Characters Demanding Life

Writers write because they cannot allow the characters that inhabit them to suffocate them. These characters want to get out to breathe fresh air and partake of the wine of friendship; were they to remain locked in, they would forcibly break down the walls, it is they who force the writer to tell their stories. - Elie Wiesel

It's been months since I have written for leisure and I can't stand that fact. There has been a part of me that promised myself to always be able to write. Writing has always been a part of me and helps me be able to focus on other parts of my life since it causes me to self-evaluate in ways that I cannot fully explain. It's a very cathartic process for me and I just love it.

So why choose a quote about characters after months of not writing?

Well, it is simple to be very honest. I have characters who are finally formed who are ready to have their story written. I have a story that I have been working on for years. When I say years I really mean years. I don't think I can really tell you how this is not an exaggeration, but is a statement of truth.

I have a story that I have been working on since I was 15 years old. I originally started this story as a way for me to calm down (remember, writing or telling stories is a way for me to calm my mind to be able to focus). I used to think about this story at night and it would put me to sleep. I used it as a type of bed time story for myself because I would focus on too many things before I would fall asleep and by telling myself this story would ease my mind.

I actually started writing this story when I was 16 and from that point I have dabbled in it. The central heart of the story has not changed, but the characters have changed. I have really been able to get to know these characters from the inside out. I know how each character would react, whether they would eat a certain type of food to understanding their heart. There has actually been a section of my story that I have not written, because I couldn't do it. Not that I was incapable of writing it, but for the simple fact I did not want to say goodbye to the character.

As a writer, sometimes you believe you know exactly where the story is going and to a certain point, you do. I have known how this story ends when I was 15. I have never told anyone how it ends, but since I have been working on it for close to a decade, there have been times of doubt about the ending. This is due to the fact that the characters have developed to a point that I originally did not plan. It's honestly brilliant when you are writing something and a character does something you did not plan. It's like when you are writing you are not 100% in control because you are letting the characters think for themselves.

So how does this exactly relate to this quote? I have not written in months and I have characters who want their stories to be told. There are times I literally feel like I am going to burst because they are demanding their stories. This quote reminds me of a past post I did about Maya Angelou's quote stating "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." 

There is a story that I have and has been in my mind for almost a decade and I know what each of the characters well enough that it is time to finish the story. It's a little bittersweet to have this story to be almost finished, but these characters refuse to be silent and deserve to have their stories told.