Eliza David's Blog - Posts Tagged "character-development"
Character Inspiration: Jay Weston
When a straight red-blooded female author sets out to create a male protagonist in romance fiction, the first thing that typically comes to the surface is how that character looks. At least, it did for me. I’m shallow, though.
Like CeeCee, I enjoy a bit of pop culture so my initial inspiration for Jay was the actor Lance Gross. If you don’t know who he is, I invite you to search for him on Google Images and drool as needed. He’s pretty hot and that’s putting it mildly. Once I established the physical manifestation of Jay, I had to dig deeper – way deeper. As you’ll read (or have read, I hope!) in The Cougarette, Jay was adopted by an older couple. I thought that element of his life added to his maturity level. Jay is not your average 25-year-old. He’s ambitious and quite established in his career. For goodness sake, he’s an artist that actually makes a substantial living without waiting tables and lives in a rent-controlled apartment in The Loop. If that’s not fiction, I don’t know what is.
Another aspect that added depth to Jay’s character was his broken relationship with his biological father. That dynamic brings forth a quality of Jay that I quite like: his vulnerability. Good looking vulnerable men are pretty sexy. His resistance to sharing that aspect of his life with CeeCee in the beginning of their relationship also allows an unspoken tension to form between them which, of course, makes for good fiction.
As I write Cougarette in the Country, I continue to flesh Jay out a bit more. We get to see what he’s like in a one-on-one relationship with CeeCee without interference. Well, at least for the first chapter anyway. ;)
Like CeeCee, I enjoy a bit of pop culture so my initial inspiration for Jay was the actor Lance Gross. If you don’t know who he is, I invite you to search for him on Google Images and drool as needed. He’s pretty hot and that’s putting it mildly. Once I established the physical manifestation of Jay, I had to dig deeper – way deeper. As you’ll read (or have read, I hope!) in The Cougarette, Jay was adopted by an older couple. I thought that element of his life added to his maturity level. Jay is not your average 25-year-old. He’s ambitious and quite established in his career. For goodness sake, he’s an artist that actually makes a substantial living without waiting tables and lives in a rent-controlled apartment in The Loop. If that’s not fiction, I don’t know what is.
Another aspect that added depth to Jay’s character was his broken relationship with his biological father. That dynamic brings forth a quality of Jay that I quite like: his vulnerability. Good looking vulnerable men are pretty sexy. His resistance to sharing that aspect of his life with CeeCee in the beginning of their relationship also allows an unspoken tension to form between them which, of course, makes for good fiction.
As I write Cougarette in the Country, I continue to flesh Jay out a bit more. We get to see what he’s like in a one-on-one relationship with CeeCee without interference. Well, at least for the first chapter anyway. ;)
Character Inspiration: Elaine 'Laney' Towns
Who doesn't want a BFF like Laney? She's loving, tough and a full-on supporter. The beauty of Laney is that she is not judgmental. In fact, my inspiration for Laney came from having so many judgmental friends in my own life.
I understood that in creating CeeCee that the last thing she needed in a BFF was someone that would bring their pointed finger to her. CeeCee is fragile but tough enough to handle the truth - which Laney gives by the boatload.
My favorite quote of Laney's is "No offense, but you need to stop approaching your career the way you approached your marriage.” She wants CeeCee to succeed but also realizes that the only way CeeCee will be motivated to move the mountains in her life is to hear the cold hard truth about herself.
Laney's ultimate role in The Cougarette is to be the voice of the reader. She's more than likely echoing the reader's inner voice: rooting for CeeCee but also calling her on the carpet when she fucks up.
If you have someone like Laney in your life, hold on to them forever.
I understood that in creating CeeCee that the last thing she needed in a BFF was someone that would bring their pointed finger to her. CeeCee is fragile but tough enough to handle the truth - which Laney gives by the boatload.
My favorite quote of Laney's is "No offense, but you need to stop approaching your career the way you approached your marriage.” She wants CeeCee to succeed but also realizes that the only way CeeCee will be motivated to move the mountains in her life is to hear the cold hard truth about herself.
Laney's ultimate role in The Cougarette is to be the voice of the reader. She's more than likely echoing the reader's inner voice: rooting for CeeCee but also calling her on the carpet when she fucks up.
If you have someone like Laney in your life, hold on to them forever.
First Draft Foolishness: Part Deux
So...the good news is that the first draft of Cougarette in the Country is done. I took a long nap to celebrate it this afternoon.
The not-so-good news is that it is short.
Way short.
38K words. 94 pages. Jeez.
In my very novice opinion, it's better to be too short than too long, I suppose. When the rewrite happens in a month, I won't need to cut anything (here's hoping!) and I've already marked places that I can create dialogue and add to the tension level. I just can't help but to compare it to the first book. The Cougarette was nearly 55K, a short book by most standards but just fine for a first-time fiction release. I find myself trying to catch up with that number but where the hell am I going to find another 17K?
The story is told and it's as wrapped up as I will allow it to be for a series (cliffhangers will keep people reading about CeeCee and Company). The best thing I or any writer can do is to keep writing and hope that your finished draft is something your reading demo will want to purchase for $2.99 or less. I know that the best thing for me to do is to walk away from it and get unfamiliar. I need to come back to it with fresh eyes after a month so I can have a better impression of it.
I also need to stop getting caught up in a number...but 38K is too damn low.
The not-so-good news is that it is short.
Way short.
38K words. 94 pages. Jeez.
In my very novice opinion, it's better to be too short than too long, I suppose. When the rewrite happens in a month, I won't need to cut anything (here's hoping!) and I've already marked places that I can create dialogue and add to the tension level. I just can't help but to compare it to the first book. The Cougarette was nearly 55K, a short book by most standards but just fine for a first-time fiction release. I find myself trying to catch up with that number but where the hell am I going to find another 17K?
The story is told and it's as wrapped up as I will allow it to be for a series (cliffhangers will keep people reading about CeeCee and Company). The best thing I or any writer can do is to keep writing and hope that your finished draft is something your reading demo will want to purchase for $2.99 or less. I know that the best thing for me to do is to walk away from it and get unfamiliar. I need to come back to it with fresh eyes after a month so I can have a better impression of it.
I also need to stop getting caught up in a number...but 38K is too damn low.
Character Inspiration: Billy BadAss
I’m not shy about the fact that popular hip-hop does not really appeal to me. I’m more of a Jay-Z/Kanye West kind of girl.
(Wait…are they still ‘popular’? They are both over the age of 35 so they are still popular to me.)
So when I went into creating CeeCee’s client - a young & hip rap star - I had to seek reinforcements.
I asked my 21-year-old brother about the artists he listens to in his spare time. I went to YouTube & checked out a few videos of said artists. I discovered that things haven’t changed much in popular hip-hop since I last paid attention ten years ago: half naked girls + jewelry + a copious amount of bravado = manufactured rap star.
With Billy, I wanted to get into another layer of his character. I wanted to go ‘beyond the bling’. That was a phrase I wrote on my writing vision board as a constant reminder of how I wanted to flesh Billy out. I made him into a child star turned rap star. Adding his years with the boyband RuffStuff gave you a real look into how much of a brand Billy was, as well as the image he works very hard at maintaining to compliment that brand. One of my favorite moments in The Cougarette is the morning after breakfast scene with him, CeeCee and Brutus. His dialogue perfectly surmises what happens in the music industry. It is probably the most important scene that Billy is included in throughout the book.
In Cougarette in the Country, you’ll see more of Billy – much more. His relationship with CeeCee has evolved into almost a mother/son kinship. It’s very poignant and endearing. While CeeCee struggles with maintaining a hardened, business-only bond with him, Billy pulls her into something deeper. He is a broken young man in need of constant validation and reassurance. The limelight has altered him and Francis Thomas will find it challenging to separate himself from that Billy BadAss image.
(Wait…are they still ‘popular’? They are both over the age of 35 so they are still popular to me.)
So when I went into creating CeeCee’s client - a young & hip rap star - I had to seek reinforcements.
I asked my 21-year-old brother about the artists he listens to in his spare time. I went to YouTube & checked out a few videos of said artists. I discovered that things haven’t changed much in popular hip-hop since I last paid attention ten years ago: half naked girls + jewelry + a copious amount of bravado = manufactured rap star.
With Billy, I wanted to get into another layer of his character. I wanted to go ‘beyond the bling’. That was a phrase I wrote on my writing vision board as a constant reminder of how I wanted to flesh Billy out. I made him into a child star turned rap star. Adding his years with the boyband RuffStuff gave you a real look into how much of a brand Billy was, as well as the image he works very hard at maintaining to compliment that brand. One of my favorite moments in The Cougarette is the morning after breakfast scene with him, CeeCee and Brutus. His dialogue perfectly surmises what happens in the music industry. It is probably the most important scene that Billy is included in throughout the book.
In Cougarette in the Country, you’ll see more of Billy – much more. His relationship with CeeCee has evolved into almost a mother/son kinship. It’s very poignant and endearing. While CeeCee struggles with maintaining a hardened, business-only bond with him, Billy pulls her into something deeper. He is a broken young man in need of constant validation and reassurance. The limelight has altered him and Francis Thomas will find it challenging to separate himself from that Billy BadAss image.
On A Break: The Post-First Draft Blues
Today marks my first day in over a month of not working on my first draft of Cougarette in the Country. As most writers know, finishing a first draft is a bittersweet moment.
On one hand: YAY! I finished my draft! Give me alcohol.
On the other hand: Now what the hell do I do with myself?
So here it begins for me - that lull between the completion of the first draft and the beginning of the rewrite process. My rewrite is scheduled to begin on March 1st but I already know that I'll return to my draft sooner than that. I can't help myself. I started a page in my journal to jot notes of where I want to change/add/extract text as they occur to me. It's still on my mind - CeeCee and Jay refuse to vacate my psyche.
Is this healthy? I'm not sure.
Will it change? Probably not.
I came across this blog entry by Isabel Sterling and retweeted it last night. The one piece of advice I grasped from it was simple: Keep reading and keep writing.
I dusted off my Kindle and started two new books. I'll continue blogging and fine tune another unrelated manuscript as I bide my time until I return to my draft.
At lest this is the shortest month of the year. February will go by just like that, right? *sigh*
On one hand: YAY! I finished my draft! Give me alcohol.
On the other hand: Now what the hell do I do with myself?
So here it begins for me - that lull between the completion of the first draft and the beginning of the rewrite process. My rewrite is scheduled to begin on March 1st but I already know that I'll return to my draft sooner than that. I can't help myself. I started a page in my journal to jot notes of where I want to change/add/extract text as they occur to me. It's still on my mind - CeeCee and Jay refuse to vacate my psyche.
Is this healthy? I'm not sure.
Will it change? Probably not.
I came across this blog entry by Isabel Sterling and retweeted it last night. The one piece of advice I grasped from it was simple: Keep reading and keep writing.
I dusted off my Kindle and started two new books. I'll continue blogging and fine tune another unrelated manuscript as I bide my time until I return to my draft.
At lest this is the shortest month of the year. February will go by just like that, right? *sigh*
Ways To Make The Rewrite Stressful: Beta Readers
I have completed the rewrite on the first eight chapters of Cougarette in the Country and now I am beginning to think about who I'd like to read them. Time to choose a beta reader!
It's an exciting time during the editing process because your ideal beta reader is someone that fits your target demo. They aren't looking for sentence structure or the overuse of adverbs - that's my job. The beta reader is there to make sure the story flows well and let you know if the narrative isn't captivating.
For The Cougarette, I had four beta readers. I think that was probably two too many. One of them was my mother and of course, she loved it. She's my mother. I'll still send her the first eight of CitC but I won't consider her a 'beta reader'. She just gets free shit because she gave birth to me, deservedly so.
It's my unrelated beta readers that worry me. What will be interesting this time around is this being Book Two. My beta reader has to have completed the first book and will go into these first eight with their own expectations of the characters. Also - as I've mentioned in previous blog entries - Cougarette in the Country has a very different vibe. It's very layered. There are flashbacks and every snooty literary snob will tell you that flashbacks are frowned upon and should be limited to one or two.
I have six.
I've found that beta readers are quite useful. It's fun to hear and read the reactions from them and it helps me to enhance my editing process. I've extended three invitations and will await their responses. Until then...back into the editing trenches I go.
It's an exciting time during the editing process because your ideal beta reader is someone that fits your target demo. They aren't looking for sentence structure or the overuse of adverbs - that's my job. The beta reader is there to make sure the story flows well and let you know if the narrative isn't captivating.
For The Cougarette, I had four beta readers. I think that was probably two too many. One of them was my mother and of course, she loved it. She's my mother. I'll still send her the first eight of CitC but I won't consider her a 'beta reader'. She just gets free shit because she gave birth to me, deservedly so.
It's my unrelated beta readers that worry me. What will be interesting this time around is this being Book Two. My beta reader has to have completed the first book and will go into these first eight with their own expectations of the characters. Also - as I've mentioned in previous blog entries - Cougarette in the Country has a very different vibe. It's very layered. There are flashbacks and every snooty literary snob will tell you that flashbacks are frowned upon and should be limited to one or two.
I have six.
I've found that beta readers are quite useful. It's fun to hear and read the reactions from them and it helps me to enhance my editing process. I've extended three invitations and will await their responses. Until then...back into the editing trenches I go.
Cougarette in the Country - Cover Reveal on February 21st!
Hi Readers!
The March release date is right around the corner and the last round of edits to Cougarette in the Country are almost wrapped up. One thing that is final is the cover art for the sequel to The Cougarette!
Stop by the Facebook author page, my Twitter page or GoodReads for the official cover reveal for Cougarette in the County - Saturday, February 21st at noon CT.
See you there!
The March release date is right around the corner and the last round of edits to Cougarette in the Country are almost wrapped up. One thing that is final is the cover art for the sequel to The Cougarette!
Stop by the Facebook author page, my Twitter page or GoodReads for the official cover reveal for Cougarette in the County - Saturday, February 21st at noon CT.
See you there!
