Even though I'm still struggling to finish my fourth book, I've recently been bombarded by the voices of some new characters. Actually, they aren't new characters. The idea for the plot of this book came to me a few months ago but the characters didn't really speak to me then. I'm excited about this new adventure, especially since I've got a break from work coming soon.
Every time this happens to me, it baffles and excites me. I don't know how it happens for any other writers out there, but for me it usually strikes me at random times. There are a few places or times when I find my characters speak louder to me than others: while I'm washing the dishes, when I'm in the shower, and when I'm driving to work. I've found that my characters talk to me when I'm engaged in activities that don't require a lot of thinking, though the driving to work thing is a little frightening! I guess I should start working out, because that seems like a time when my mind would need to be otherwise engaged.
When I was working on my first book (one that I will likely NEVER publish, by the way), I couldn't stop the characters from talking to me wherever I went. I once sat in the waiting room of my orthopaedic doctor and scribbled pages of writing into an old calendar that I found in my purse. However, over time I've learned to quickly scribble notes to myself and come back to them later. I've learned to quiet the characters, but not completely shut them up.
Does all this make me sound crazy?
Do other authors out there have conversations with their characters, or listen in on the conversations that the characters have with each other? If so, when does it happen for them?
Where does inspiration hit you?
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