Careful or you’ll end up in my novel…

 

My mother gave me this pillow for my birthday one year.  I proudly display it in my living room so that anyone who visits can see it.  Some guests laugh while others chuckle nervously.  There are some that volunteer information and others that I never see again (just kidding – however, if that ever did happen, be assured that I would track them down to get their story). 

Once upon a time…oh, these words give such a sense of freedom.  Anything can be imagined and brought to life or retold, usually with embellishments.  The creation of characters is one of the most exciting parts of the craft for me.  You begin with a blank slate and soon, you have a picture of your character, physically, and then build on their mental and emotional qualities.  Before long, you come to know your characters intimately.  Not all of their features make it onto the page but a good deal does.  Getting you, the reader, to see and understand them the way we, the writers, prefer is the challenge.  You will probably never know our characters as well as we do but you can appreciate them and that is a good thing.

When you pick up a book, know that the pages inside are filled with love and intent.  Some characters aren’t loveable, even to the writer, but we know them well and our intention is to bring tension to the story with their presence.  There has to be some dissention for the hero and/or heroine to face or the story doesn’t flow well and fails to keep your interest from cover to cover.  That is the idea – creating characters that when woven into the plot, stay with you long after the last page is consumed.

If you have any stories you’d like to share please share them.  You never know, you might just end up in one of my novels!