Debbie asked Susan Mallery:

Hi Susan, I love your series, your characters always seem so real to me. Was there ever a character in any of your novels that just wouldn't do what you wanted him or her to. If so who was it and how did you handle their misbehavior. Thanks for doing this!!! xo deb

Susan Mallery Hi, Deb! Thank you so much. Yes, I have had characters who refused to behave the way I intended them to when coming up with an idea for a story. One who comes to mind is Ford Hendrix. I thought Ford was going to be wounded and dark. After all, during his time as an active duty SEAL, he saw a lot of terrible things. He lived with a lot of pressure all of his adult life. But when he opened his mouth, he turned out to be a really light-hearted, charming guy.

If I've done my job as a writer, characters take on a life of their own. They are who they are, and they react the way they're going to react. If that's different than what I had planned, then I need to step back and make new plans. They're not off track; I just put the tracks in the wrong place. I need to find another route to their happy ending. (The happy ending is non-negotiable. ;) )

flag