Join
me in welcoming Andi O’Connor, author of the fantasy novel, The Lost Heir,
as she tours the blogosphere from August 5 – August 30, on her first virtual
book tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book!
EMBRACE
THE SNOWFLAKE
by
Andi O’Connor
One of the things that has always attracted me to the
fantasy genre, both as a reader and writer, is that a totally imaginary world
can be entirely believable. Creating a world that resonates with readers and
allows them to immerse themselves in the story is one of the most difficult
things about writing fantasy. Everyone and everything must work within the
parameters of the world. Details and aspects of the world must be thoroughly
explained so that the reader understands, yet it needs to be done in such a way
that it draws the reader into the story and makes them think that it could be
real.
An essential part of this seemingly impossible equation
is creating characters that are relatable. To quote Alistair Deacon from one of
my favorite British comedies, As Time Goes By, “The people in the book need to
be people.”
Don’t worry, I’ll explain in a minute! I promise! But
first, I want to share with you a recent experience I had with one of my
characters. A few weeks ago, I was working on a scene for Awakening, the next
installment of The Dragonath Chronicles, when I suddenly realized that I loathe
Garenth with every fiber of my being. Now don’t get me wrong, I had already
come to dislike him when writing The Lost Heir, but this new feeling had
evolved to something far different. It had transformed into pure, unequivocal
hatred.
After finishing the scene, I sat there, trying not to
stab the monitor with a pair of scissors, and mulled over how much I wished
Garenth was actually alive so I could castrate him with a potato peeler.
Yes, I know you’re all thinking I should check myself
into a mental facility for crazed writers, but I’m not as nutty as you may
think…honestly. You see, my desire to attack Garenth with kitchen utensils had
nothing to do with his contribution to the plot or role he plays. Nor was it
dissatisfaction regarding the writing itself, which is often accompanied by such
phrases as, Well, that four hours of work is going straight to the trash. Or my
personal favorite, Was I on drugs when I wrote this?
No, this was personal. I despise Garenth as a person.
I hate every single thing about him and everything he
stands for. I hate his total disregard for the lives and well-being of his
people. I hate his lust for power and control over others. I hate the
despicable things he has done to his family and others close to him. I hate his
drunkenness. His laziness. His selfishness. But most of all, I hate his
passionate belief that women are inferior. That they exist solely to give
pleasure to men and birth sons to carry the family name and the family blood.
That they are property. That they are nothing.
Yet, in spite of all of that, there is not one thing that
I would change about him. He is a person, and though I find him utterly
detestable, he draws me into the story. He allows me to become invested on a
deep and personal level. It is characters like him that make me want to keep
writing. It is characters like him who will hopefully make my readers want to
keep reading.
Creating such characters is easier said than done, and I
will be the first to admit that it is something I will continue to struggle
with until the day I write my very last word, hopefully in at least fifty
years’ time. Much to every writer’s dismay, there is not a magic formula to
help us forge the perfect characters. There are, however, a few things I keep
tucked away in the back of my mind while I’m working on a scene –flexibility,
diversity, and change.
Both the writer and the character must be flexible.
Neither one can get stuck in a rut. That will eventually lead to boredom for
the readers and will have the characters do and say things that don’t
necessarily fit their disposition. Each character needs to have a distinct
personality, and the writer needs to think of that personality when the
character reacts to a situation or another
character. They need to be individuals. They all need to be snowflakes.
Don’t think of what you would do. Think of what they
would do. Everything we experience helps to shape who we are. The same must
apply to our characters. Let them grow, evolve, and change.Let them share their
thoughts, memories, feelings, and ambitions.Don’t tell them what to do or where
to go – let them tell you.
Don’t make them characters. Make them people. Embrace the
snowflake.
The Lost Heir
by Andi O'Connor
The Dragonath Chronicles, Book 1
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 392 Pages
Add to Goodreads
Always a meticulous planner, Darrak Hunter leads a dull
life until his dreams become plagued with visions of a peculiar and distant
world. Waking up to a brilliant purple sun looming ominously in the
sky, Darrak is met by a mysterious violet-eyed sorcerer who whisks him away
from the struggling Earth.
Thrown into the clutches of a foreign world where magic
is reality and not all is as it seems, Darrak embarks on a journey where he is
forced to come to terms with his past and do what he can to shape the future. Accompanied
by a talented swordswoman, a prince, and a beautiful young sorceress, he must
overcome cunning plots of treachery and betrayal to discover the strength to
stand against a destructive black magic and an enemy who is a master at
deception.
Purchase
your copy:
About
the Author:
The Lost Heir is Andi O'Connor's debut novel and is
available in both paperback and eBook. Her second novel, Silevethiel,
is slated for release in October, 2013. She is a member of the
International Women’s Writing Guild, the National Writers Association, The
Association of Writers & Writing Programs, and the Boston Chapter of the
Women's National Book Association. Andi lives in Pennsylvania with
her husband, son, and four dogs.
You can visit Andi’s website at www.andioconnor.com or
socialize with her at Facebook.
Thanks for hosting Andi today, Maria!
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