Behind the Scenes

Writing is uncontrollable imagination melding reality with fiction into a story. It brings me joy when I’m creating characters, ‘just like my Aunt Meg’ or as funny as Great-Uncle Joe.

Briggs/Meyers temperament analysis helps not only actors in character development but is essential to the writer. Ove, the cantankerous protagonist in Frederick Backman’s, “A Man Called Ove, is delightfully nuanced. Hercule Poirot’s OCD and Nero Wolfe’s culinary habits display quirks not unlike an irritating neighbor or the persnickety urologist who keeps the O.R staff alert.

Robin’s voice in “Happy Christmas, Miss Lawrence”, is a bit like my father’s. Filled with a jaundiced eye on the world about him, Robin finds ways to come alongside the needy while keeping an emotional distance. His kindness draws people to him but Robin’s humor builds barriers.

Like many giving people, serving others is part of Robin’s nature. I once heard Jill Briscoe speak about the gift of presence. That is Robin. Finding ways to help his brother-in-law, rescue his uncle and protect Miss Lawrence reveals God’s presence in Robin’s life.

The male characters in my novels are more difficult to write than the female. Somehow, I can hear the voice of my female protagonist in my head as I write. Danielle, in Shadow Games, is a combination of strong female friends and smart mouth movie heroines who have faced difficulty with humor and grace. Dialogue slithers in and out of my consciousness at will. It can cause dissonance in my marriage or amusement depending on the scene I’m creating. I am blessed with a husband who willingly reads my attempts at story telling and chooses not to take offense if I put his words in someone’s mouth.