is for him to grow and become a better person by the end of the story. But, I find myself forcing him to start making those inner changes really early in the story, and I know it shouldn't happen this quick. Not with this guy's past. He's come across his love interest, who will eventually change his views on life. But, i'm becoming so wrapped in my vision of their love affair, I find myself rushing to get them to bed (so to speak).

How can I stop myself from doing this?

And, do I just add more scenes where he's being a butthole before he actually runs into this person to drag it out?

Answer 1

A plot outline

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The book, One Way to Write a Novel helped me a lot when I was a young, aspiring writer 45 years ago. It's still good.

Answer 2

Mark Twain said that he would never use the word "policeman" when he was paid the same for using "cop." A writer should use the simplest, shortest means available that still convey the intent. Do not "just add more scenes" unless those scenes are merited and serve a purpose. Character development is a purpose, but not one that can hold a scene well (though certainly some authors do so wonderfully).

What else is happening in your book? Is the entire plot just "bad guy meets good girl, bad guy becomes good guy"? Is so, then it sounds like you are writing a romance book and you should actually contact a desired publisher to determine the formula that they prefer (Romance novels being the only genre of books that have a formula that must be strictly followed). If, however, your story isn't romance then you need some events that will spur a change. What sort of events? That is for you to decide. Currently, it looks like you have only one idea for your story but a good book has at least two ideas that play off each other and create tension. You may very well need more than two ideas (most authors do), but it is mixing multiple ideas that stories become interesting and characters develop naturally.

That you are trying to force your characters implies you haven't developed your story enough. Go back to the drawing board and develop it more before you start writing.

Answer 3

1. How do you learn best? Observation? Participation? Trial and error? Rumination and cogitation? Consulting experts? Writing? Me: Participation Arwen: Trial and Error in participation. 2. How open are you to new ideas and information? Do you change your mind frequently, based on what people have told you? Are you a traditionalist, deciding on the basis of what’s always been? Me: Mmmm... I like to think I'm open Arwen: very open. 3. When you walk into a party, what do you notice first? The mood? The people? The decorations? The things that need to be fixed? The background music? The food on the buffet table? Whether or not you fit in? Me: That I *don't* fit in Arwen: People and how to avoid each one. 4. Is one sense more highly developed than another? For instance, do you tend to take in the world primarily through vision? (“I’ll believe that when I see it!”) Or are you more auditory? Do you determine if a person is lying by the tone of voice? What about the sixth sense—intuition? How often do you rely on your “gut” and then have your feelings confirmed? Me: Intuition Arwen: She see's through everything. 5. Do you usually notice problems around you? What is your response? Do you write an angry letter to the editor? Shrug and move on? Analyze what’s wrong and how to fix it? Take it as evidence that the world is falling apart? What about problems within yourself? Me: I realize the problem and try to find a quiet solution Arwen: Fix it no matter how messy or just leave it be 6. Would you say you are an optimist or a pessimist? Would your friends agree? Me: Both Arwen: Pessimist 7. Are you more interested in the past, the future or living in the now? Are you one to keep holiday traditions? If you had to move tomorrow, how long would it take you to make new friends? Me: The past. Or the Future. or right now. But mostly the future. If I moved tomorrow, it would take me years to make new friends. Arwen: Present. 8. How do you decide if you can trust someone? By experience with this person? First impressions? Intuition? Do you test the person somehow? Or are you just generally disposed to trust or not to trust? Me: I've got trust issues. I'd have to have known them well. Arwen: She trusts no one. 9. Are you a deliberate, careful speaker, or do you talk without thinking first? Do you use slang, or do you use diction your old English teacher would approve? Me: Talk without thinking, then regret it. Arwen: Doesn't speak much, but when she does, it's strong, opinionated and deliberate. She regrets nothing she says.

Answer 4

Good Writers are good readers.
Have you noticed similar transitions by other books? Analyse how that took place.
Scenes where the reader learns to HATE that character will develope the character more.
Usually, a partner sees the hope for a better person, only to find he didn't change for long. If the love interest goes to fast, give it a bitter twist to keep the reader off balance.

Give your character a bit of flesh (know his background as you would a friend) and then travels with that story will unfold like driving through a storm .... you can only see so far ahead and then be suprised where this character takes you.

Enjoy the ride.

Answer 5

Character studies. They will help to explain the changes in the character. Also a good outline that includes subplots and backstories. Obviously his change is generated by certain events in the story. The farther you push those events back in your outline, the farther back those changes will occur. You are the only one who can control what your characters do and when they do it. It sounds to me like you haven't done your homework and prepared a good strong outline and character analysis. If you had, you would know exactly when and how these changes were going to occur. That is a very common novice mistake. Stop writing and do the homework. If you want the pace to slow down, you have to find some backstories and subplots that will stretch the time frame out. Think of your story like a fishing wire. You control how much you let out and when you let it out so that when you do reel it in, you get the maximum effect. Pax - C

Answer 6

Just remember less is more. One sentence thrown in at a strange moment can show that the character's changing more than spending a whole paragraph talking about how he feels. You don't have to go into detail to try to make the reader see that the main character's changing....they can figure that out pretty easily.

As long as you remember that, you should be ok.

Answer 7

I've found that in a lot of my stories, the characters dictate the story to me, rather than me telling them what to do. (And more often than not, it's a better story that way.) Just write it the way the characters seem to be telling you, and see what happens. Adding butthole scenes that may really have nothing to do with the storyline could hurt more than it helps.
Have fun!

Answer 8

You can slow down the change but having him consider what the gal willl think or do if he does bad things, and gradually ease up on the bad things, but not entirely because hes not going to KNOW that they're bad things, to him they're natural. Maybe the gal can tell him and they can have an argument and he can consider if he Wants to change or if he Wants the girl...

Keep the true romance till later-- you could have him try, but back off when she get angry-- maybe the first time ever he did.

Answer 9

A real story grows as it grows; if you stop worrying about plot, and just finish it, you will discover the art of writing is in the art of revision.

Revision most most important.