Listening to characters

I had to crowd surf for a topic.  So this blog is about...(drum roll)….”When the characters 'talk' to you...do you talk back?”

I think this question is related to “Where do you get your ideas?”

I was asked this by an editor I wanted to impress recently and I had to say "I have no idea the heroes just wander into my mind". Yeah, that sounded cool. It is however the truth. The hero, usually, just appears and starts dropping enticing hints about his world or his problem.

Seriously when Haidyn from Dark Secrets turned up in his lovely red coat and said he was a whore I just went, na-ah I can’t write that. Needless to say he stuck around until I did.

When the Goblin King arrived I just knew he had dreadlocks. Random, yes, but it was so much a part of the story in the end that I couldn’t imagine him any other way. (I know he doesn't have dreads on the cover but trust me by the end you will get it).

I guess I see and hear the characters in my mind, but most of the story is impressions that I give voice to, sometimes it like watching a film without sound—some scenes are so clear there is sound.

Other times I'm running around in the dark wondering who turned out the light and where is this story going, only to pop out on the other side with total understanding and a new appreciation for the hell I put my characters through (it’s for their own good, really, and not one has complained yet).

Once their story is written that is it, they leave me in peace and new people populate my mind.

 

I'm pretty sure non writers don't get it. When I get asked what I'm thinking about there's a dozen different things going on, like the heroine's backstory, how does the magic in this world work? Is the hero good at sport? Should I have another piece of chocolate? The heroine seems a little lost...is this about her self discovery? That is a very cool scar Mr. Hero, how did you get that? Oooh *shiny new hero walks past and flashes a grin* who are you? He brought wine! Plotting party in my head! I should totally have another piece of chocolate.

 

Where was I...I listen to my characters and they tell me stuff, yes I know it's my subconscious but it's kind of cool that all of that is in there just waiting to come out.

Hurting my characters

I am the first to admit I’m mean to my characters. Sometimes it’s off the page and in their backstory (Dai from Kiss of the Goblin Prince). Other times it’s on the page and the character must suffer.

In Dark Vow I killed the heroine's husband in chapter one and then made her face up to the lie her life had been.

In Dark Secrets I try to drive the hero, Haidyn, insane with magic, put his lost love on the arm of another man and then had him branded as a whore.

A weaker character would have curled up and said enough. But Haidyn sucked it up and proved he was hero worthy. It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down as long as you get back up. I’m sure that someone famous made that quote and I’ve just butchered it, but it’s something I keep in mind as I write. I want my character to keep fighting against the odds. I want them to grow despite everything that is against them.

It’s the resilience of human spirit that enjoy writing about.

Dark Secrets
Six years ago, Haidyn Mast left his home and his betrothed Anisa to follow his magical calling. Too weak to join the Arcane Guild and too ashamed to return home, he has made a life as a prostitute—to all outward appearances. In truth, he sells his mind but not his body, using magic to let his clients experience their most secret fantasies while his hands stay clean. Even the Lawman, the arbiter of justice in Reseda, is one of his clients, but Haidyn would rather not know the extent of that man's depravity.

Though successful, Haidyn is shunned as a whore and his lack of formal training is causing his power to grow out of control. He's ready to retire and leave the city, but when he sees his Anisa standing at the Lawman's side, he knows he must rescue her from the abusive enforcer. Risking his life and his sanity, he devises a plan, knowing that failure will mean death for him, and a lifetime of torment for her…