There's More to Agency Than Just Character

 

“This here story is all true, as near as I can recollect. It ain't a prettified story. Life as a river rat is stomping hard, and don't I know it. It's life wild and woolly, a real rough and tumble. But like Da said, life on the river is full of possible imaginations. And we river rats, we aim to see it through in our own way. That's the honest truth of it.” – Big River’s Daughter (Holiday House, 2013)

 

A common writing term explored in many workshops in that a character needs agency. A character’s agency is a concept that is easy to understand – whose story is it, after all? – but not always easy to execute. In my current WIP,  I’ve paid particularly close  attention to my character’s agency, recognizing that readers identify and care about characters who have ownership of their journey.

Lorin Obergerger (Free Expressions) offers that agency is the character’s drive and desire to affect change,  a change that happens because of their active choices rather than a passive reaction to external forces. That a character is likely to act with agency when they are driven by both internal and external goals.

But as I continue to dig deeper into my protagonist, I’m beginning to think there’s more to agency than just character.  I’m beginning to think it is as much about the writer (me) as it is about the character.

Anyone pursuing a creative career knows that, by definition, such a career is full of risks. Living with uncertainty is routine and fear is commonplace. Doubt and uncertainty become heavy and nerve-wracking. Rejection feels personal. It seems too often creatives survive on the whims of outside influences: the volatility of an  industry that favors the bottom line, craxy politics, whimsy trends and reader expectations. Oftentimes, the stakes are high and feels like an all-or-nothing setup. No wonder creatives give up.

Isabel Sterling (Real Talk for Writers ) has a wonderful talk about this that brings this discussion into focus. As she states: “Effective goal setting is just the first step of a successful year. Actually keeping those goals in mind, letting them guide your decisions, and staying committed through all the ups and downs of writing, publishing, and life is the hard part.”

In other words, having agency means redefining success – and failure. We may not have control about the external forces impacting our career, but we can actively choose how to navigate those forces to make the journey our own. And one important strategy is setting and processing our goals.

Key questions you want to consider short and long-term goals:

Why are you living this creative life? Why does it matter to you? What are your priorities overall and how does this creative career support (or not) these priorities? How does this help to define success for you?

As you redefine success, assume that success is available. Don’t think about the risks or the competition. Instead, realize that every rejection  -- whether agent, publisher or reader -- is a learning experience. Not everyone is going to connect with your character. It's not a failure but a lesson that helps you move forward, and that, by definition, is success. Believing that you can achieve success encourages you to show up.

Just as important, question your assumptions about what’s required of you to achieve this success. Whether it’s a marketing plan or establishing social platforms, or just story engineering, what works for one may not work for another. There are no rules that a creative ‘must’ do. Assume that it is possible to experience success on your own terms and do what’s best for you. In other words, not only are you able to make your own rules as you experience your creative journey, you are limited only by your own imagination.  A fine example of this comes from our own Holly Schindler. For months now, Holly has been decoding the writing process on her Substack, It's My Story and I'm Sticking With It. Recently she announced her intent to create an interactive Patreon page. Members will have access to free in-depth writing resources and free episodic fiction developed in real time. With this she’ll include a link to a private Discord for the patrons, where members shared about what everyone is doing doing, strategies they’re using, and problems they’ve encountered. Stay tuned for more information about exciting and creative approach to connecting with readers! 

Another important factor as you think about short-term and long-term goals, consider how you feel about each of these. Focus on how you spend the journey rather than the destination.  Easier said than done, of course, but by recognizing how you feel, or want to feel, about your creative process strengthens that internal agency for your journey. You are no longer struggling with the whims of the shifting industry and reader expectations; rather, you are discovering your purpose in a journey of your own making.

In other words, success redefined means that it is a journey, not a destination. The doing is most important; the outcome is simply chocolate frosting.

Wishing you a successful journey for 2026!

--Bobbi Miller