I'm currently working on a historical mystery which isn't directly connected to Courting Anna. But I find myself chatting with friends -- one in from out of town over drinks, another during a reception, another at work -- about the characters in my first novel. Courting Anna was intended as a standalone, but the inhabitants of Carter's Creek, Montana, keep telling me what happens next.
I've lived with these characters, and I know them -- I know what books they read, what they like to eat, the furniture in Anna's home and office. I know how the various characters would react in situations that never made it to the page. And as it turns out, they won't let go. I have a pretty clear idea that while Anna and Jeremiah have their Happily Ever After, there might be a few bumps along the way. After all, Jeremiah fell in love with an unconventional woman -- a practicing lawyer in the 1880s -- and he loves that about her, but occasionally he must half-wish for a wife who does normal wife things. And while the curious-minded, silver-tongued storyteller ended up running the local newspaper, will that keep him happy in the long run?
But it's Sarah, Anna's former ward, who I think about most. At the end of Courting Anna, we know Sarah has managed to get a divorce from her abusive husband, and that a new love is hovering on the horizon. But we haven't yet seen the emotional consequences of all this, or the social stigma of being a divorcee at that time. Also, I've hinted that her parents had a romantic story of their own, that Sarah is half-Native. But what I know and Sarah doesn't, is that her father is still alive but he has no idea that he has a daughter. . . yet. I think a lot about what will happen when they finally meet.
So, Prairie Rose authors -- which of your characters have lingered for you? Have you given in, and continued their stories? Prairie Rose readers, is there a story you wish would continue? Which characters have become real to you?
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Great post. I think characters become more fleshed out when they have a backstory, whether the readers know it or not. I the characters I want to know more about from famous books are probably Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca, and Dolphus Raymond in To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteDolphus Raymond, hmmm. He is definitely fascinating. I read Rebecca when I was about 13 and probably need to read it again -- actually, definitely, since it's such a classic in the field.
DeleteI like your train of thought. The characters become real in most books I read. I’m right there with them and I always want to know what happens next and what made them who they are. I’m curious about the lives of the other characters and life for the main characters because “happily ever after” is really only true in fairytales. There’s so much more of the story to be told.
ReplyDeleteI think if a character grips hold of your imagination like that, as a reader, the author has done something right. I'm less sure when it's as a writer -- might be a sign of insanity ;-) -- but at least folks I've been chatting with have been interested in knowing.
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ReplyDeleteI live with all my characters. Or is it vice versa. I don't know. Some don't let go. Dianna from my last book ("Banished From Memory") evolved from a character in my first book, and I needed to find out about her. That took, oh, six years. Research, finding out the story. Writing the thing, rewriting the thing, rewriting...When it was all done, I couldn't let go. Hey, the sequel, what happens? What movies will she be in? What about that guy? Then...something happened. Those characters agreed to go off somewhere, and I got interested in someone else. But that someone else is from the same place where I found Lianna, I mean, Dianna. It may be that we create these places and people, they become part of us - or they were part of us, all along. That we carry whole geographies and populations inside.As for Anna, I hate to do this to you...but I'm quite interested in what happened to her before the story started (I know, you tell us, but I still wonder)- as well as after your written story ends.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Anna is something of a prototype for the detective in the mystery novel, though as I write that further, they become more and more distinct from one another. For me, Anna's story begins when she walks into the sheriff's office, even though her background is something I've thought through quite a bit -- I could tell you all sorts of childhood stories -- but that would make a very different kind of novel, and that's not a project I'm eager to take on at the moment. Maybe I'll share some snippets in a later blog post.
DeleteI have heard of a writer who always gives her characters a birthday. Maybe that's a good idea if you're using zodiac signs because they give each sign a set of characteristics and behaviors. I haven't tried to do that yet.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think about certain characters for a while. It helps me create their personality, background, desires, flaws, and so on before I begin to write.
I think I like to write series books because I don't have to let go of the characters. I let them show up in other stories. It's when a series comes to an end that I have trouble letting go. I have to give myself some space before I begin writing on something new.
An interesting blog today, Cate. I want to wish you every success with COURTING ANNA.
If I knew more about zodiac signs, I might agree. ;-)
DeleteI've seen worksheets where you fill in all sorts of things about your characters; I've tried them, but usually with characters who've already taken shape for me. I try to think about their lives before the story begins, what might be motivating them.
Thanks for sharing your insights about series. How many books do you usually write in a single series? Do the major characters from earlier books have just background roles in later books, as new couples come forward, or do they ever continue in larger roles?
Thank you, Sarah. Finding an audience seems to be the hardest thing, these days. I've gotten lots of lovely feedback, but most of it from folks who know me already . . .
Cate, I tried those worksheets, too, but it didn't work for me. I keep a notebook in which I write the character's name and all the information I think relevant to that character in the story. I often add their flaw, they desire, and their secret, but not always.
DeleteI have written two series. The Wildings have 9 books and The Legends of Winatuke has five. I just submitted the last book of Legends of Winatuke last week. Obviously I don't have a set number. I go according to noteworthy friends and family members--you know, those characters that we can't let go. I introduce future characters in subtle ways usually from the first book in the series all the way through. After each character's story is told, they show up from time to time in the following stories. I have single stories, but I am fond of series. When readers become interested in a book from a series they seem more likely to rest the rest of the books in the series.
I think many of us feel the same way you do; we get good feedback, but sales are not as good as we would like. Publishing is an extremely competitive market and people have to be interested in reading over all those screens for games and movies that grab their attention. Kindle did a wonderful job of getting readers interested in reading from a screen, so at least that's been a benefit.
It takes a great deal of time and energy promoting books and, while there are so many platforms to use like Facebook and Twitter, it's still difficult. I think getting attention from readers is sometimes plain old luck. There are so many writers now who self-publish so the quality of books can be difficult for readers to ascertain and, perhaps, makes them hesitant to buy a book from an unknown author.
What works best for me is Facebook and engaging readers and other authors in conversation instead of relentlessly trying to post about the books I've written. The things I have found they are interested in are personal stories and humorous tidbits. Do you find that to be true of your followers, Cate, or does something else work best for you?
I have a lot of notes on other Word documents, but I think I may start keeping a paper notebook so I can just refer to it rather than constantly opening up other files. I tried Scrivener last winter, which allows you to keep "notecards" alongside your manuscript, but using Word is as easy as breathing for me, so that didn't take.
DeleteI'm not sure that I have "followers" so much as friends -- by which, alas, I don't mean that I've managed to make friends with all of my followers, so much as that there's not too much differentiation between the folks who follow real-life-me (Catherine) and author-me (Cate) yet -- though I have set up parallel accounts so that a few books down the line, hopefully there will be folks who are interested in author-me without knowing actual-me!
I have a demanding full-time job, so I haven't done as much to stay active on social media as I would like -- but last time I put in a flurry of activity, I did see my sales stats rise, so I will keep doing that whenever I can. And I'm experimenting with advertising for the first time, shortly after Thanksgiving. We'll see! With one book out, I don't exactly have the depth of material to promote, just yet . . .
A lot of my characters will end up in other stories set in the same area. Like yours, mine won't let go. Doris
ReplyDeleteDo they become secondary characters, or do they ever come to the forefront again? One of the reasons I'm drawn to the idea of a mystery series, I think, is that I can trace the same characters throughout many books. In a straight up romance, there always needs to be a new main couple -- though I like the idea of at least checking back in with past characters!
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