How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters?
Did they ever surprise you?

 
I’m a pantser, which means I don’t do that much planning ahead of time, and I just start writing. So I get to know my characters as I write the first half of the book. I usually have a very basic character outline. For example, with Caper Crush, I wanted to write a book with an emotional action heroine, so that was Miranda. I also wanted her to be an artist, and I wanted her to be impetuous but also analytical when necessary. And since I love the trope of opposites attract, then William had to be more strait-laced and reserved—at least on first appearance.

I also tend to follow the advice of Story Origin by Lisa Cron by and write or think of several backstory scenes that explain why they are the way they are.

If I ever get stuck, then I do a free-flowing interview of them. They often surprise me, especially Miranda. But whenever I get stuck while plotting a book, I do a separate interview with my characters and ask them the question or about the plot point I’m stuck on.

William is more reserved than Miranda, but he really opened up when asked directly questions about his past relationships and his feelings toward Miranda.

In my first book, Partner Pursuit, I wrote a separate conversation between Jake and his mom, and that conversation surprised me and also helped Jake sort out his feelings.

In Is This for Real?, my second book, I did an interview of Penelope, and she surprised me when she was annoyed that she and Rory hadn’t gone for more of a dip in the ocean that night they walked on the beach. Lol.

I also tend to write in layers, so I write a very rough first draft and then I go back and layer more in. So as I get to know them better, then I can add more detail.

It’s great when I feel like I really know my characters and yet they still surprise me because then they’ve really taken off on their own!

 

 

Caper Crush

 

A feel-good, opposites-attract, slow burn romantic comedy

Somebody stole my painting! The one I need for the career-defining Vertex Art Exhibit. This upcoming art show is my chance to finally be recognized as an artist—after ten years of waitressing and being asked if I still have that “lovely painting hobby.”

I have mere weeks to find my painting or lose my artist dream forever—but it’s going to mean working with William.

William Haruki Matsumura. Good-looking, if you like the Secret Service type. You know, law-abiding, protector of women and children. That’s all fine, but I can never tell what he’s thinking. Which drives me crazy.

He insists on coming along to do “damage control.” As if “accidentally” wandering into certain areas is “breaking and entering.” I may be an emotional artist, but William shouldn’t dismiss my investigative skills yet.

William is definitely my opposite, and, if there’s one takeaway from my parents’ divorce, it’s that opposites might attract, but it doesn’t last. But detecting with William is kind of fun—and fluttery. I definitely can’t trust these feelings, or can I? However this caper ends, I think this may be more than a crush.

Purchase Links

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