Connie Vines Was Just Wondering, "Do Fictional Characters Pick-up the Habits of the Writer?"
From Inside Books We Love Blog, posted Saturday, June 28, 2014
Years ago I located an article about Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind. Apparently, there was a great deal of press about how she hid sections of her novel beneath couch cushions, this was her very first novel etc. All of these statements may have a ring of truth but Margaret Mitchell was a journalist.
Whether you agree or disagree with the premise of the Pulitzer Prize winning book or the screenplay or the resulting Academy Award Winning Picture, you cannot argue the fact she created exceptionally real characters. It has been nearly 80 years since the book was published and nearly everyone in the U.S. (and who knows how many other countries) recall ‘something’ about Scarlett and Rhett.
Interviews tell us that MM would sit in front of a mirror and watch how her earrings (earbobs) moved to help in her descriptions. She said she had every detail in her mind before she sat down at the typewriter. She also had relatives who lived during the era of the Civil War.
In MM’s case this may have been true. Her character may have been pieces of herself and her life.
However, in my case, I’m not so sure this is the case.
Yes, my heroines and I may have many of the same interests. Rachel Scott, my heroine in Lynx, Rodeo Romance Book 1, has many of my physical attributes at her age. Amberlynn Maddox, my heroine in Brede, Rodeo Romance Book 2,is knowledgeable about Native American works of art.
(These are WIP that I plan to pitch to my wonderful publisher: Books We Love. Surprise!)
However, in one of my current WIP, Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow, I seem to be picking up Meredith, my heroine’s habits. I am beginning to wear disposable latex gloves when I wash my hair (why, I don’t know). I keep a food diary online and I carry on conversations with Siri (which is very difficult to do). And, lastly (I hope), I keep purchasing hand lotion. Do I need all this hand lotion? No I have a place to store extra hand lotion (besides my desk at my day gig)? No. Will I keep purchasing hand lotion? I hope not.
Now on to my anthology, Gumbo Ya Ya—for women who like romance Cajun & Men HOT & SPICY. Five stores in one book. Doesn’t this mean 5 times the crazy habits for me? It would seem so. Beignets and café au lait, should I be having these type of dreams? Perfume, I’m obsessed with perfume and I’m worried about gators. Seriously? I live in SoCal. I really don’t think the L.A. river is going to become infested with gators in the next, say . . .million years or so. Then there’s the heroine who works in day time TV. Well, I do have the beginnings of a three-act play on my hard drive.
Anything else? Time Travel to the 16th century and werewolves (contemporary)--so far, nothing to report on those two topics. Which is good news to me.
Now, Rand Rodeo Romance Book 3, oh, boy—do I have stories to tell!
Thank you for stopping by to read my guest post to the Books We Love Blog.
Happy Reading,
Connie Vines
(Go to: About.me/ConnieVines ornovelsbyconnievines.com for more info)
