82 Writing Experiments by Bernadette Mayer. How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method. Writing. Well-Behaved Characters by John Gilstrap. Like all authors, I suppose, I teach a number of writing classes and attend my share of conferences, and one of the questions that always comes up goes something like this: “I hear authors talk about how there comes a point in every story when the characters take over and start writing the story for you. Does that happen to you?” The short answer is no; and frankly, it sort of ticks me off. I’d love to cede the process of plot development to my characters. Hell, somewhere in the middle of the second act, where all the tedious stuff is being manipulated and I’ve got to keep the pacing going, I’d cede the process to a stranger in a grocery store if he could make it any less painful. As it is, my characters just sit there and wait to be told what to do.
I faced a storytelling crisis last weekend. So I shot one of the characters. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a gratuitous thing. I submitted the manuscript a week early! Back to this business of characters taking on lives of their own. Internet Resources - Writers Resources - Writing Links & Writers Links for Writers - Fiction Writing. Short Story Ideas - Home.