A three-dimensional character is one of the sturdy foundations of an effective story. How many times have you often heard readers saying that they didn’t like the characters because they are flat, or that they don’t jump out of the pages? This creates anxiety for the writer, who, in attempting to mold a live character, continues to go back to the drawing board. He fills page after page with ideas, cluttering his sanctuary and ripping his hair out of frustration. Has this ever happened to you? If it has, then you are among those who are intimidated by the common myth in writing which goes something along the line of “characters writing themselves.” Fiction writers should fret not for this notion has no factual basis. The idea is merely procured from romantic notions about the writing vocation that is unrealistic.

Adding to this mythos are famous writers who claimed to have let their characters guide them on how to shape the fictional persona that will blend and meet the demands of the plot, and then take it from there. Ray Bradbury, for example, once said: “First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!” This sounds too much for any writer in search of a good character, but it is interesting to note that Bradbury had been writing for years. In his formative days, he had been rejected multiple times that pushed him to hone his craft, and his dedication paid off.

This is not to say that it takes years of polishing your craft before your characters write themselves. Subconsciously, Bradbury may not have been aware that it was he who was purely responsible for interpreting, analyzing, and revealing his characters. Characters sometimes become an extension of the writer’s subconscious so that it appears as if the character is leading the writer. This gives credence to the alleged elusiveness of the writing muse.

It does not matter how often you write fiction. Characters are abstract images incapable of independent thought. It is the writer who plays God in deciding on the conception of characters and how they will interact with the reader. The writer as an artist creates. He does not sit in a lotus position under a tree, waiting for inspiration. The character will not poke him between the eyes and say, “Hey, I want you to write me like this.”

This overblown myth about characters writing themselves has no need to intimidate the writer. This notion probably stemmed from discriminating critics and academics whose influence in the literary community is close to absolute. But note that these literary snobs are just like you and me--fallible human beings. The world of Humanities is teeming with helpless-romantic misconceptions that carry no weight in actuality. You have the ability to bring characters to life because you have the skill and dedication.

Now that you are armed with the reassurance that it is you who dictates the terms and conditions of your characters coming to life, you can now face the blank screen or paper with confidence.