As we were driving down into Mexico, I purchased a small notebook, promising myself that I would only use it for this certain universe I have been working on. Certainly, I thought, this would be complex enough to fill the little book, but not too quickly. After all, I was only going to be writing in it during my (forseeably scant) free time. Even if I wrote whatever came to mind, it would likely last me a nice long while. Especially since I do the bulk of my work on the computer.
So I started filling out a few character sheets, little brief things about species, origin, appearance, etc., and making notes as to nationality. A little ways in I noticed that one character's claimed home was distinctly incongruous with the natural relations between species in this set - these two were famed for killing each other when avoidance was not a possibility. With this in mind I took a page or two to explain both the incongruity and why it happened anyways to myself... and then a third, and a fourth, and thought to myself that I really should wrap it up. After all, it wasn't a story in itself, only what happened - right?
About the eighth page I realised that I was in trouble. The characters just wouldn't shut up. Yes, Cameron, I know you find that somewhat disturbing. So will some other people, I am sure. But it is true nonetheless. What, I ask, is one to do when the characters develop enough of their own life to tug away and say, 'Wait, that's not right, I wouldn't do that - rather I would do such-and-such, or perhaps I might do this under these circumstances, but really if you look at my racial background you would see that...'? It really is not fair at all. And the twelfth page came, and the thirteenth, and I thought to myself that this absolutely had to stop. This was not the main story. This was only the backstory of the backstory of a minor character who is presumed dead far before the main story begins. And what was wrong with me, anyhow? I never wrote more than a page or two with paper and pen; the things are far too irritating and slow.
...At the 22nd page, now, I am thinking that perhaps I will soon need a new notebook. Then again, I have access to a computer - though only my sister's. But somehow I do not think that that will end the ceaseless nagging of the characters.
So I started filling out a few character sheets, little brief things about species, origin, appearance, etc., and making notes as to nationality. A little ways in I noticed that one character's claimed home was distinctly incongruous with the natural relations between species in this set - these two were famed for killing each other when avoidance was not a possibility. With this in mind I took a page or two to explain both the incongruity and why it happened anyways to myself... and then a third, and a fourth, and thought to myself that I really should wrap it up. After all, it wasn't a story in itself, only what happened - right?
About the eighth page I realised that I was in trouble. The characters just wouldn't shut up. Yes, Cameron, I know you find that somewhat disturbing. So will some other people, I am sure. But it is true nonetheless. What, I ask, is one to do when the characters develop enough of their own life to tug away and say, 'Wait, that's not right, I wouldn't do that - rather I would do such-and-such, or perhaps I might do this under these circumstances, but really if you look at my racial background you would see that...'? It really is not fair at all. And the twelfth page came, and the thirteenth, and I thought to myself that this absolutely had to stop. This was not the main story. This was only the backstory of the backstory of a minor character who is presumed dead far before the main story begins. And what was wrong with me, anyhow? I never wrote more than a page or two with paper and pen; the things are far too irritating and slow.
...At the 22nd page, now, I am thinking that perhaps I will soon need a new notebook. Then again, I have access to a computer - though only my sister's. But somehow I do not think that that will end the ceaseless nagging of the characters.
