A Lasting First Impression

Over a decade ago, I was getting gas at a local convenience store when I saw a man walking down the sidewalk. He had a long ponytail and carried a green canvas backpack with a leather bottom. He didn’t wave or seem to pay any attention to me, but his presence sparked an interest in my writer’s brain.

Who was he? Where was he from? What did he do?

I didn’t know him, but I was curious about his story. Immediately, my mind jumped to conclusions, but then I halted that stereotypical thinking to consider maybe he was a youth pastor or an educator of some sort. Perhaps he was a pediatric surgeon or even a busker who had a passion for music...I didn’t see an instrument, but I don’t know what was his backpack.

Then, I began thinking about the characters swimming in my head—what if one of them wasn’t who she seemed? Maybe she comes across as a free spirit, but actually, she’s simply an energetic, positive youth worker who championed for the underdog. 

I started writing her story, but when I ran into plotting roadblocks and received discouraging feedback, I shelved it and moved on, writing other books and finally getting “the call.”

As I sold more books to Love Inspired, this character wouldn’t stay quiet, constantly demanding for her story to be told. After restructuring the plot (I had grown a lot in my craft since then) and strengthening the characters, I sold the story to Love Inspired. 

So, after being two of the characters I’ve known the longest, Alec and Sarah’s story is being told in Lakeside Romance, which released this month.

Lakeside Romance is the story of a cynical real estate agent who teams with a free-spirited youth worker to teach cooking to teenagers in a summer outreach program. Problem is, she can’t cook, and he hates teenagers.

By taking a stereotypical view of a stranger and twisting it, I came up with a fun heroine who tends to annoy my cranky hero...and yes, he’s been cranky since he entered my mind, but now he’s a lot less of a jerk. As they get to know each other, Sarah and Alec realize their first impressions weren't entirely accurate. 

As one of our human flaws, we are quick to jump to conclusions. We may see someone who doesn’t dress or act the way we do, and we form an opinion without getting to know her. That first impression may not be her finest moment. However, we need to be more sympathetic and compassionate because we don’t know what journey she’s taking through life. We can take the time to get to know people and realize our first impressions may not have been the most accurate. And, yes, at times, we do need to trust our instincts, especially if those first impressions signal danger.

Our paths have never crossed again that I’m aware of, but that ponytailed stranger will never know what an impression he made on me.

What about you? What kind of impression do you want to imprint on a stranger’s mind? Will you be forgettable? Or a lasting memory?

Allie Pleiter on When A Character Won’t Stay Put

Every once in a while, a character gets uppity.  Sometimes they decide “secondary” isn’t a sufficient status, and they want their own book.  Other times they clamor for their own ending, having seen how their buddy/sister/partner just got all the happy kisses and they now demand their own.  If you think the author’s in charge, think again…

Characters can hound you, stalking you from the back of your mind until you relent and give them their own book.  Such was the case with Ida Lee Landway from Homefront Hero.  She wasn’t going to settle for “best friend” casting, no sir.  She was ready to play leading lady, and would not hush up until I gave in.

Then came the search—what man would win this feisty army nurse’s heart?  Outspoken and unconventional, her match of course needed to be a bit on the stuffy side.  Opposites attract, after all.  He needed to share her dedication to her work, but I wanted him to be in sorry need of the color Ida brings to the world wherever she goes.  Is it any surprise, then, that one of the first ways Dr. Daniel Parker shows his growing affection is with the purchase of cans of paint?

Ida and Daniel’s journey to each other’s heart is filled with bumps and twists, tender moments and outright laughs, as well as a host of adorable little orphans who create no end of surprises.  I hope you enjoy reading THE DOCTOR’S UNDOING as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Ask Elnora--about love stories--Lenora Worth

 

Darlings, did you like our lovely Valentine story? I sure did. There is something about a continuing story that keeps people coming back. Even in a simple love story, there is one element that is very important. Conflict. I call this emotional suspense. We have to engage the reader by engaging the emotions. It's not so much what your character is doing. It's how he feels when he is doing it. Feeling plays a part in every action we take, from getting out of bed to going to the grocery store.

So... Lets talk about feelings. Some of us have fragile feelings. Some of us hide our true feelings. Some can't feel anything anymore. We create characters who are true to life. What do you think makes a good character?  What about feelings? What about emotions?? Let's discuss. How are you feeling today?

EVER WONDER WHERE CHARACTERS COME FROM?

Sandra Orchard here, debut Love Inspired Suspense novelist with the release this month of Deep Cover. When acquaintances learn that I’m a writer, they instantly bubble over with questions. At first I dreaded these with something akin to the panic in my hubby’s eyes when our young son asked, “Daddy, where do babies come from?”

No more! I’ve learned to have fun with them.  

“Where do babies characters come from?”

Well, I’m so glad you asked. The ideas for the characters that populate my books can come from the most unlikely of places. For example, this past summer my husband and I spent a day at the African Lion Safari and I came home with a camera full of new characters.

No, I didn’t snap photos of unsuspecting tourists, although that probably would’ve been a great idea. I’ve discovered lots of great mannerisms for my characters by simply watching people in restaurants and airports, on buses and in meetings. Photos of people with a variety of expressions, colorings, dress, etc. would be a wonderful resource. But I digress.

I snapped photos of animals, and they are quite the study in character. Take a look at this guy, for example. I call him “The Grouch”.

Can’t you just hear him saying, “What part of get lost don’t you understand?”

Then there’s the deer I like to call “The Social Butterfly”.

Can’t you just hear him saying, “What was that? I missed what you said.” Of course, that’s stereotypically a female character, but I’m pretty sure those horns mean this deer is a fella.

The monkeys alone were a treasure trove of character ideas. I call this little guy “The laid back type”.

 “This is the life!”

Then there’s the “People Pleaser” type. This mare was a real ham. She posed for about ten minutes as if she wanted to be sure I got the perfect shot to accentuate her beautiful fur coat. I could almost hear her say, “How’s this?”

And of course, no character study would be complete without a villain. I call this fellow “The Tough Guy”.

He’s saying, “Do I look like I want my photo taken?” Then to prove it, he charged a car!

And what romance writer’s character study would be complete without a hero. Although this particular hero wouldn’t be my first choice. I call him “The Casanova.”

“What can I say? The women love me.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little “birds and bees” talk on where characters come from.

If you’re in the mood for a little romantic suspense this month, please check out Deep Cover, the first book in my series…Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Your Turn: Have some fun suggesting alternative descriptions and dialogue for our array of characters. 

Finding Inspiration for Characters by Merrillee Whren

What can serve as inspiration for a character or a set of characters? I don't know about other writers, but my characters come to me in a variety of ways. One of my early attempts at writing a novel came as the result of my mother's sudden death. I wrote a story about a heroine who was coming back home to her mother's funeral. Writing that story helped me cope. The book went through numerous versions before it finally sold many years later. I was thrilled when that story was published because it is dear to my heart. Here is that book.



The hero and heroine in the story that became my first Love Inspired book formed in my mind because of a song by Dwight Yoakam called "Ain't That Lonely Yet." The song tells that story of a guy who got dumped by his girl, and now she's back and trying to patch things up. He doesn't want anything to do with it. The characters in my book, THE HEART'S HOMECOMING, were born as a result of that song.



Secondary characters often become the heroes or heroines in subsequent books. The heroine of LOVE WALKED IN, Beth Carlson, didn't even have a name in THE HEART'S HOMECOMING. She was only referred to as Max's mom. Max was a fourteen-year-old boy in the story. We see Max again as a troubled teen in LOVE WALKED IN. Ever since I wrote about Max, I've wanted to give him his own love story. But before I could do that, I had to tell Brittany Gorman's story. She and Max eventually become high school sweethearts, but if you read my upcoming January 2012 book, MONTANA MATCH, you will see that their relationship doesn't last.



I could go on and on about what makes characters spring to life in my mind, but I want to know what kind of characters grab your attention? Do you like to read about people who are larger than life or a character who is more like you? What kind of characters stay with you long after you have read a book?

With A Little Help from our Friends

This is Merrillee, who is thinking about friendship. Here is a video with a portion of a song about friends made popular by the Beatles and Joe Cocker. Take a quick listen and think about your friends.



We all need friends. As authors we create friends for our heroes and heroines. These friends, secondary characters, serve as sounding boards and advisers for our main characters.

I've been thinking about friends because my mother-in-law recently visited with a friend she has known for over seventy years. In a few days, I'm going to be attending my high school reunion, and I will get to see Marita, my friend from high school. Here is a photo of us taken several years ago.

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity."

Tell us about a special friend or someone you've know for many years.

Rooting for Characters

I recently attended a writing workshop about rooting for characters. The workshop brought lots of questions to my mind as I tried to think of myself in terms of a reader and not a writer. Listening to the workshop presenter's talk made me realize that no matter how wonderful the plot is, if I don't care about the characters in the story, I really don't want to finish the book. How about you? What makes a character sympathetic and makes you want to root for them to reach their goal?

Do you like powerful and attractive characters? Or do you like characters that are down on their luck? Would you like a character that has a physical or mental handicap? What makes you care about the characters in a book? What kind of characters do you like to read about? Tell us about a character that you've read about recently who stands out in your mind. Why did that character resonate with you?

Wandering Away.....

As I sit watching my daughter’s ballet class, I marvel at the patience of the teacher trying her best to corral a bunch of high-energy, enthusiastic 5 and 6 year olds into some semblance of order.

As a mother, there is nothing cuter than seeing a group of little girls parading around in pink tutus, tights, and ballet slippers, whose attention is easily diverted by the mirrors, each other, and hey-what’s behind this door?

However, as a writer, I cringe each time one of these little princesses wanders off because *gasp* they are doing what children…and our characters, like to do best…WANDER OFF.

Today, though while the little girls stumble through the motions, trying to grasp the concept, I can’t help but chuckle. How like my characters. Each with a mind of her own. Each trying to see what lurks behind that closet door at the back of the room. Each doing what she wants to do, not what her masterful teacher, er…author wants her to do.

Where does this leave us? With a certain creativity that comes from within. Dancing horses, princess walks, to floating balloons designed to stretch their young imaginations. I, too, am learning from this class.

But wait. My daughter has decided that she just doesn’t want to cooperate today. And she’s so darned cute in her determination not to do what the teacher asks. How many times have your characters decided that no matter how you cajole, beg, and demand, that they are just not going to do what you want them to do? Sorry, stickers and a treat aren’t going to work this time.

So what do you as authors do? How do you handle character interruptions? Me? Now that I’ve learned to let go, I go with the flow. I let them take the lead. I allow my characters to do what they want-as long as no one gets hurt. You never know where it’s going to take them, the story, and the romance.

It’s finally near the end of class for this week. Terrific! My daughter’s off her tiny, pink encased bottom and on her pink encased feet with her arms in the air. I really credit the teacher, who is a grade school teacher by profession, in keeping the kids focused and happy. I, however, have no such compunction. Discovering something new about my characters when they start to misbehave makes me want to do my own princess walk across the keyboards to see where they will lead me.

Making Up Stuff

Merrillee here, thinking how much fun it is to create characters and places--in other words making up stuff. Ever since I was a kid, I've had imaginary people in my head who had conversations with each other. I didn't know that those voices would one day lead me to become a writer. I didn't plan to be a writer when I was young. I wanted to be a teacher, and I became one. But I had always enjoyed reading a good story, and one day I decided I should write one of my own and try to sell it. I wrote for years without making that sale. A little more than a year before I made my first sale, I received a rejection that made me question whether this dream of becoming a published author was something I should continue to pursue.

I decided to quit.

That was in November 2002. In January 2003 after I had put away the Christmas decorations, I started writing again. I started again because Jillian and Sam kept telling me that I had to write their story. Those imaginary people wouldn't let me quit. So I began writing their story just to get rid of them. After I did that, then I'd quit. I had no idea that Jillian and Sam's story would become my first sale to Steeple Hill. The Heart's Homecoming came out in August 2005. I had created a town for Jillian and Sam that I called Pinecrest. My imaginary town is located near Spokane, Washington. I wrote two more books set in that location.

In February, the first book of my new Kellerville series, Hometown Promise, will be available. My latest imaginary town, Kellerville, is located in Ohio near Cincinnati. Juliane and Lukas are the imaginary people who brought me to that little town, so I could tell their story. I hope you will take a journey with me to Kellerville. Check out the cover where you can see the town square with its gazebo and clock tower.


Using your imagination is fun whether you are a writer or not. What kinds of things do you like to imagine?