Yep, you read that right. I hear voices. It’s not as crazy as it may seem. It’s just my life right now. Scenes take place in my head at random times. These voices and scenes disturb my sleep at 2:30 in the morning. They interrupt my morning shower and hang out with me at the gym. Sometimes when I’m listening to music, these people have conversations, telling me their story (“No, I wasn’t trying to listen to Prince. By all means, tell me what’s on your mind.”).

My characters. I have a soft spot for them, but they have no regard for my time. Traveling down the interstate in the fast lane is not the ideal location to have your heroine have a conversation with her bff about a love interest (“Really? You two couldn’t have this convo some other time?”). It’s not like I can pull onto the shoulder, whip out my phone, and take notes. So I whip out my phone, activate the voice recorder, and take note of who’s talking, what’s being said, the scene, their body language, etc. All the while hoping the slow poke ahead of me will get out of the fast lane, and save me the trouble of having to signal to go around them. I’m kidding. I’m not that reckless. I just go around them and keep going (Dammit, I have a story to write!).

My people are living their lives while I’m trying to live mine. I’d be doing them a disservice if I didn’t pay attention and put their life on paper. It just happens at my expense. But who am I kidding? I don’t have a life. I live in my own world filled with books, writing, and conversations with friends (yes, I have a few) about books and writing.

I’m currently writing a short story (more on that in a future post) where my protagonist and the secondary character will not go away. When I created them, I had no idea I’d think of them every day. Every. Day. I care about what happens to them and I hope they can work through their problems. They’re like family. I’ve grown attached to them and I’m not sure how I’ll move on once their story ends.

I’m used to them appearing whenever they want, sharing their ups and downs with me. They expect me to do right by them, as they should. It’s just a lot to handle sometimes, especially since there’s another story I have planned for the future. My future peeps have no regard for my time either. They’re just chatting away without a care in the world.

I’ve given up on trying to control them. They’re like rebellious teenagers. They shrug off my guidance and do their own thing. Will it ever end? I hope not. Even though my creations demand my attention, I’m grateful they chose me to tell their story.

Their presence has brought about a necessary adjustment. Organization. I’m not a very organized person, nor am I messy. I’m right down the middle. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to be down the middle when my brain is overcrowded. Thank you, Google Drive.

I can breathe a sigh of relief. Sort of. My people still hang out in my head, but I have a place to put them, so I don’t lose track of the story that needs to be told. Yay! Progress! 🙂

If you’re an author, I assume your characters are Chatty Cathies too. How do you deal with their antics? How do you stay organized?