Who’s Writing This Story, Anyway?
What Happens When Characters Take Over
As writers, we’ve been asked the question many times and have answered with humor, wit, and candor, only to receive that unbelievable stare in response. You know, the one that says, “You can’t be serious.” So, a few years ago, when I was asked to write a piece for my writers’ group about how authors develop or invent their characters, I turned my answer into the following short story. Warning: spoiler alert.
“Seeds”
I met the old woman on a back road in Arkansas. It was a bright, breezy Thanksgiving afternoon. My husband and I were taking in the fall colors north of Hot Springs when we made the wrong turn back to town and got lost. As he fumbled with the map, I lowered the window and gazed out at an algae-covered pond. The air was heavy with the scent of pine, and the ease of the moment seemed to settle in. Then I caught a movement from the corner of my eye. I turned and looked. And there she was, standing by the car and smiling at me.
“Let me do it,” she whispered. “Let me be the one.”
“Do what?” I said.
“Let me be the one to kill the goddamn bastard.”
Introductions were not necessary; I knew who she was, and I was glad to see her. I had been waiting for two months, but I did not expect her to…
