Fighting with Fandom: Characters who won't behave

[seraphcelene]

tkp had a really great discussion about writer's who write characters they hate while at the same time being fair to them.

That got me to thinking because that right there, that can be a very difficult row to hoe. Hiding your dislike of character C but including him or her in your fic because of the canonical relationship they have with character A. So you've got to mention him or her all the while trying hook character A up with character B. whew!

Then kita0610 wrote the supremely gorgeous All Ways and gave everybody equal time with a great deal of care and respect. It is a beautiful sight to behold and if you haven't read it consider this your do it or die recommendation.

Well, all of that got me to thinking and through leaps, bounds, and twisty curves I started wondering ... what character have you fought with the most?

I mean, you know, you have an Idea! Yay-Hooray. Then you come up with a Plot. Even better. Then you sit down to write and suddenly the characters refuse to cooperate. They are difficult and unwieldy, and I'm not just talking about characters you don't like. I'm talking about even your most favoritest character ever in the history of the universe and fandom. They become recalcitrant and you're left with a great Idea and a faboo Plot and no one who wants to play.

What do you do? What do. you. do? Solider on? Or throw your hands up in disgust and say, Fine then, it's not like I liked you anyway!

Tell me about it, won't you?

Comments

[seraphcelene]

I find it hard to go back after I've put it aside. I've got stuff that's been sitting on my hard drive for over a year and it's not doing anything except collecting cyber dust. I see the file name and am overcome with dread.

How long do you break? Days, Weeks, Months? What characters are being difficult for you right now? Why do you think that is? Are they always the same characters that proove difficult or is this an exception?

[minim_calibre]

The longest break I ever took was, hmm.

Two and a half years? Which was long enough for me to open it up when I was bored on the bus (I'd forgotten a book), read, get interested, and have enough distance to want to actually finish it.

My usual break is a matter of days or weeks, however.

Right now, I think it's been two weeks since I wrote anything in the revised story. There's interaction that's being difficult. All three characters (Buffy, Willow, and Xander) just want to glare at each other and not actually talk. And I realize it's because I've set them in an awkward situation where they're barely speaking, and Buffy's still mad at Willow and Xander, but, drat it, you'd think they could at least have awkward conversation for a page.

The character difficulties are always situational ones, so while it may be the same character giving me grief, it's not for the same reasons as before.