Monday, May 28, 2012

In Which I Talk About Some Things and Not Others

We'll start with what I'm NOT going to talk about. I'm not going to talk about the fact that after a month of querying, I'm starting to get a little neurotic (because I've done really well not being neurotic all this time, so hey, a girl can only last so long, right?). I'm also NOT going to talk about the fact that my laptop screen has started coming apart from the keyboard part and I'm going to have to buy a new one even though everything else is perfectly functional (It's a Dell, btw. My new one will most definitely not be).

What I AM going to talk about is characters and how much I love mine. Non-writers and readers would probably think it's nuts to become very fond of a fictional character. But since pretty much all of you are writers or at least readers, I know you feel me on this one. Anyone who follows a series has experienced that connection with a certain character, and you get to debate which ones are your faves. Like the fantastic Edward vs. Jacob fights, or the Harry Potter fan fiction where people have Hermione end up with Harry instead of Ron.

But when you're the writer, and you create these characters, it's even more awesome and that connection is so much stronger. Over the course of 300 or more pages, you get to know these creations really well. Lately I've been realizing I really miss Eva, Seth, Ambrose, Elspeth and the rest of my cast from Countless. I placed that book on the back burner to work on Martinis with the Devil, and it's been more than a year since I've touched it. Later this year I plan on rewriting the whole thing in first person, and I can't wait to get back into it. And now, as I'm querying Martinis with the Devil, I think about how awesome my MC Zyan is. And the whole point of querying is to find that agent that falls in love with your characters and your book as much as you do. So, here's hoping I can stay sane until I find that person.

What's one of your favorite characters that you've written? Anyone else looking for an agent love match right now?

19 comments:

  1. I know exactly what you're feeling. I fall hard for some of my characters and bond with others. You're right about querying. It's all about finding someone who loves your characters as much as you do. You want an agent who is as enthusiastic as you. Good luck with querying!

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  2. It's such a lovely feeling to be in love with your characters. I often find a character I planned to have a very small part leaps into the book with such energy and excitement that I fall head over heels and have to make them a member of the main cast instead.

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  3. I understand really liking a character. I wouldn't have stuck with Byron if I didn't like him.
    Sorry you're having laptop issues. All of my computers are Dells and I've never had a problem. Not that I don't look at a $5000 AlienWare system and dream...

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  4. I've only written 300 words of him, but I'm quite liking my tap dancing mage, Ollie. He seems a little manic but he's got a fairly dark past, despite his optimism. I imagine him as a kind of Rhys Ifans kind of character. I want to write more on him :)

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  5. Good luck with the querying.

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  6. Best of luck in finding an agent who falls in love with your character...that's what you want after all:) I tend to feel like that with my main characters... sometimes even a character is not meant to be the main, but he keeps nagging me... Those are hard characters to ignore.

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  7. Good luck staying sane! I definitely miss some of my characters from WiPs I've shelved. Such a great connection, isn't it?

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  8. I totally hear ya. I love my characters. And it's so hard picking favorites. If I had to, though, one I'd definitely pick is Tom Sheldon from my first book. He's a secondary character, but he jumps off the page for me.

    Sorry I didn't jump into the query pool with you like I expected. I had some real confidence issues for a while there, so this book still isn't ready. I'm back on track now, though, so maybe by the end of next month I'll be ready. My fingers are crossed for you, though. Keep yours crossed for me. =o)

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  9. What a great question! I love my characters, too, although some of them are pretty out there! I think my fav is Serenity from Build A Man.

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  10. I'm right there with you in the querying trenches. I'm about to revise my letter for the billionth time and send out another batch. :)

    It's great that you love your characters like that. There's got to be an agent out there who will feel the same way! :)

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  11. Girl, I vowed no more dell years ago.

    I love all of my characters. It sounds like a cop out but I do. I can't help but get attached to all of them even the not-so-nice ones because I know why they do the things they do.

    Jai

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  12. I'm waiting for responses to queries going on six months now. :/ Just keep working and take your mind off of it. Otherwise you really will go crazy!

    There's one character of mine that I've recycled three times already! Guess he just stuck with me, though atm he has no hopes of making it into the publishing world. I'll have to recycle him for a fourth time sometime in the future. ;)

    And it's GOOD that you love your characters! Chances are we will, too. :D

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  13. It's always hard letting my characters go . . . I get so attached & they feel like friends. I used to think that statement was so odd when I heard it from authors, and now I can relate! As for the agent hunt, I've stopped that and am waiting to hear back from editors. I figure if they like my stuff, it should be pretty easy getting an editor, or at least, easier! Good luck! And if you're interested, I have a USA TOday Bestselling author giving away a critique and her new book this week on my blog~CHEERS!

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  14. My querying journey was months and months and books and books. Don't listen to the stories of "I queried five people and got multiple offers within the first week!" Those people are not human!

    Usually after I'm done writing, I start to feel more distance with my characters. But when I'm writing, I'm them and they are me. It's hard to find any separation between those lives. It's awesome.

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  15. Oh jeez, you're in Query Hell. *hands over chocolate* At least that's what I always called it! You have every right to be neurotic! I was a mess when I was querying.

    Even after all this time, I still love my characters. I'm bummed I had to kill one of them in CREEP because to this day, he's still my favorite. :)

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  16. I'm working on two WIP's, and I'm closer to one MC than the other--she's fun and spunky. I might like the other one better after revisions since I recently finished the draft, which is a mess.

    I wish you the best with querying.

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  17. All my very best with your quering, Alexia.

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  18. I am also looking for an agent love match, Alexia. Hope both of us find that true literary love who will love our MS and characters soon :)

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  19. Yep I feel like I'm forever looking for that agent love match. Just not happening for me yet. BTW whatever you do don't buy HP. Run for your life from them! I love my Sony Vaio. <3
    Anyway, the other night I had the most awesome dream about the MC in my current project. I'm already in love with him cuz he's just cool like that, but the dream was fantastic! What luck! :)

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