A Writer’s Dream…Literally

I have many author friends who lament the fact that their characters sometimes hijack their story. They’ll have the entire thing meticulously plotted out, then BAM!- the characters have taken over.

I have felt this way myself. In fact, I have had to explain to my daughter why one character in a previous book had to suffer the fate he did. It wasn’t something I planned. It was just something that happened. I had an inkling that it was coming a few days before I wrote it, but at that point, I couldn’t write the scene in any other way.

Sometimes, the people reading our stories cry with our characters. Most authors I know will admit we cry with them, too.

What I never expected was to be taken to task by one of my own characters.

Let me explain. Several nights ago, I had a very realistic dream. In this dream, I was sitting down to lunch at one of the local restaurants where I sometimes dine with my family. My companion was one of my heroines to one of the first books I ever published. Although it seems ridiculous now, at that moment, it felt perfectly normal to be sitting across from her. Anyway, my companion, Melanie, had brought with her a detailed list of all the major plot points in the story. During our lunch, she argued with me about why I should have skipped such and such a conflict, or misunderstanding, and made her path easier.

“But conflict is essential!” I defended.

I don’t remember much more. But I believe the point I was trying to make is true. Conflict in stories makes the readers root for the characters. And it makes the Happy Ever After that much sweeter.

What do you think? Do you, as a reader, enjoy seeing the hero and heroine overcome obstacles? Do you become emotionally involved with the stories? I have digital copies of An Inconvenient Courtship or print copies of Interrupted Lullaby to giveaway to two commenters.  I will pull names on January 2.