Old quote, but still relevant

[Steven Lake]

While out doing some research on some of my books I wandered past GoodReads and happened to stumble onto this old quote of mine posted on their site. It honestly made me laugh as I was both surprised to see it still out there in the wild, and also at how shockingly true it is even all these years later. Here's the quote in case anyone is interested.

“Writers are in many ways like demi-gods. With one stroke of a pen they can give life to a character, or strike them from existence, with nary a twinge of grief at their passing.”
― Steven Lake

[Cinisajoy]

Great quote.

[gmw]

Is that why we do it, do you think? That sense of power. ... I hope not, I really don't like to think of myself as a megalomaniac.

The only part of the quote that I have a problem with is "nary a twinge of grief". Anyone I've spent that much time with leaves a hole when they go, so I do grieve, even for many of my villains.

[issybird]

I'm reminded of a Dorothy Parker review of a later novel by Sinclair Lewis, in which he employed the term Babbitt. I can't remember the exact quote, but it was along the lines of, "No one has a better right, but you wish he hadn't."

Words of wisdom for any author, I think.

[Steven Lake]

Originally Posted by gmw

Is that why we do it, do you think? That sense of power. ... I hope not, I really don't like to think of myself as a megalomaniac.

The only part of the quote that I have a problem with is "nary a twinge of grief". Anyone I've spent that much time with leaves a hole when they go, so I do grieve, even for many of my villains.

I think when I said that I was thinking of the initial creative process, and not the point further on in the writing arc where you have spent time with and gotten to know the characters. At the start it's not out of place to just add and remove characters without even thinking about it. However, once I've gotten my fingers into a character and worked with them for a while, and something happens that they die, I too cry over them. But until I get to know them, should they be stricken from the story early on I usually don't even bat an eye at their departing.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Steven Lake

I think when I said that I was thinking of the initial creative process, and not the point further on in the writing arc where you have spent time with and gotten to know the characters. At the start it's not out of place to just add and remove characters without even thinking about it. However, once I've gotten my fingers into a character and worked with them for a while, and something happens that they die, I too cry over them. But until I get to know them, should they be stricken from the story early on I usually don't even bat an eye at their departing.

Ah yes, I see what you mean now. I have a lot of trouble building characters at the start - it's one of the things that causes me the most difficulty. All I have at the start is glimpse of something, and nothing much more happens for me until the characters become real. As a result very few characters get discarded early in the process, because, by the time they exist, they are the story. ... Mind you, in my current project one got a sex change very early on, and then changed her name again a bit later. I almost didn't notice either event, the fix-ups felt more like corrections rather than changes, if that makes any sense.

[Steven Lake]

hahahaha. Yeah, I've done that with characters before too, especially before I really got to know them. I mean, I've had them change sexes, change races, hair color, skin color, even species in some cases, or somehow end up on the flip side of a conversation. haha.

[toddhicks209]

Excellent quote. Never heard of Steve Lake.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by toddhicks209

Excellent quote. Never heard of Steve Lake.

You just haven't been around here long enough. And I'm sure Steven won't mind. There seems a good chance that he, like myself, had not heard of Todd Hicks until you started posting here.

Whereas, everyone I know has heard of G. M. Worboys ... though some may refuse to admit it.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by gmw

You just haven't been around here long enough. And I'm sure Steven won't mind. There seems a good chance that he, like myself, had not heard of Todd Hicks until you started posting here.

Whereas, everyone I know has heard of G. M. Worboys ... though some may refuse to admit it.

Agreeing with the first part, many authors I've never heard of.

On the second part. So resisting a comment.