Have you met your characters yet?

For several years now, I’ve been on an endless search for me. Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) – teacher of yogic tradition, posed the question, Who am I? Who hears what I hear? Who sees what I see? Who feels what I feel? For me, I’ve come a little bit closer to understanding this now that I’ve fallen into Michael A. Singer’s novel The Untethered Soul. He speaks of these questions and answers them simply with, I am the one who sees; I am the one who feels; I am the one who hears. I am me. But who am ‘I’? ‘I’ live in the seat of consciousness. To know this is to attain inner freedom. I’ve learned to step back within myself and realize that I am spiritual. I am not the voices that speak incessantly within my head. I am not the thoughts that run swiftly through my mind. These voices, these thoughts, they are separate from me. They are the maniacs that share my ride – my body. Understanding this has freed me to understand that I am in control of my life. I do not have to feel beaten, abused, afraid or confused. I choose not to be a victim but a victor in this thing called life. I am, after all, ME.

What brings this post about? I’ve recently started my third novel, a psych thriller about a woman by the name of Allison Rigby who has some terrible obstacles to overcome. The reader may not see her strength at first, or even when the story is through, but if they read between the lines, if they allow themselves to hear what Allison hears, feel what she feels, see what she sees, the reader will walk away with a better understanding of who Allison ‘is’ and why she does the things she does.

The same is true for Danielle Montgomery, the female protagonist in THE CONSEQUENTIAL ELEMENT The reader may put the book down and think, “That’s not what I would have had the character do.” If that is the reader’s thought, then they misunderstand the concept of a character.

Characters are not actors or actresses. They are created by a living, breathing being to become living, breathing beings on the pages of their story. You, as the author, must get to know each one thoroughly. You must take the time to meet them, see what they see, feel what they feel, hear what they hear, taste what they taste, and touch what they touch. Become them for a day. Move through your day in their shoes; react to your environment as they would. Ask the question from their point of view – who am I? And then listen for the truth. That is the character you need to write. If you make it up, the reader will know.

Thank you for visiting. I’m glad you stopped by. Don’t forget, the eBook version of THE CONSEQUENTIAL ELEMENT iS on sale now through Thanksgiving for .99. Spread the word if you get the chance.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. May it be safe, happy, and full of love.

Dee Ann

A Scary Thought

Last night was Halloween and although all the little ghosts, goblins, princesses, and the like were out in full force, somehow it just didn’t seem right. I’m a New Englander. It’s in my blood. Sitting beneath a palm tree in Florida handing out candy just didn’t cut it for me. The warm air gently swaying the palms beneath a slow breeze made the children seem more like intruders than welcomed guests.

So I sat beneath the palm tree, closed my eyes, and let the soothing sounds of kids going door-to-door drift by. Neighbors oo’d and ah’d with delight at the makeshift costumes, ghosts called eerily as intruders ascended driveways, misted lawns hid partially exposed giant spiders, and pumpkins glared with flame-filled eyes at all who passed.

My mind drifted back to my own neighborhood, my own childhood, my own spooky Halloween… and the headless Reaper dressed in black. He sat in an old rocking chair on an old, crickety porch strung thick with cobwebs. I remember him well. His body sat as still as the dead and his bony hands wrapped around a plastic pumpkin filled with candy. I approached with caution trying to be as brave as the other kids who walked up the porch to ring the bell. The door opened and a woman with a warm smile appeared. She reached into the pumpkin on the headless man’s lap and handed out fistfuls of candy to the kids on the porch. Still he didn’t move. Something was wrong. I felt it. I knew this with every bone in my body, but my little eight year old eyes focused more on the candy now.

I waited for that group to leave the porch, took hold of my pillowcase with both hands, and bravely began my ascent up the long winding driveway. My foot hit the first wooden stoop and then it happened. His large, ominous frame slowly rose; his long black robe draped over his body. His head was gone, yet his low, deep voice rumbled in my ears. “Happy Halloween little trickster,” he said. It seemed like forever to catch my breath, but once I did I let out a startlingly shrill scream that made everyone stop and stare. As I turned to run, my face hit a spider’s web complete with occupant. I wiped at my face with frantic hands. Cleared of the web, I dropped my prized pillowcase full of candy and ran all the way back to my brother standing in wait at the end of the driveway. The man followed behind. “Wait! I’m sorry, honey, it’s okay. Here, I have candy for you.” But it was too late. The damage was done. The fear of that night would forever be burned in my soul.

A small voice sounded and I opened my eyes to rest on a beautiful little princess no more than five standing in front of me. “Hi. I mean, trick-or-treat,” her tiny voice spoke as she held out her bag.

I leaned forward to drop a few snickers inside and she backed away a step with wide eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked and followed her eyes to my arm.

“Is that a real spider on your arm?”

I glance down and my heart stops for the briefest of seconds. I shake my arm and the large, fury insect falls to the ground disappearing into the night. Again the fear of long ago returns and for a moment… only a moment… I embrace and love it. A shot of adrenaline courses through my veins and I feel the sudden rush of someone who has just escaped something horrible.

I smile at her. “Why, yes it was, but my friend is gone now. Here,” I say and reach out to drop the candy in her bag.

She squeals and runs away. “Ewww! Mommy, that lady had a real spider on her arm and she called it her friend!”

The woman and I exchange a smile and they continue down the road.

This is the same fear my character, Danni Montgomery, from THE CONSEQUENTIAL ELEMENT feels when she has to return to the Congo to face the man who killed her mother, stole her innocence, and may have kidnapped her uncle. She embraces it and loves it.

If you’re in the mood for an action/adventure thriller and could use a burst of adrenaline, check it out at amzn.to/17qT2an. The ratings are steady at 4 and 5 stars and I promise you’ll enjoy the ride. Oh, and it's FREE on Veteran's Day at amzn.to/17qT2an.

How does this post pertain to writing? Simple. Don't let fear stifle your flow. Embrace it; love it. Feel the adrenaline rush through your mind when the words begin to flow. It's a high unmatched by any other.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to leave a comment.

All my best,

Dee Ann