Writing sure is weird

[odditycollector]

So I am plotting out this story I don't have the skills to pull off, but *whatever*, refer to resolution to be crap at stuff.

Anyway, at the point I am currently looking at, Character A is distressed by a decision they are faced with, and they suddenly make a somewhat embarrassing revelation to Character B. Character B says that they know.

And I am left staring at them going, *How* did you know! I didn't know! I think you guys are confused about who is meant to be in charge of this situation, ie, me.

Comments

[petra]

Characters are contrary fuckers in my experience.

[odditycollector]

They aren't real! They oughn't decide things for themselves! :|

[foolsguinea]

hahahahahaha

Maybe they don't know. Maybe you're writing on autopilot, and the conventional response is, "I know," and you have to break that expectation.

[odditycollector]

Ha! No, they totally know. Trust me, it's more complicated that way.

[brownbetty]

Maybe they intuited, or made some kind of wacky leap that no one else would have, but they did because they know A.

[odditycollector]

Well if A's embarrassing revelation is true, B would know it, because otherwise what is even the point of time travel. I just feel that *I* should have known it first!

[brownbetty]

Well, now you do? I guess?

I mean, you're not a time traveller, you couldn't have known. Don't feel bad.

[urban-anchorite.livejournal.com]

I note with some amused consternation that I am faced with a similar dilemma, albeit Character A was less "distressed at a decision" and more "making grandiose plans." Character B revealed they knew an embarrassing Character A revelation.

This irritates my shit as that was meant to be the end-of-story reveal. Sometimes narrative realisation is inconvenient.

In summary, horsewhip them.

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

In this case it's not particularly convenient *or* inconvenient, I am just concerned that the characters are figuring out their motivations before I do!

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, also, how do you feel about me trying to podcast your lasagna fic?

[urban-anchorite.livejournal.com]

I would be excited to death, flattered as all hell and thrilled to bits.

:D :D :D

[bluepard.livejournal.com]

My unconscious mind (subconscious mind? ...you know what I mean) seems to be much smarter than my conscious mind. If I have trouble reasoning something out, it'll usually come up with the solution if I leave it alone for awhile. It's like magic! Except with the horrifying realization that your mind is off doing things without you knowing about it.

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of the poetry in the theory that our conscious mind is an emergent illusion caused by the underlying processes, so *that* doesn't bother me. But I'm a little unnerved by imaginary characters doing their own thing from the inside of my skull!

You working on plotting too? :)

[bluepard.livejournal.com]

But your underlying processes are just writing a bit ahead of you, that's all!

Not anything serious, just screwing around. The usual.