Characteres sunt mortui sine me

"The characters are dead without me."
— William Faulkner

There’s a strange phenomenon that happens when you write a series. The characters develop a life of their own, and some readers become so invested in those characters that they feel they need to write to tell you what should happen in those characters’ lives.

I’ve had people write to say that this character should be a lesbian and should fall in love with (fill in the blank.) I’ve had them tell me that my characters have been messing around for too long, and they really need to get on with it, whatever “it” may be. Others tell me that this character is too juvenile or that man’s sexual reaction is ridiculous, and on and on and on. And what’s worse, with each successive book where those things don’t happen, some readers become angry, let you know about it, and stop reading your work.

I’ve found that those well-meaning suggestions can begin playing havoc with my mind if I’m not careful. There have been times when I worry that maybe that character should do this or that. Maybe my reader knows what they’re talking about. Am I not paying attention to what should be happening? Those thoughts lead to a writer’s biggest challenge: allowing the critical mind or subconscious to tell us that our writing is wrong or not good enough.

Ooof. What a way to block the creative flow.

Even now, as you’re reading this post, I hear you saying, “You need to write your story and don’t listen to what other people tell you should be done.” That’s true enough, and for some probably pretty easy. But when I receive fan mail, I read it and want to respond. I LOVE hearing from my readers. But, when I read those “suggestions,” as much as I try to ignore them, they become little mosquitos tickling the back of my mind as I write.

Many who read this blog are fellow writers, and maybe, just maybe, one or two of you have had the same experience when writing your series. Remember, readers don’t know your characters as well as your subconscious does. It’s not their story. It’s yours.

Readers are a vital part of a writer’s journey; without them, we’d have no reason to write. But don’t let them derail your writing. As mentioned, I love my readers, and some have even become close friends. But I’ve learned that if readers need to step away from my novels because the series isn’t unfolding as they expect or the character arc isn’t what they’d envisioned, I let them go and stay true to my own narrative. Don’t change characters or events to please your readers.

In essence, allow your characters to live their authentic life. They’ll thank you for it in the end.

©Alison Naomi Holt 2025