Wednesday 1 February 2017

When the story tells itself and you're just along for the ride


Something weird happened as I was writing my story The Last Sorceror.

You'll find the story in the new Inklings Press anthology Tales of Wonder, but even now I sit and fret about parts of the story. Not the parts most writers worry about - at least, I don't think so. You see, somewhere along the way, the story started telling itself.

There are actions that certain characters take that, even now, I stroke my chin and say man, that's a bit rough, not sure I approve of that.

But there they are, doing their own thing.

The story tells the tale of Eli, The Last Sorceror of the title, and his apprentice, Maggie, as they go on the run through a future Britain as the government enforcers hunt down the nation's last remaining magic users. Along the way, an old friend, and an old adversary show up, and things get out of hand.

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that characters dictate their own terms - for me, they just did. One character in particular, a curmudgeonly old woman with a bad hip and a fearless attitude quite frankly turned round to me as I typed and told me "Hey, I got this" and carried on regardless.

So if you like the story, if you hate the story, know that credit or blame lands both on my shoulders - and a little on the shoulders of these characters who boss me around.

As for me, I want to go see what they tell me happens next...

Leo McBride's story The Last Sorceror features in the Inklings Press anthology Tales of Wonder, available here: 

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