It’s when they start talking back that you need to worry

It’s 12:30 and I am sitting on my couch, pouting over my laptop.

I glare at the lanky imaginary figure sprawled on the love seat opposite me. “You are not being cooperative.”

The character shrugs his shoulders.  “Well, you shouldn’t have spent all that time watching those Luke Goss movies.  If you’d turned off the Netflix while you were trying to write earlier today, maybe you’d be asleep right now.”

“What does that have to do with the fact that you’re turning out to be an awkwardly naughty Geek God type instead of the Captain of Industry type I planned you to be when I proposed this book to my agent?  How do I write loves scenes for you?  You’re like the unholy child of Sheldon Cooper and Loki.”

“It has nothing to do with your characterization problems.   I just like to point out that both Death Race prequels are in your top 10.”

Angrily tapping the delete key with one hand and making a rude gesture with the other, I grumble, “Quiet, you.”

“I don’t see what the problem is.”

“You’re not doing what I want you to do!” I cry.  “I had this whole quiet alpha Male personality planned for you, to compliment the other two heroes in the story.  But every time I open your mouth, you’re all shy.  Your love interest is already shy.  It’s shy squared!”

The figure grins at me, making the imaginary equivalent of “I have an idea” jazz-hands.  “Maybe I’m not shy.  Maybe I keep my own council.  I’m just waiting for the right time to say the right thing.”

I purse my lips.  “That’s not bad.”

“Maybe I’m a smoldering volcano of quiet authority, all of that simmering bossiness just bubbling under the surface,” he adds.

I ignore him, tapping on the keys.  “Leave the metaphors to me.  Amateur.”

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So, obviously, I’m having trouble with the male lead character in my latest book.  Most of the time, my characters come to me fully formed.  I don’t have to select an archetype and pattern them after it.  I know who they are from the start.  But because I’m writing a “mega-romance” involving three couples, I tried to make each character different so that each couple was distinctive.

Unfortunately, my hero, Deacon, is not following the pattern I selected for him.  Somehow, in my head, his responses to the heroine and other characters come out with a completely different personality all together.   I have never had a character take on a life of his own before, especially to the point where I have imaginary arguments with him.   Does this happen to anyone else?

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