Once in a while, you see something that screams for a book to be made or a movie to be written about it. I saw this clip on Reddit and want to create a character as badass as this woman. What would her backstory be? How would she meet her love interest? My writing focuses on the Victorian era, but I will do post-WWI just to have characters like this.
She belonged to the Thirteen Black Flying Cats, and they deserve their own miniseries.
“It was a dangerous game. One that required reckless confidence and one he was bound to lose sooner or later. He must have chosen his victims carefully not to have found himself up against an enraged husband before now. Well, he made a grave mistake choosing Rosie as his next victim.”
Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis.-A Misalliance with Love.
Image generated by Canva and digitally manipulated.
An author in a writer’s forum posed this dilemma.
“I’m too in love with my characters and it’s causing me to overwrite. This is my first romance novel. I can’t stop writing the cute things they do together. They both have too many habits, quirks, back story moments, and so on. And I want to share them all with the reader . . . “
I understand this dilemma completely. This is what I faced when writing A Misalliance of Love. The main character, Rosie, has a backstory and family history that is just as interesting as the direction her life takes after graduating from Swarthmore Academy for Young Ladies. I wrote a lot about it, and after editing much of it out of the book, I still gave more than the usual amount of time to her history.
Her parents married under pressure: her mother to save her reputation after being compromised and her father to be prevented from marrying an opera singer. Misery ensued, and after the death of her mother, Rosie was shipped off to Hong Kong to live with an uncle in the Admiralty. I rarely read about characters that were raised in expatriate communities and would have loved to write more about her childhood overseas. So many words, so little time. I think a prequel might be necessary to bring Rosie’s story to readers.
It is a dilemma when you build your character so thoroughly that they almost seem real. You want to talk about them and share the quirks and nuances of their personalities. This is something I enjoy in the books I read. I want to know about the childhood that made the character into the adult they are, and I am happy to have quite a bit of time spent on their history.
But how much is too much information? Many readers want to move to the action immediately, and there are writers who are formulaic about when that should happen.
I confess I ignored all of that advice when writing my own book. I talk about my characters and their history quite a bit before moving on to the action. I’m doing the same in my next book and the characters of Ginny and Hugh.
Too much? Too little? What do you think? I hope my readers let me know.
Image: generated by Canva and digitally manipulated.
“Gaylord’s was the type of grand country house built in the pleasing red brick style of the middle of the previous century. Sinclair had passed neatly tended formal gardens and spied numerous outbuildings as he approached the residence. The exterior was symmetrical, with a central front entrance and evenly spaced windows on either side. Modest in size but impressive, the home reflected the wealth and status of its owner.”
Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.
Image generated by Canva and digitally manipulated.
A writer in a writer’s forum posed the question: “To all the writers out there, be honest. Is writing really worth it? If yeah, how did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?”
I enjoyed writing from a very young age and have had teachers and one publisher tell me I have a ‘voice’. But I am also an artist, and the love of art was stronger, though I never made it a career.
I’ve tried my hand at writing books a number of times and did finally self-publish a non-fiction book.
I turned to fiction writing more seriously during the pandemic when I was building so many characters and scenes in my mind that I had to get them out of my head and onto paper. The ideas were never-ending, so I finally decided it was time to be serious about writing a book. 40,000 words into a contemporary romance, I hated my character so much that I started a historical romance instead, which is a genre I have always loved and have done an incredible amount of research on over the years.
I will continue until the characters are exhausted, which will be no time soon. I hope people read and enjoy my books. I am not doing it to become a best-selling author and make a lot of money. I want my characters to come alive and for their challenges to resonate with readers.
So far, it is really, really worth it. It is a labor of love.
In a Self-publishing support group, writer Elizabeth Conte says:
“We writers write. That is what we love and do. But, in today’s marketing people want to know you as a writer and a person. Many of us don’t like to talk about ourselves, or put our faces in 5 sec. videos. We just want to write and for people to buy our books. Unfortunately, that doesn’t cut it in today’s social media world.” Elizabeth Conte
She goes on to emphasize the importance of connection with readers. And although some writers focus solely on their craft, today’s landscape requires a more multifaceted approach. Social media is necessary, but it shouldn’t be painful. One can ‘engage comfortably’ by showcasing the writer’s interests and writing. Writers should take up this challenge to share their ‘writer’s persona’ through social media.
This post resonated with me in so many ways. It was a piece of excellent advice for those who have a burning passion to write but don’t want to ‘brand’ themselves. Many, many writers are natural introverts, and the thought of exposing themselves is more than just a little daunting. It’s a hard NO.
My head is too full of characters that want to escape to the page. Revealing them and weaving a story around them gives me joy. But I have found a few social media avenues I’m comfortable with: Facebook, Reddit forums, and daily blogging. Community is important and exciting to engage in. That is not marketing but may yield the same result.
“After his eyes traced her movement down the aisle on her father’s arm, Alton seemed distracted and preoccupied, his attention wandering rather than focusing on the promise they were meant to share. Even when the exchange of vows and rings approached, his mind seemed elsewhere.”
Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.
An aspiring author posed a complicated question about writing in the English language when that is not your native tongue. They had a story they passionately wanted to tell and wanted opinions about the pros and cons of using Chatgpt or having an editor help ‘beautify’ the text.
What a dilemma! I do think the best approach is to publish in one’s own language first. The problem with using Chatgpt or even an editor is that the writing will likely end up flat and soulless. Whereas in one’s own language, the writer’s voice will come through.
I can not stress how important this is. People need to read more than pretty words.
After publishing in the native language, a good translator could be found to translate the book. An excellent translation will not come from Google Translate. A good translator will understand the nuances of the language and the hidden meanings. Artificial intelligence tools can never do that.
Write with passion and be true to your voice.
“His eyes swept the room, taking in the fetching bouquet of debutantes in their brightly colored afternoon party frocks. Their hues mimicked those in a garden—rose pink, mossy green, bluebell, lilac, sunflower yellow, and water blue. His eyes came to rest on the champagne curls of the girl sitting beside Lady Penelope Haverford.”
Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.
Someone in a writer’s group posed the question – Does your main character need to have an intense motivation for something? What does your character want? The Op’s dilemma was that her character didn’t want anything – until the end.
It seems to me lack of clear motivation means the character is on a journey of discovery. Perhaps the character is running away from something rather than running to something.
That’s perfectly legit and quite good as long as the ultimate goal is hinted at along the way. We need that trail of breadcrumbs. The end goal shouldn’t seem like something pulled out of thin air. In the end, the reader should feel that what the character finally wants makes sense, given their history.
My characters have strong goals. In A Misalliance with Love, Rosie needs a home and family but has a burning, almost crippling desire for independence. Sinclair Talbot wants validation and esteem.
In my next book, Guinevere wants family, stability, and appreciation. The Duke wants hope and love.
Characters are motivated by their desires even if they do not yet know what those desires are.
DEE HARPER LEWIS 