Character reprisals
What happens when you've written someone's story, think it's done, and then the character jumps up and says 'hang on, there's more to my story than that'. Of course it's too late. Not only have you finished the story, you've sold it and it's been published. Done and dusted.
I have a tendency to finish my stories as early as I can. I don't enjoy reading chapters and chapters of seemingly unrelated plot-line after the characters have decided they want to be together. I don't need to read through the whole 'getting to know you'-type scenarios just to get to where they're both comfortable with their future together. Once they've decided this is the one they want to work on, I'm happy, so I stop.
Then I write the next story in the series - the next interesting person's life as he meets the man who's going to be the one for him, whether he wants it right this moment or not. Because the characters from previous stories have a connection to the characters in the new story, they are back in my head, and I begin to weave them into the plot. It's as though I have no choice in the matter. They're there, and they want me to see how far they've come, that they're still together and becoming happier every day because, just once, they decided 'this is the one I want and I'm going to keep him'.
Daron and Rebel from Just His Type, went through some tough times, at least until Rebel moved on and Daron pulled his head out of his arse. Then, in Just Like a Date, Rebel met Jeremy and Daron met Peter and, suddenly, they knew what they'd been looking for all along was possible. They just had to find the right person to do it with.
When I began Just in Time, it made sense for me to open it with Daron, and Jeremy in the background. Jeremy is Mark's ex so he was a good starting point to show how Mark is moving toward the next stage of his life journey. Mark's previous, lukewarm relationship with Jeremy also provides a terrific contrast to his reaction to Dr Liam Watson.
There's also a lot of angst in this story, so Peter and Daron's relationship and the way they interact provides some light relief. Of course, Rebel is, as ever, the voice of reason.
I have a tendency to finish my stories as early as I can. I don't enjoy reading chapters and chapters of seemingly unrelated plot-line after the characters have decided they want to be together. I don't need to read through the whole 'getting to know you'-type scenarios just to get to where they're both comfortable with their future together. Once they've decided this is the one they want to work on, I'm happy, so I stop.
Then I write the next story in the series - the next interesting person's life as he meets the man who's going to be the one for him, whether he wants it right this moment or not. Because the characters from previous stories have a connection to the characters in the new story, they are back in my head, and I begin to weave them into the plot. It's as though I have no choice in the matter. They're there, and they want me to see how far they've come, that they're still together and becoming happier every day because, just once, they decided 'this is the one I want and I'm going to keep him'.
Daron and Rebel from Just His Type, went through some tough times, at least until Rebel moved on and Daron pulled his head out of his arse. Then, in Just Like a Date, Rebel met Jeremy and Daron met Peter and, suddenly, they knew what they'd been looking for all along was possible. They just had to find the right person to do it with.
When I began Just in Time, it made sense for me to open it with Daron, and Jeremy in the background. Jeremy is Mark's ex so he was a good starting point to show how Mark is moving toward the next stage of his life journey. Mark's previous, lukewarm relationship with Jeremy also provides a terrific contrast to his reaction to Dr Liam Watson.
There's also a lot of angst in this story, so Peter and Daron's relationship and the way they interact provides some light relief. Of course, Rebel is, as ever, the voice of reason.
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