I have quite a bit more time on my hands these days, thanks to the Jackbooted Corporate Thugs (West Coast Branch).
As a result I have the opportunity to work on my second novel, which title is yet to be decided. Mostly I've been just re-reading and editing it, trying to get it knocked into shape and put on Amazon. I should mention that I wrote it actually about nine years ago, and it's been sitting in cyberspace since then, quietly waiting for me to work my way back to it.
The other day I was re-reading the draft and was surprised to see a character whom I hadn't seen before come wandering into the narrative. He only stayed long enough to get into an argument with the protagonist before strolling out of the narrative, and he doesn't ever show up again in the story.
Did I mention that I'm the sole author of this story? Seems like I would have known who this guy was, and what he wanted before I introduced him to the plot line, or so one would think.
After much head scratching and muttered curses I could not recall why I thought this joker should be in the story at all. It would seem to stand reason that at one point I had good intentions for the new guy, but for the life of me I cannot recall anything at all about him. Any notes that I may have had have been lost, so that's no help.
A particularly brutal editor I once knew told me that every sentence, every paragraph of a piece of fiction must advance the plot. This guy did absolutely nothing except show up uninvited and unwanted and cause a scene.
He argued his case for awhile, but I ended up just deleting him completely from the story. I have no illusions that my writing can stand up to having a character around who doesn't pull his literary weight.
This can be done, though, by writers who are good enough to pull it off. Robert Ludlum, in one of his later novels, I believe, introduces a character who engages the hero in conversation for quite a few pages before Ludlum runs him off. If I remember correctly he gets rid of the guy by getting him drunk an airport bar and putting him on a flight to some far off land.
Ludlum, of course, can get away with this because he could sell a million of copies of his grocery list.
My other problem is that while re-reading the story I discovered that a major character had wandered off on some errand, and the guy never shows up again. That's not nearly as problematic, from a writing standpoint; it's always easier to add to the plot rather than take from the plot. It is bothersome, though.
One would think that since I'm the puppet master of all of these characters I'd maintain better control of them.
clive cussler also does this and it is himself that he meanders thru every book.. stephen king also does this with his movies
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