Introducing Jason Archer, a smart and sexy Texas dream with midnight-blue eyes and a kiss you’ll never forget…
Light Blue Scribbles Book Boyfriend Video by Sharon L. Clark
Tag: character introduction
Sometimes I plan out the personalities of my characters, creating a backstory, wants and desires, fears, all the good stuff that colors how they react in certain situations. Generally, though, characters will materialize as I type. Their voices and identities reveal themselves to me as the story grows. I know that sounds bizarre and a bit loony tunes, but I swear that’s how it happens. Every. Time.
So let me introduce you to the characters of my new novel, I’ll Call You Home, Book 2 of my Enderlin Calling series.
Charlotte Trevino
We first meet Charlotte as she’s rushing to her injured father’s hospital room. While she’s a diminutive 5’5″, we quickly learn that she’s not one to underestimate. Charlotte is independent, fiercly loyal, and ready to help the people she loves at the drop of a hat. Returning to her hometown of Zearing, Texas to help out on the family horse ranch while her father recovers, but almost immediately she’s forced to face her painful past: Jason Archer. Fearless and quick-witted, she fights her own battles. But Jason’s betrayal is one thing she hasn’t been able to overcome.
Jason Archer
Jason has always called Zearing home, and he’s built a pretty good life for himself. Sure it hasn’t followed the path he’d dreamed of growing up, but he likes his job, he has good friends and family around him, and he’s content. Until his biggest mistake returns and he can’t run from it any longer. Charlotte was his first love, his future, until he made a decision for the both of them that would come back to bite him in the ass. He’s never been able to move past his love for Charlotte, so when she blows back into town he knows he has to make things right. If he can break through the thick walls she’s built, he might just get a second chance.
Mitchell Drew
When I was thinking of Jason’s best friend, I really didn’t have a vision in mind. I just started writing and his voice came through loud and clear – quirky, loyal, and intelligent. If you’ve ever seen the Disney film “Big Hero 6” you might recognize Mitchell. I kept hearing the character Fred when I wrote his conversations and it was just so much fun. I fell in love with Mitch. His optimistic spirit and general love of life endears him to everyone he meets, including Charlotte – despite the fact that he’s Jason’s closest friend. It’s nearly impossible to resist his charm and the bright light of his heart.
I’ll Call You Home, Book 2 of my Enderlin Calling series, releases on October 13 and is available for preorder at Barnes & Noble and Amazon – go get your copies and meet Charlotte, Jason, and Mitch for yourselves!
Think about your favorite books, the stories you’ve read over and over again, that have stayed with you long after you’ve finished them. What is it about them that pulls you in? Why do you keep turning the pages?
Sure, sometimes it’s nothing more than morbid curiosity, a need to just get to the end at all costs. Maybe it’s the setting, somewhere exotic or fantastical that takes you to a different world. Any of those may play a part, but for me, it’s all about one thing:
The characters.
Creating imaginary people that the reader truly cares about is a challenge and a whole lot of fun. The reader has to want the good guys to win, to be happy, to get the thing they want most. The villain also has to have you rooting for them: either to get their comeuppance, or to defeat the protagonist. Building a villain is almost as much fun for me as writing the cinnamon-roll men and strong women in my stories. Plus, it’s a great way to exorcise any personal demons by living vicariously through the bad guy on the page.
Not that I do that.
Every author has their own system that works for them, and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. My personal process is honestly far less organized and rational than it should be (think Jeremy Bearimy). It probably doesn’t even qualify as a ‘process’, but it works for me.
- Not gonna lie – I usually start with an imaginary conversation I’ve had inside my head. Whether it’s from a real-life encounter or a ‘what-if’ scenario, what the people say to each other is my first step in building the lives I want to be part of. (And then ultimately destroy, before giving them a happily-ever-after.)
- Once I have the basic, superficial idea, I dive deeper. Why do they do what they do, want what they want? What do they believe in? There are some fantastic templates out there that help build the backstory. I have the best of intentions when I start one of these character sheets, but I never finish them. Partially because I don’t know the characters very well before the story is written. But mostly because I’m just far too impatient.
- Creating a villain is one of my favorite things and I frequently cackle maniacally while I breathe life into him or her. This is where my True Crime obsession finally pays off; I start with what the villain does and then work backwards, like a BAU team does. Are they villains because they use unreasonable tactics to do what they think is ‘the right thing’? Is it because they want revenge, love, money? Or are they just sociopaths?
There are so many delicious possibilities.
Some authors will keep a diary from a character’s point of view, create a vision board, build a playlist, or design a wardrobe. I will search for the picture of an actor, musician, or model who most resembles how I see the character in my mind. ALL of these ways are valid, and brilliant, and useful, and will contribute to the creation of an entire sort-of person.
Don’t let anyone tell you that your process is wrong. Who decides that, anyway? I can pretty much guarantee that no two authors create their characters using the same tools. Find what works for you and stick with it!
What is your process? Do you know everything about your characters before you start or, like me, do you let them tell you about themselves along the way?
Comment below or send me an email and lets talk about it!
In a previous post, I asked for advice on deciding which project to focus on for NaNoWriMo and I’m thrilled with my decision. Finishing my work on Bradford Mansion has been a lot of fun so I’d like to introduce you to my heroine!
Have you met…Jo McMillen?
Hilarie Burton is exactly how I picture Jo!
Growing up, Jo found her calling in woodworking and home renovation, but struggled to fit in. None of her girlfriends were interested in getting dirty in wood shop and none of the boys knew how to talk to her, much less date her. Now thirty years old and independent, she’s grown to be a level-headed and stubborn woman who’s fought her way to the top of her industry. So when she comes across a dream opportunity to purchase and restore a local mansion, she doesn’t think twice.
It doesn’t take long for her to realize her rash decision may have been a huge mistake.
Strange things happen on her first night in Bradford Mansion, but she refuses to be scared away. In fact, the bizarre occurrences only make her more determined to stay put. She is forced to confront the mischievous ghost of the estate’s long-dead heir, Nathan Bradford, and the two immediately clash. He can’t reconcile his old-fashioned ideas in her, and she’s done trying to fit anyone’s mold. Both want solitude, both claim ownership of the mansion, but neither will give an inch. Instead, they fall into a rocky friendship that gives them strength to face challenges that could destroy them.
I adore writing this character and putting her in some pretty strange situations. While it sounds insane, I’m always surprised to find out how Jo reacts to the things I throw at her!
Bradford Mansion has been so entertaining to write. I can’t wait to finish this novel so I can share Jo, Nathan, and all the other players with you!
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this story, feel free to comment below or send me an email.
Editing is coming along slowly, but I am enjoying getting to know my characters all over again! Previously I introduced you to Katie Parker. Now I’d like you to meet her delightful boyfriend, Derek Franklin.
Growing up in San Francisco and traveling extensively for work, Derek finds Katie’s small-town demeanor fascinating. Where she is quiet and awkward, Derek is charming with self-confidence oozing out of every pore. He is beautiful, turning heads everywhere he goes. More than once he is compared to sunshine – when he turns his attention to you, you can’t help but respond to the warmth. Women want him, men admire him, and mere mortals long simply to be near him.
I immediately saw Derek as the exquisite and adorable Chris Hemsworth. To be honest, I never paid attention to the actor until Thor: Ragnarok and his portrayal of Kevin in Ghostbusters. Seeing a far less serious side of him made him exponentially more appealing, and I definitely see that in Katie’s relationship with Derek.
But Derek has secrets. There is another layer to him, one that few get to see. Only Katie knows the way he manipulates and controls the people around him. While she sees glimpses of his darker personality, Katie is shocked when she learns the truth about him. Underneath the dazzling smile lie shadows that only come to light when it’s too late.
Derek Franklin is the perfect boyfriend, the perfect employee, the perfect male specimen. But Katie soon comes to realize that when you get too close to the sun, you can get burned…
I can’t wait to meet my characters again as I start the editing process on my previous novel. That behemoth has been riding on my back since November of last year, finally coming to a close in July. It is a rambling pile of garbage consisting of roughly 163,000 words and 346 word processor pages. Following the advice of a number of prominent authors, I finished WIP2017 (current working title) and set it aside to percolate for six weeks.
Okay, well, for nearly five months. Don’t judge.
I have to admit I am both terrified and excited to look at the story again. In my memory there are blazing triumphs of literary genius as well as festering bits of nonsense. But I can’t wait to revisit some of my characters! Here, I will introduce you to my Main Character and Protagonist, Katherine “Katie” Parker.
Katie Parker grew up in a small town in Iowa, and couldn’t wait to leave it behind. She moved to San Francisco, took a job at a prestigious marketing firm, and quickly hit it off with attractive and engaging Derek Franklin. Katie and Derek lived a satisfying life filled with work and friends until Katie started receiving threatening letters. Tragedy struck, turning her world upside-down, so she moved home searching for a sense of safety. But it wasn’t long until she realized she was putting everything and everyone she cared about at risk. Katie knew she would have to fight if she wanted to keep the new life she’d built.
There is a lot of me in Katie Parker, especially her sense of humor and her insecurities. I like to have a visual representation of my characters, making artistic adjustments here and there to make them unique. For Katie, I immediately saw Ginnifer Goodwin. She’s adorable and seems friendly, accommodating, and harmless. But we come to learn she has hidden depths and a fierceness underneath her sweet appearance.
I had a lot of fun bringing her to life, but what I most enjoyed about writing Katie was watching her grow. When we first meet her, she is fairly naïve, living in her boyfriend’s shadow where he calls the shots and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. She’s intelligent, but complacent. People like her, but don’t take her seriously – and she doesn’t fight that perception. Throughout her story, however, a series of events create a dark cloud over her head, making her look at herself and the people around her in a different light. She learns to stand up for herself, to go after what she wants, and to take her future into her own hands.