The Orphan and the Thief :: The Making Of, Part 3
Welcome to Part 3 in the making of my novel, The Orphan and the Thief. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
The Orphan and the Thief is now published! Get it on Kindle. It will also be FREE on Kindle Jan. 9 — Jan. 13.
The Thief
Of all the characters in this one, my thief changed the most. In the beginning stages and through the first half of the writing, Toad was just a side kick. He was a charming kid who liked to steal, but couldn’t quite do it properly. He was for humor. And he had a great name.
Whenever I discussed the book to family, Toad was the one who ALWAYS garnered the most attention, and I would always think, “why are you excited about Toad? He interesting, but he isn’t the story.”
*File away for a future books* :: When someone is interested in character, take the hint and run with it.
I have a bad writing habit. I focus on the main character and the plot line that focuses around her. If, during the writing, another character starts shaping his own plot line, I ignore it, because we have to stick with the plan.
This book really attacked my habit.
When I started revising the story’s plot, I decided that Toad needed major attention. I loved writing him. People loved the idea of him. So he needed to play a bigger role. And he was a thief, for God’s sake! That’s literary gold! Luckily, I had already been working on an idea that he fitted into with aplomb.
Toad came very naturally to me. He’s lived on the street, under the influence of a gang of thieves, his entire childhood, so his morals are different from Melena’s and they naturally rub each other the wrong way. He’s got spunk and enthusiasm. But the best trait about him is his ability to rebound. He’s always got a plan B. I really, deep down, love Toad.
I had every intention that the book was still going to be told through Melena’s perspective, even after I rewrote the beginning two chapters, featuring Toad, but a friend was relentless that Toad needed the same amount of time in the spotlight, and I’m eternally grateful that she wouldn’t back down. The novel works far better told through both of them and the writing experience was both a challenge and a lot of fun.
In the end, Melena still won with two more chapters than Toad, but there was little to be done to change that — those chapters needed Melena’s stamp on them.
