Of all the questions people ask a new author, this may be the most quixotic. Why? It’s impossible to answer. Honestly. Fictional characters are born of inspiration, influenced by folks who’ve touched you during your life. Some close to you, others complete strangers.
Consider the burden of carrying imaginary people with you until it’s time to release them! A young friend of mine in elementary school, back in Louisville, Kentucky, has always been in my heart and on my mind, though, we lost touch decades ago. I remember her so vividly because our classmates were mean to her. She suffered from petit mal seizures and would often “freeze” in place, sometimes at the top of a tall steel slide on the playground. It was frightening to wait for her to drift from her daze and have no recall of what happened.
Eva is the inspiration for my protagonist, Suzanne Martin, in The Phantom Wife. Yet, Suzanne doesn’t suffer from epilepsy. Suzanne is clairsentient. She communicates with spirits. As I mold Suzanne, I draw from Eva’s experience; she lacked control of a condition, misunderstood by many, including the teacher who told us to leave the child alone. I wanted to explore a multi-faceted woman who deals with a gift, or a curse, depending on how one views it, that she cannot manipulate. And how she’s forced to explain this to others who either fear her or suspect her of evil.
It’s part of the creative process. Authors cannot solely rely upon personal relationships to develop characters. They are adept observation artists who easily stare at strangers in public. And eavesdrop on conversations. Later, they recall intricate details no one else notices. Writers enjoy the opportunity to witness unfolding chaos. Who knows? The scene might be useful later to jumpstart a stalled character.
Take the angry middle-aged man at Starbucks this morning who complained about the milk foam in his cappuccino. “I specifically ordered low-fat milk. I see heavy cream in this.” “No, sir. It’s prepared exactly as you ordered,” the barista said, turning to point out the low-fat milk container still sitting on the counter. The angry customer ignored his words and gesture. “Son, call your manager.”
To settle the ruckus, the manager asked her barista to re-do the order and offered it free-of-charge. She’d already walked away and didn’t hear the man say, “Espresso, double shot, whole milk, two Splendas.” The young barista didn’t miss a beat. But he surely exaggerated efforts with that espresso, as though he was preparing it for royalty. The man exited the shop with two cups of gourmet coffee and paid for neither one. So, the young barista said, “Guess the guy was desperate for free coffee this morning.” Leave it to a teenager to point out the obvious.
Whether a character is born from a memory embedded years ago, or springs from observation today, the unbridled joy of writing unfolds when a gem is discovered, then polished to perfection.
