Sometimes I get an idea for a character and then create a story around them. Sometimes I get an idea for a story and then create a character to fit the story.
This new plot required a tortured alpha male stripped of his humanity. Enter Max, a broken, brooding gladiator forced to kill for entertainment. Fighting to the death over and over again has turned Max into a hardened beast. The only time he feels human is when at stud. Next, I had to figure out what kind of heroine could “reawaken” his humanity and show him he is a good man worthy of love. I created Addy, a strong-willed, rebellious heroine whose fighting spirit inspires Max. Abducted and forced to be Max’s mate, Addy refuses to breed warriors for the Survival Race. Her goal is to escape captivity and find her way home.
She had to be strong, but in a subtle way. If Kedric desired war, she’d need to desire peace. Warlord Kedric needed a heroine who could tame his lust for revenge and bring peace into his heart. Who better to do that but a spiritual healer? Kedric’s heroine was created especially for him and new to the series. This couple was exciting to write about. The warlord and the spiritual healer have opposing goals, but we all know what happens to opposites, right? Sexual tension! The heat level is a bit steamier in Fearless than it was in Captive, as Myia can’t jump into Kedric’s soul to heal his pain unless they touch. Oh boy, I had fun watching sweet, innocent Myia trying to seduce an alpha gladiator warlord.
While plotting RENEGADE (Survival Race #3), I realized once again that I have a hero—introduced in Fearless—and a partial plot but no heroine. I actually went through three different heroines trying to figure out who would work best! The first two weren’t getting the job done. They were already established characters, but were not right for what the hero needed or what the plot needed...or, quite frankly, what I needed. Those heroines weren’t getting me excited to write the story. After much cogitating, I came up with the hero’s perfect match. This kick-butt alpha heroine is exactly what the nerdy scientist hero needed, and boy was she fun and exciting to write about!
So what have I learned about my character development process? Apparently, I take the Adam and Eve approach. I create the man first and then from the man create the perfect woman for him. :)
No matter how my characters are born, I always develop them further with a character sketch. I can’t write them if I don’t know their goals and motivations, their wounds and fears, the lie they tell themselves, their flawed coping mechanisms, and what they truly need and desire in order to live their truth and find true happiness. Most of this is from Michael Hague’s lectures and will be a separate post for another time. I’ve also enhanced my characters with bits and pieces from real world influences. Shh…don’t tell my family or friends. ;)
Readers - have you ever read about characters that were perfect for each other? Have you ever read about characters that weren’t and wondered why the author forced them together?
Writers - What’s your character development process? Do you do a character sketch? Do you use real world influences?
I love hearing from you! Please leave a comment or two! But before you do, let me remind you it’s…
RELEASE DAY FOR FEARLESS!
Myia holds the power to heal Kedric’s lust for war…if she can control her emotions long enough to soul jump him. But how can the shaman-in-training find inner peace when the stubborn warlord refuses her touch and ignites her temper?
When Myia embraces Kedric’s darkest secrets, their destinies unite in a fight to save their loved ones. But victory will demand they surrender more than their hearts.
**This enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, sci-fi romance is a stand alone story in the Survival Race series with a new hero and heroine in each book who find their happily ever after.**
Available now at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo
Enjoy the adventure and romance!
K.M. Fawcett
Romance for the Rebel Heart
www.kmfawcett.com
That was an interesting read. I enjoy reading about how authors 'think'. I'm a bit like you. I start with a whisper of a plot - or maybe more than a whisper. I often work from real history, or from a myth or legend. For instance, the core of The Iron Admiral came from the set-up incident Hitler used to trigger WW2 in Poland. I didn't use an attack on a radio station - but I did use the notion of a set-up attack. I already had a hero in mind and from there I needed a heroine to contrast.
ReplyDeleteI'd be very interested in how other authors come up with their plots.
Thank you, Greta! I like to learn about other authors' processes, too, as they all seem to be unique. And I like to see if there are other things that could improve mine. Do you also seem to "meet" the hero first or was that specific to this particular book?
DeleteIt can be either. With Iron Admiral it was the hero - but for Morgan's Choice it was most definitely the heroine. And that's how it has been all the time. I think it depends upon what story core I'm working on.
DeleteHappy Release Day, Kathy! Hope it goes well with all the other distractions out there! As for my process, I almost always start with a "what if" kind of concept, then the hero and heroine that personify the conflict that "what if" naturally brings up. At least, that's the way my first book went: what if aliens were stealing humans off the Earth, but good-guy abolitionists were bringing them back? And what if one woman rescued this way lost three hours of time and something terrible happened in the meantime. What would she do? Who would help her find that lost piece of her? That was UNCHAINED MEMORY.
ReplyDeleteLove it! What if is an authors favorite game! Thanks for the well wishes on release day. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be a good time (at least for me) to be releasing books right now. Hopefully it will pick up again.
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