Creating the Characters

One question I always get asked is; 'Who do you base your characters on?"

Characters are an unequal mixture of people I've imagine and people I actually know or have met. Sometimes, I don't even realize where the character came from until after I've completed the book. For example; at the end of one story, my husband pointed out that one of the characters sounded a lot like my brother who passed away. Unwittingly, I incorporated my brother into a character and I didn't even realize it.

Main characters (female ) are part me mixed with women I know, I've worked with, laughed with, or loved. Over the years, I've been fortunate to know strong women who have helped shape the characters and the stories; both good and bad. The scariest fictional villains come from real life. If they scare you; it's because they scare me.

My most favourite characters

Some characters are so much fun to write; that I write each scene start to finish & never change a word. They feel real to me. Sometimes I laugh out loud while I'm writing, and sometimes; I cry. It's not pretty. But it's all part of it.