Weekly Roundup is an update on what’s going on in my world. Welcome!
Creating characters readers will love has a downside in that I grow to love them too. They become something like my own children whom I want to see happy and successful. So what’s the problem?
In my current manuscript, Traitor’s Moon, it became evident early on some of the characters would die. I knew I would have to handle it carefully or risk damaging the story arc and alienating my readers. As much as I want all the good guys to live long and prosper and the bad guys to bite the dust, the story demanded an injection of stark realism. Theoretically it sounds easy enough, but I had no idea it would be so emotionally difficult!
The real kicker is that I haven’t even written this part of the book, and yet I’ve already lost sleep and agonized over what I knew I had to do. Mind you, no major MC’s are involved this time, but the loss will still be wrenching. When I’m writing, and my emotions are engaged, I’m fairly confident my readers will be touched in the same way. This is a good thing of course, but it makes for some very uncomfortable moments as the tears fall and I get all choked up.
Is it reasonable, or even normal, to be so passionate about something which isn’t real? These people don’t even exist for heaven’s sake, so why all the fuss?
As a writer who creates characters out of whole cloth, I can tell you I am emotionally invested in their lives and well-being. If it were otherwise, readers wouldn’t be able to identify with them and the story would fall flat. To be quite honest, I often prefer their company over the flesh and blood beings all around me. So when something bad happens to my loved ones, I’m going to grieve and cry without shame, and hope my readers do too.
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- Current manuscript: I hit a bump in the road this week with chapter seven of Traitor’s Moon. It’s a common occurrence for me to underestimate how many words it will take to get from point A to point B. There were, I thought, just a few quick threads to cover before the highly anticipated attack scene and its aftermath. I was wrong. The story insisted on telling itself, and I had to follow along obediently or lose some great content. Anyway, those few quick threads became the entirety of chapter seven, meaning the aforementioned scenes will now be featured in chapter eight. Word count now stands at 54,000+.
- Have a look at some of the great reviews I’ve received this week for Expectant Moon!
“Wow. Just wow. This book was wonderfully written, a ton of fun to read, and the plot was great. I seriously haven’t gotten this much enjoyment out of a book in a long time. I read it through kindle unlimited but liked it so much that I’m buying it. I just have to have this for my permanent collection.”
“OMG, what a wonderful amazing imagination in this book!!! I can’t wait to read the second in this series. Amazing twists and turns.”
“Wow, wow, wow. Absolutely took my breath away…amazing, beautiful, delightful, intense, naughty, and I loved every moment. You Rock!”
- I love hearing what my readers have to say about my books, as it affirms my work and motivates me to keep writing. I can’t tell you how many times I have been discouraged, only to be uplifted by a great review or friendly email. As a rule, I usually only leave reviews if I can give the author four or five stars. If you feel the need to give a book three or less, consider contacting the author directly to share your concerns, instead of leaving a scathing review. Words have great power so be careful!
- Bumper stickers are rare these days, but everybody seems to have a T-shirt with something on it. Check these out:
“In my defense, I was left unsupervised.”
“Patience is a virtue, It’s just not one of MY virtues.”
“I turn beer into pee. What’s your superpower?”
“No need to repeat yourself, I ignored you just fine the first time.”
“Some days the supply of curse words is insufficient to meet the demand.”
“I thought growing old would take longer.”
“If I was a bird, I know who I’d shit on.”
“Being cremated is my last hope for a smoking hot body.”
You are right to feel that way about your characters! They do become like family and you have a vested interest in them having a good life. It’s so much nicer for us readers to have a believable story, and not one where nothing bad ever happens. Keep up the good work & if you decide that someone HAS to die (and not just horribly maimed), at least give them a hell of a funeral! I liked the bumper stickers, too!
I learned the hard way that even feel-good stories have to have some drama in them or the whole thing falls flat. I guess it’s true that people really do need something to overcome in order to be happy. I am already planning the memorial service, something I have to create from scratch since I have never been to a shifter funeral before! Thanks for writing – I appreciate your comments.