When a character shouldn't be there - Writers Forum

Schumi · 11-22-2006, 03:08 PM

Hello everyone,

I am currently writing a very ambitious and complex novel. It centres around 2 main characters, a mother and her son, and they have a tempestuous relationship. I've known about these two characters since the spring of last year, and started to write under the viewpoint of the mother. After writing several different scenes, I realised this was the wrong thing to have done. I went back over my character profiles, and after advancing them somewhat, came to thinking that I should be writing this story from the viewpoint of the son. Cue a whole host of changes, and the realization that I would have to start from the beginning again.

I am happy that I now have the right viewpoint; it's other characters I'm worried about. Along with the mother and son, there is also a father and younger sister. The sister is based on my second cousin, so she fits naturally into the swing of things. But the father is where the problem lies.

Recently, I haven't been writing anything for my novel, instead putting my efforts into a range of short stories and poems. I figure if the novel is static, then I should keep the pen moving with something else. I think the reason for the lack of advancement with the story centres on the father. I can envisage the mother, son and younger sister perfectly in my head. They could not be clearer to me. I know a lot about them, and feel I understand them enough to write about them. I've jotted down a lot of ideas I've had, and they are all for scenes that do not feature the father. I can see what he looks like, and even how he talks. But I can't envisage him having an impact on the story. There's nothing there that is centred on him. It all seems to fall naturally to the mother and son.

It could be that I haven't focused enough attention on the character of the father. I have written profiles on him, and tried writing scenes with him in them. But it feels contrived, like I'm just putting him there to make a family of four.

I really want to get back into writing the story, but I'm not sure how to take it forward. Having already re-written a lot of it, I don't want to end up in the same situation again, whereby I'm constantly re-writing scenes instead of moving things along.

I'd be interested to here of your own experiences. Have you had characters that don't fit with the story? How did you go forward with it?

Thanks,

Steven.

SeattleGhostWriter · 11-22-2006, 03:59 PM

Depending on how you are telling the story (namely, the POV), depends on how one should address the issue here. If I understand your post and question correctly, you are wanting to know how to place in the character of the father into the story and not change the flow and context of how you are telling the story.

Some questions to ask yourself:

1) What role does the father play in the story? Namely, does anything he say, the actions he performs has any impact on the other characters? Does he influence the characters in any way? how they behave, how they react, how the converse?

2) If the character of the father does not impact the story in anyway, but is merely there as a character of insignificance, does this take away from the story? Does this help the story?

Without seeing the actual text, it is hard to advise on something like this. But those are some questions I would ask.

How important is the fathers character to the overall premise of what you are wanting to relay to the reader. Does he come and go?

That may help you with this.

Timothy.

Mike C · 11-22-2006, 03:59 PM

Kill him. Is he absolutely necessary to make the story work?

Emerson Darkness · 11-22-2006, 04:00 PM

Can't remember this type of thing ever happening to me.

It is possible that you just don't like the character.
Under those circumstances I guess I would probably just X the character.

imrhati · 11-22-2006, 07:28 PM

If the father is givign you troubles seriously consider scrapping him, or if he plays a center role in your story revise his character so he is better.

Shawn · 11-22-2006, 08:36 PM

If you don't like the father character, make the family members not like him too.

Cynic · 11-22-2006, 09:04 PM

SGW is on the right track. Of course, if you lose the dad, that changes a whole range of other things, such as the mother raising them on her own, etc. Did she have help? What do the kids think of that? Either way is fine, but either choice has impact. If the son has a bad relationship with the mother, but the mother is a single parent, there are things to consider:

Often the mother-child bond is stronger in such situations. Of course, she might see her son as a physical representation of her negative emotions toward the kid's father. Or maybe she got wrapped into a career and the kids were made to fend for themselves. Or maybe an uncle took care of them.

But mainly, it's impact all the way. This is a great opportunity to bring new clarity to all the other characters, if you decide the father isn't important to actually have in the story directly.

Emerson Darkness · 11-22-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Kill him.

This is the reason I read

Schumi · 11-23-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeattleGhostWriter

1) What role does the father play in the story? Namely, does anything he say, the actions he performs has any impact on the other characters? Does he influence the characters in any way? how they behave, how they react, how the converse?

That's the problem. He doesn't have an impact. Of the scenes I have written that include him, his dialogue is very plain and doesn't say anything of real importance. It couldn't be more different with the mother and son. Their dialogue and actions have a certain fluidity, which has happened naturally. In truth, the father feels like a bit of a wimp. In some cases this could be an important trait in a character, something that distinguishes him from others. But everything about him feels out of place.

2) If the character of the father does not impact the story in anyway, but is merely there as a character of insignificance, does this take away from the story? Does this help the story?

From the start, I was looking for him to play an active and important role in both the mother and son's life. To have him wandering around in the background, playing no significance, adds nothing to the story. I can see how a character who does little could still play an important role (I have written short stories featuring such characters), but he is not one of them.

How important is the fathers character to the overall premise of what you are wanting to relay to the reader. Does he come and go?

He is the sort of character that would crop up occasionally. Considering that he plays a role as important as a father, I don't think that's good enough. If he's going to be an active character in the story, then he needs to be seen, and I can't envisage a time when that would regularly happen. As I've said, it couldn't be more different with regards to the mother and son.

Thanks for your reply. It made me realise a few things.

Schumi · 11-23-2006, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynic

SGW is on the right track. Of course, if you lose the dad, that changes a whole range of other things, such as the mother raising them on her own, etc. Did she have help? What do the kids think of that? Either way is fine, but either choice has impact. If the son has a bad relationship with the mother, but the mother is a single parent, there are things to consider:

Often the mother-child bond is stronger in such situations. Of course, she might see her son as a physical representation of her negative emotions toward the kid's father. Or maybe she got wrapped into a career and the kids were made to fend for themselves. Or maybe an uncle took care of them.

But mainly, it's impact all the way. This is a great opportunity to bring new clarity to all the other characters, if you decide the father isn't important to actually have in the story directly.

Thanks for your post. It illustrated to me how much the story could be advanced without the father's presence. I wrote down key points to my characters family history a while ago, and the fathers was the most difficult to write. What I've been seeing in my head for a week or so now is a family of 3, with the father no longer there. I don't see him as being alive. What I do see though, is how the impact of him no longer being around would affect the others characters. My own father died 6 years ago when I was 14, and I remember how wretched that time was. It's the worst pain I have ever felt. A part of me doesn't want to say this, but considering how long it's been since my father was here, it's harder for me to write a story that involves an active father/son relationship. I struggle to remember what it felt like.

What I think I could do with my story is show through the son's viewpoint how badly he misses him, and how his grief is shared with his mother. I'd feel more confident doing it this way. I would have the chance to go back and write scenes when the father was there, and this would in turn build an image of the relationship he had with his family.

Before I write any more of the story, though, I need to work all this out first. I know in my head how complex the story is, and for a first time at writing a novel, how ambitious. But equally, I know that if I can put the scenes I see so clearly in my head onto paper, I'll have something really good.

imrhati · 11-23-2006, 03:09 PM

ah, we appear to have found that focet for your problem. The characters likely represent your family in your mind, and becuase you don't have a ftaher, the father character represents nothing and therefore is a simple bodyu in your story without real character to him.

I can suggest two thigns:

Have the father dead, and write from personal experience, this could bring some very good emotion to the story.

Or perhaps add a subplot of the son looking for a father figure.