For the most part, I absolutely love my characters. Even the villains. Actually, there are times when I find myself more interested in their backstories than my main characters.' I know this probably sounds strange, and that is the main reason why I'm saying it.
To the outside reader, these people may at first seem seeped in the bad, but I know why they've become dark, what they are willing and unwilling to do; the nature of their moral fiber.
Putting such thoughts aside, I do think it's important to note that I've struggled with two minor characters for the past few months, and I've finally made an important decision. These two problematic characters have been discontinued.
This may sound harsh, or perhaps it might even sound like I am giving up.
For those of you out there who are writers, I hope this post may help you. I want you to understand that yes, this is harsh, and yes, in a way, I did kind of give up. Just to add a little clarity to this situation, there are currently 45 characters who exist in my world. Not all of them are active or quite alive just yet, but they are somewhat pertinent to the story.
In this respect, I don't feel like I'm quitting by abandoning characters from my story. Now that I am working on the second book, it stands to reason that if someone hasn't found their place, they may not fit. This is something I wish I would've discovered earlier into my writing process, but what I have discovered with this series is that I'm learning along the way. If I'd read something like this somewhere else, I'm not sure I would've listened. I'm certainly not going to say others out there should listen to me. My hope is, however, is that by documenting it here, I will remember this lesson, and remember that I am still learning. And that's the magic of writing.
