My mantra is that it’s all
about the characters. No matter the subject matter, no matter the setting, no
matter the action – as a writer, I have to love and believe in the characters
in order to tell their stories. With every book, the goal is to create
characters who stand on their own as individuals; who aren’t there for the sake
of eye candy, but who are truly interesting, no matter what they’re doing.
Characters who are people first, professions and habits second.
With White Wolf, the added challenge was the paranormal element.
Personally, I love all things spooky, gothic, darkly atmospheric, and just a
touch monstrous. I love vampires, and werewolves, and ghosts, and the things
that lurk in the shadows. But I don’t think any of those things should ever
overshadow character. In my years of reading fantasy, science-fiction, and
paranormal books, I’ve found that when the concept of a story weighs heavier
than the characters in a story, the book suffers overall. It might be cool, but
it isn’t something that sticks with you. The stories we carry with us, the ones
we obsess over, are the ones in which we loved, hated, or in some way identified
with the characters.
And so my goal with the Sons
of Rome series is to write books about people…some of whom happen to be
immortal, or who have powers. Some of whom might drink blood.
Books can struggle, I think,
when extraordinary characters are caught up in mundane, ordinary drama. What I
want to do is write ordinary characters caught up in extraordinary scenarios…which
in turn call upon them to be extraordinarily brave. I think that’s why comic
books, and movies based upon them, have always been so wildly successful: the
audience can readily identify with the central figures, who are just regular
folks trying to get by, and who are then called upon to react to insane
situations that test them again and again. As the audience, we aren’t simply
told about someone’s exploits, like a bored guest at a dinner party who just
wants the braggadocios jerk at the center of the room to shut up already. Instead,
we’re right there with the characters, taking the journey with them.
One thing that’s very
exciting for me as a writer is getting the chance to write about some real life
historical figures, some of whom have become a part of pop culture. The
challenge for me, and one I’m looking forward to, is to take someone like Vlad
Tepes and move beyond the myth, to write him as a man, someone multi-dimensional
and sympathetic. To write him as someone who isn’t fictionally superior to my
original characters, who can interact with them all in a meaningful way.
At this point, I have lots
of favorites. Val for covering his loneliness and anger with sarcasm and
polish. Nikita for his grim determination and aloofness. Sasha for being a
sweetheart, when he has very little reason to be. And I’m especially looking
forward to spending more time with the titular character of book two, who is
one of those special mortals who carries just as much weight as the immortal
monsters around him.
I especially love that this
series isn’t comprised of tidy romances, because it allows me to explore all
the characters as we move forward, letting them grow and mature in a realistic,
organic way, rather than forcing a happy ending for each book. As a writer, I
want to keep challenging myself, to be a better writer with every day, every
chapter, every book. I think even readers who don’t normally read paranormal
books will be able to fall in love with these characters, and I hope you’ll all
give them a chance.
Happy Saturday. More
debriefing to come in the days ahead.
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