Whose story is it?

Let your characters decide!

I’ve finally written the synopsis to my third book. Hooray! I’ve been dragging my feet over it for weeks and although it’s never been far from my mind, somehow the ideas failed to come together. In the end I forced myself to sit down and corral my random thoughts into some semblance of order.  I had intended to centre my story on one main character, a girl named Jenny* whose huge intelligence alienates her from her peers and provokes her less talented sister Adele* into jealous behaviour. Jenny’s high I.Q was to be integral to the plot. But somehow, when I wrote the synopsis, Adele wanted to be more centre stage and I found myself side lining Jenny.

When I showed the draft to my husband he made one of those ‘hmmm’ noises that usually causes me to be defensive, then argue for hours, then (sometimes**) back down… But this time I knew what he was going to say because I’d seen it too. I was no longer telling Jenny’s story; I was telling Adele’s.

I did some rapid thinking. Maybe subconsciously I’d realised Adele was a more interesting character. Jenny was clever but maybe a bit predictable. Jealousy is an interesting emotion because it causes irrational behaviour – how would Adele behave? Would she get her comeuppance? Would she develop through the novel? The potential was endless and I knew it would make for a more interesting story.

Writing a synopsis is an essential requirement for a published author and a good habit for all writers. But being too rigid in our thinking can be dangerous. We need to allow our characters a little space; then they can jostle for position and eventually alert us to their place in the narrative. And I think wise writers need to listen to their characters: ultimately they will tell us whose story we are telling.

*Names might be subject to change!

** Usually!