Summer of Discovery: Writing Who You're Not

Welcome to this week's guest blogger. Stacey Jay – a self described recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with three pen names, two small children, and a passion for playing pretend for a living.

Take it away, Stacey!

First up, thanks so much to Maria for having me over to the blog! *waves at Maria's readers*

Now I blog:

WRITING WHO YOU'RE NOT

As writers, we're often told to "write what we know," and I think that's good advice. To write about things you believe in, emotions you've felt, truths you've learned/observed about the human condition—these are all goods things.

However, I think that "write what you know" can also lead to writing who you know. And in that case, writers often find themselves with a character that isn't much of a character at all. The character is simply the author. In disguise. *waggles disguise fingers*

I've certainly created characters that resemble myself at one age or another. But with DEAD ON THE DELTA I set out from the beginning to create a heroine different from myself in almost every way. I wanted to experience this book from a truly alternative point of view.

Here are just a few of the differences that developed as I worked on Annabelle Lee, narrator of DEAD ON THE DELTA, and an officer for Fairy Containment and Control in an alternative Mississippi Delta infected by killer fairies:



Annabelle isn't a wildly driven person. She works to live; she doesn't live to work. I, on the other hand, confess on my website bio that I'm a "recovering workaholic." The truth is that the "recovering" part of that statement is total B.S. I'm still a workaholic. I've just learned to work as hard at spending time with my family as I do writing books. But I've still written and revised five full-length novels—creating over half a million words—in the last ten months. It's been fun to spend time in Annabelle's head, imagining what it's like to clock out at five and be done for the day, to have two whole days a week where you don't have to do any work at all.

Annabelle has a lot of friends. She's an integral part of her community and spends face time every week—and sometimes every day—with the people she loves. Most of the people I love are far away, or are people I only ever *see* online. In addition to writing full time, I'm also a stay at home mom to two young boys and I don't have time to find good friends in my community at this point. So writing this aspect of Annabelle's life has been a bit of wish fulfillment for me, as well.

Some of Annabelle's other traits, however, haven't been wish-fulfill-y at all:

Annabelle is commitment wary and uncomfortable around children. I married my husband less than six months after meeting him—and am still falling in love with him six years later—and have always been more at ease with children than adults.

Annabelle is slow to anger; I can get whipped into a snit fairly quickly.

Annabelle is slow to forgive; I have a hard time holding grudges. Even when I try.

Annabelle is, at times, disorganized; I make lists and refuse to let the ball drop.

Annabelle would do anything for a friend; I have to put my family first and sometimes that means saying "no" to friends.

Annabelle is a jeans, tank top, and very little make-up kind of girl. I'm a sun dress and cowgirl boots girl and say yes to both blush and lipstick, thankyouverymuch.

I think the only thing my heroine and I have in common is that we both enjoy a good joke and believe in fighting for what we believe is right, especially if it means defending someone who can't defend themselves. She's slower to rise to the challenge, but she rises, and that's where I found the "what I know" in this story.

But it's not the "what I know" that's made working on this series so special to me. It's slipping into the headspace of someone so different that makes writing Annabelle's story such a sweet escape. (Even when the killer fairies are attacking.)

I hope it will be an equally sweet—and scary and surprising and sexy and all other "s" words that apply—escape for my readers.

Learn more about Stacey Jay and DEAD ON THE DELTA at staceyjay.com.

Watch the DEAD ON THE DELTA book trailer:

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Stacey, thanks for a great post!!

In a word: yes. I write who I'm not, because frankly, no one wants to read about me. I share a few traits with Keira–primarily her non-fashion sense (black is *always* appropriate) and her tendency to want to be left alone. Other than that, I'm about as far from her as I could be. It's fun making up character traits, exploring who each person I write is and isn't.

Readers, what do you like best when you read about characters? What characters have stuck in your mind? Which have you truly disliked?