Characters in "When the Elephants Dance"

[Keith]

Ms Holthe: Your book is extremely engaging. It tells a story of a place and of a people that needs to be remembered and told. It is a complex story, with what seems a thousand threads. Did you, as an author, have as much difficulty keeping the characters straight as I, the reader, did? Congratulations on a fine, fine, book.

[Tess]

Hi Keith,

There were just a few characters in the book weren't there....? Teasing. Thank you! Actually no, they were easy for me to write. I took each story one at a time and if you go back and read each story you'll see there were no more than two or there main characters per story. And they were all I focused on during the writing.

But------in retrospect, standing back from the book I was astounded----- I remember the question came up during an interview and I had been so immersed in the writing I hadn't realized the community I'd built. It sounds strange, but I had so many other things I was focused on-----namely, keeping the story line strong and true to the premise I had planned. There was also the matter of the older character matching up with his youthful mythical self. The myths came first and the present day/war and cellar group grew organically around the tales.

I think I listed about 36 characters in total....unless you count Alejandro and Roderick's dog....Did you count more? Tess

[Keith]

I actually didn't count. I am more of a big picture reader. Even though there were 36 characters, what is impressive about the book is the story it tells. Apart from your book, such a time and such characters would be assigned to the trashbin of history, forgotten. I compared your book to "A Hundred Years of Solitude" in my original review. Lifting up a place and a people that would have been forgotten apart from someone like you having written it down is also similar to Solzhenitzyn in the Gulag trilogy, although your work is cast in the genre of fiction while A.S.'s in memory. Keep writing. Tell the stories you know.

[Robin]

Hi Tess,

I never really thought about counting the characters, although I like the thought of that. I write down the names of the characters often times when I read. I list their attributes and some info about them. I really like to KNOW and remember the characters. I enjoy this because it makes the experience of reading more meaningful to me. The community that you built was amazing and as is true in real life, I loved some of the people and disliked others. I thought your characterization of Aling Ana was wonderful. I did not like her at first and her selfishness and then I hear her story and see her compassion and see another side of her I never imagined existed. And isn't this often the case in life? This was a nice reminder to me. Thank you Tess for answering all of our questions. You were wonderful!

[Tess]

Keith,

Thank you so much. It was only later that I realized I had preserved a lot of the history that my father passed down to us in his oral storytelling. Crazy as that sounds my only intention when I started writing the book was to complete an in class exercise in a 3 month writing course. The whole experience was a gift. I will definitely keep writing and thanks again for your kind words.

Tess

[Tess]

Robin wrote: "Hi Tess,

I never really thought about counting the characters, although I like the thought of that. I write down the names of the characters often times when I read. I list their attributes an..."

Hi Robin,

I knew someone like Aling Ana. I remember she would be so acerbic but every now and then a trace of her humanity, who she was as a child would come out and I would have to rethink my annoyance with her and allow that she was capable of good.

It's a continuous lesson isn't it? To remember sometimes that the way people respond to us when they are short, has often times nothing to do with us at all. It's nice to let go of the imagined baggage that places on your shoulder as the recipient and I think opens up for a genuine understanding.

T

[Robin]

Hi Tess,

I totally agree. And it is in your genuine writing that we can revisit this concept and embrace all that makes us human.

In addition.....

One of my favorite quotes: "One is never fully human until and unless one acknowledges and affirms the humanity of others."

Thank you Tess for your awesome writing. Keep those great books coming!! And once again, thank you for your willingness and generosity in "talking" to all of us.