–Author Unknown
This seems like it could be a quote about one’s favourite characters and books, but as a writer I think it applies wholeheartedly to the people I create and channel onto the page. I think it’s the mark of a writer that you start to care about your creations, not just as things you’ve made in order to further a storyline, but as real people. When they hurt, you hurt. When they love, you love. You start seeing things through their eyes, feeling things the way they might, even if that perspective is vastly different from your own.
They may not be real in the sense that I could meet them on the street one day (although in my more fanciful moments I like to think about alternate universes that come into existence through a writer’s pen where Callie, Dane et al. may at this moment be trying to save the world) but I love them nonetheless, and so I love myself as well, because they were born of me.
fantasywritermom
So true. I fell in love with one of my characters, and in a way, it shaped the way that my protagonist interacted with that person. I hear about TV writers that write a character to be just an episodic, passing villain or subplot character, but love the character so much that they ended up becoming integral to the plot. That has definitely been my experience, too. I’ve actually found myself crying when my characters hurt. My favorite part of writing about these characters is sharing them with my friends and family, and then we end up having conversations about the characters like they were real people that we actually both know. It is a wonderful feeling.
Nicole Bross
I’ve cried once or twice too. Crazy how these people can get into our heads like that.
How’s the writing going? Are you editing yet?
fantasywritermom
I’ve been editing since January… which is why no blog post. It is consuming all of my creativity. I’m on my third edit of the first 100 pages right now– I can’t tell you how much I want to be done and start a new project!!
fantasywritermom
Editing, editing, and editing some more! I took some time off, and now I am back at it.