Writers like to make people think each character they create is the work of their superb imaginations and nothing more.
I say “rubbish.”
I believe the characters we dream up all have little nuggets of their creators in them, something that connects us both and makes it possible for them to leap off the page.
I was an English major.
I know these things.
Let’s take my latest novel, “A Groovy Kind of Love.” In it, an uptight, anglophilic computer programmer falls for a much younger, free-spirited daughter of Hippies. Which character is most like me?
Well, Thaddeus Mumblegarden IV shares my belief that books are magical vehicles of transportation to other worlds, yet clearly I’m no computer programmer. I actually tried it in college when a misguided counselor suggested I diversify my schedule by taking something more “practical.”
Big mistake. Dropped it halfway through the semester and escaped back into the familiar arms of Shakespeare and Austen.
Thaddeus is also an anglophile, like me. England is definitely my happy place. My family can attest to that, particularly during “Downton Abbey” season or any of the fine British series on PBS, however there’s where the similarities end. I don’t ever want to write a character that’s all me. I’m just not that fascinating. Come to think of it, I’d probably be so boring I’d edit myself out of the scene.
But Thaddeus, Spring, and the rest of the book club members? Now those are some interesting people!
Thaddeus is also an anglophile, like me. England is definitely my happy place. My family can attest to that, particularly during “Downton Abbey” season or any of the fine British series on PBS, however there’s where the similarities end. I don’t ever want to write a character that’s all me. I’m just not that fascinating. Come to think of it, I’d probably be so boring I’d edit myself out of the scene.
But Thaddeus, Spring, and the rest of the book club members? Now those are some interesting people!
Buy on Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Smashwords | Kobo
Author Bio: Karen Wojcik Berner writes contemporary women’s fiction, including the Amazon best-selling series, the Bibliophiles. An award-winning journalist, her work has appeared in several magazines, newspapers, and blogs, including the Chicago Tribune, Writer Unboxed, Women's Fiction Writers, and Fresh Fiction. She currently serves on the Author Council of LoveToReadEbooks.com and is a member of the Chicago Writers’ Association. When not writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her youngest’s football or lacrosse games, discussing the Celts with the oldest, or snuggling into a favorite reading chair with a good book and some tea.
Thanks so much for hosting me here today!
ReplyDelete