Young Writers Society

Hello!
As I have said before, I'm writing a book. What I announced to be the completed prose last year turned out to be only the first part of a book divided in two. I'm now writing the second part, which takes place fifty years before.

Unlike Part One, which used many points of view (some casual, some recurrent), making prose easier to write, this part focuses only on the main character, a woman. It's harder to write that way, but the idea will pay off. She's a character that appeared in a minor role in Part One, but now the story of how she got involved with the characters, then being an old lady, is told in this part, in which she's only twenty seven years old.

I write as I go, planning no more than a few chapters ahead and with a very light sketch of how things are going to turn out. The sketch, though, didn't make it farther than chapter fifteen, with another fifteen to go. I have a lot of unresolved questions, and the character had to get pregnant (you see, I know it happened, just not when). So, to keep moving forward, I made a really difficult decision: She is going bad. Switching sides. Not permanently, though, for she is good in the first part, but hey! Knowing Anakin would become Darth Vader didn't stop anyone from wanting to see how it happened, and, why not, rooting that it didn't. Now, it's the other way around. The point is, she will switch (she's almost doing it right now, in chapter seventeen). Twice.

So, what I want to ask, and debate, in this topic is the following: What are your thoughts on switching? Does it make sense? And how can one, as a writer, sustain such a switch when you KNOW which side is good? Do the lies of the bad side become necessary for the character to accept the switching? And, most important of all, does this switching, especially when the character goes back to where he started, makes the final choice more true?
Thanks, I'll wait for your answer.

I'm sorry for posting this so many times. You might have heard of the YWS bug on posting... But I deleted everything now. Just one poll.
Sorry!

Have her switch, by all means. It will strengthen your characters personality, make her more real, and more relatable in the end. I mean, come on. Who among us hasn't - or will - stray somewhat to the proverbial 'dark side' at some point in our lives. Having your character switch sides, so to speak, she will be made stronger (remember conflict makes perfect) and eventually impregnable to that same 'dark' force that attracted her before. Like the immune system which releases vestigal antibodies into your system after a virus attacks, defending your body for the rest of your life against that same virus.

And besides, a story is all about the journey. All about change. If your character doesn't change, we don't care.

-Kylan

The question is not: what do we think of her switching sides? The question is: what does she think of switching sides?

Thinking about it from the character's perspective, this probably isn't a sudden "ok, now I'm going to be bad" type of thing. If it is in her to become bad, then that is what she must do. It's all about the character.

However, if the switch is just for plot purposes and seems to be something the character wouldn't do, then don't do it.

In short: go right ahead. My character did it and I think it worked just fine.

^_^Keek!

Sleeping Valor wrote:The question is not: what do we think of her switching sides? The question is: what does she think of switching sides?

Yeah, I've got to agree with this. it really all depends on who the charachter is, and why they'd be doing it. My writing tends to avoid the classic "good vs. evil" charachter alignments; I usually think in terms of cause and effect; what does said charachter have to gain by switching sides? Also think of the pressures being put on them to switch sides. for example peer pressure or the threat of death/personal harm are really compelling reasons for someone to do something like that, even if that's something they wouldn't normally do. (Of course there are some charachters who would never do that, so you really have to think about who they are.)

So I definatley agree that you should make them switch sides; but as long as they have good reasons for doing it -- don't just make them tools to the plot. (Or, if you do do this; at least come up with a terribly compelling reason as to why they would.) Plus, unexpected betrayals are fun!

Switching sides, like allegiances?

Ya, I agree. Follow her, don't lead her. If you're having trouble seeing where she's going, maybe try character personality quizzes, like in the book by Ann and Eric Maisel, in order to get to know her better. I'd recommend writing as her every day, evn just keeping a journal for her which you will never use. Even a paragraph daily will help you understand and get to know her better and her switching sides won't be a problem. I had a character who switched sieds in a storybook once, and it wasn't so much me deciding I wanted her to switch as it was her. She didn't even really conciously decide...she only really knew when it was happening, even though it had perhaps looked like she'd half-switched for a while.

First of all, Thanks. I really appreciate your opinions. My character has finally seen the light, and, in spite of her inicial insecurity, she's now sure which side is the one she truly belongs to. Her doubts were not only hers, but an expression of the doubts that anyone forced to choose sides would feel, because of the difficulty of relating to past experiences and established morals, in a out-of-the-ordinary situation.
Thanks again.