When I request feedback, would it be helpful to note when a character goes 'off script' ?

[Naruzeldamaster]

I know I've mentioned this a few times in different threads, that when I let my characters 'be themselves' as per advise from some of you lot, they tend to go 'off script' a lot, yet still they somehow remain perfectly in character.

I just wonder if that information would be helpful in understanding that character a bit more? Cause Some characters are still a puzzle to me even when I've written them a bit.

One character that really surprised me in her off script moment was that she basically declared that she was bisexual to the reader (none of the other characters in the room were particularly thrown by her comment, since she was a bit more subtle than saying it outright. She has a BIT more tact than my version of Link does.) granted she's a member of a Fish/human Race and some fish do do that, I was just surprised when it happened. It didn't bother me and it didn't bother the other characters any, so I thought, 'why not, let's roll with it' you know?

 

[skip.knox]

I have characters that are a puzzle to me even after two novels with them.

I never regard what my characters do as off-script. I try stuff out, rather like trying on clothes. If it doesn't seem to fit, then that scene goes into the bin. I never delete such things, they just go into a Fragments folder for possible later use (which rarely happens). The time spent I don't regard as wasted, any more than I feel it's wasted that I tried on three shirts before I picked the one to wear tonight. It's just part of the process. Unlike clothes, though, the exercise does help me understand the characters better. It's nearly as important to understand what doesn't work for a character than it is to know what does work.

Or, to be succinct: nothing is broken. Keep puzzling.

 

[Prince of Spires]

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by going off script.

If you mean, does stuff sometimes happen that changes the story? Sure. That happens. I outline my stories, and stuff always changes between the original outline and what ends up in the book. I just adapt and either keep going in the new direction or I come up with events that nudge the story back towards the original idea.

If you mean, do I learn stuff about my characters as I write the story, then yes. Few people ploit their stories and characters to such an extent that they know everything about those characters. Sometimes you learn little things that aren't that important to the story. I once learned that a character was really into fashion, which didn't impact the story at all except that it let me describe everyone's outfit in detail if I was in his POV. It's just a nice detail that makes the character just a bit more well rounded and complete.

Sometimes it has profound impact on the story. For another character, I learned that her mother had died and that ever since she'd been trying to fill her mother's place as head of the family business and she felt like a complete failure because she never could live up to what she tought her mother would do and think. That realization, which happened in a single line of text, completely changed how I wrote the character, what her motivations were, and ultimately changed some of the story.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by going off script.

If you mean, does stuff sometimes happen that changes the story? Sure. That happens. I outline my stories, and stuff always changes between the original outline and what ends up in the book. I just adapt and either keep going in the new direction or I come up with events that nudge the story back towards the original idea.

If you mean, do I learn stuff about my characters as I write the story, then yes. Few people ploit their stories and characters to such an extent that they know everything about those characters. Sometimes you learn little things that aren't that important to the story. I once learned that a character was really into fashion, which didn't impact the story at all except that it let me describe everyone's outfit in detail if I was in his POV. It's just a nice detail that makes the character just a bit more well rounded and complete.

Sometimes it has profound impact on the story. For another character, I learned that her mother had died and that ever since she'd been trying to fill her mother's place as head of the family business and she felt like a complete failure because she never could live up to what she tought her mother would do and think. That realization, which happened in a single line of text, completely changed how I wrote the character, what her motivations were, and ultimately changed some of the story.

Off script in the most basic sense of the phrase, even though they're my characters, when I let em do what they want they can surprise me.
I guess a better phrase if we're sticking to film industry terms would be Ad-libbing? Since unless it drastically changes the plot, or the character, or I end up not liking it, I go 'why not' and I know some directors and writers love creative ad-libbing that adds to the story but doesn't take away from the planned plot.

I've been trying not to 'pilot' my characters as much when I write them lately, and feel out how they present themselves. It can be really fun to write them this way but it might end up with other characters not liking them as much at first.

Even my most Stoic character (He isn't actually stoic, he just seems that way until you know him) has some surprising moments.