All my loving...
I write romance. Oh, sure, I write other kinds of stories, too, but even those usually have a love story in them somewhere. I like stories about relationships. Love relationships, romantic, sexual, what-have-you.
I'm not sure why.
But I do know that I really enjoy diving into what makes a character tick. What would lead someone to love? What leads any of us to love? For some it's an easy trip, for others it takes a long time to find a partner. Some people are happy to be alone. Some people are afraid of it. And all of those situations, IMHO, make for great stories.
What I've discovered about my story telling desires is that I also like re-visiting the people I've created. I like figuring out where they go after the story ends...and sometimes, finding a way to go back to them.
Elle and Dan are one such couple. They first appeared in Dirty , my first release from Spice. They showed up again the next book, Broken and in my upcoming release, Stranger. And what do you know, now they're in a Spice Brief, too.
I wrote it more than a year after writing Dirty, but when I got into it, I found myself falling right back into that world. That heroine, her voice, her thoughts, her emotions. I remembered her. I already knew her, and writing another story for her, another piece of her journey, felt so natural I couldn't believe I hadn't written the story sooner.
Not all characters are like that, though. I'm not sure what draws me more to one than another, or why some resonate so strongly, but I'm glad they do. I might never write another story about Elle, or featuring her in a minor role. But if I do, I know I'll be able to "find" her again without worry.
This must be how people who write series do it. :)
As a writer, I really loved finding my way back to familiar faces, so to speak. But as readers, what draws you to stories with the same characters? How well do you think you get to know them? How real do they become to you, over time? And do you love series or related books for that reason, or would you rather pick up a new story, each time?
M
PS-- Reason Enough comes out June 1 from , Spice Briefs so if you liked Dirty and want to find out more about Elle and Dan, you'll be able to do that!
Can't wait!
I love Elle and Dan ... one of my favorite couples ever, so I'll be first in line.
I love reading series far more than standalone books -- I am really a series reader, and I think it is because I like to find a world I like, it's familiar, and stay there for a while. It's really a way to lose yourself in that other place, and I enjoy looking forward to going back each time. You can really watch the characters grow over time and relate to a host of problems and issues that you don't get to see in a single book.
I wrote my HotWires series, and it was the only time I felt weepy at the end of something I wrote, because I really didn't want to leave the world or the characters. I wanted to write a spinoff of Untouched, but HQ didn't want it, so that was sad. I would write spinoffs and series all the time if I could... find them much easier to get into writing... a new book each time is like always starting from the ground up... harder for me.
Now, I'm working on a single character series, and have determined to keep working on it regardless what happens, because I want to see where this character can go, where I can take her and her friends...
Maybe this is an offshoot of my television upbringing -- I'm still a TV addict, and can get hooked into a good series like nothing else. I guess my book reading follows similar patterns, which I never realized...
Sam
PS: Trying to figure why this post is showing up as posted on Sunday? you just posted it, right?
I wrote it on Sunday and
I wrote it on Sunday and pre-scheduled it but it didn't show up until I went in and wrastled it! So I don't know why it's showing up weird, but I bet it's something I did.
I loved Untouched, Sam! Would love a spinoff to it.
I never intended to write spinoffs or sequels. It just happened that I've always had this thing about minor characters. They all have a story, you know? It's just not the one being told. But if you encounter a minor character, then who knows what story he or she COULD have, if you wrote it...and I just sort of sprang off from there.
I'm hardly ever thinking "oh, this person will definitely be the next to get a book."
But sometimes I love the character so much -- Jack from Dirty, for example -- that he shows up again in another book with a more major role. And in another one, too!
I love interconnecting stuff, like a puzzle, but not so much you have to have read all the books or in order to get it.
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com
Megan
I love following characters from story to story. As a writer, I'm amazed that I can jump back into characters' heads once I've finished writing a book and have gone on. Usually this happens when the revisions come. I'm deep into my next story, and then I have to surface and dive back into the other one. It seems impossible, but it's not really that hard. Like getting into cold water--the first little bit is rough, and then it feels natural again.
I was wondering why this is marked Sunday, too. I thought I'd missed the post when I checked yesterday. Hmmm.
Yes, Jeannie! Like just
Yes, Jeannie! Like just diving in and holding your breath for a minute but then realizing you can breath just fine!
M
Revisiting characters...
Hi, Megan! I love revisiting characters--I don't necessarily have to have stories that all feature the same lead characters (although that can be OK, too), but I do like getting to see the same characters and their "world" again in the course of a series. In the related books where there is a different lead couple each time, I enjoy getting to know the previous characters in a slightly different light. And yes, I do love a good series!
Hi, fedora! I really enjoy
Hi, fedora! I really enjoy learning something new about an older character, or viewing that character from his or her own viewpoint. We always see ourselves differently than others do, you know?
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com
Perpetually late...
I do like to revisit characters and enjoyed seeing Dan and Elle in Broken but (and I think I'm in the minority here) I do tend to want to move on after the HEA. Not sure why.
That said, I'm working on the sequel to a book currently under consideration at Harlequin, and it's been fun to see how things are playing out for the previous H/h in the current book. Wedding bells are ringing (no surprise there, LOL) and I spent a couple of pleasant days imagining the details...more fun than I had planning my own wedding, LOL.
I usually want to move on,
I usually want to move on, too, which is why I don't think I'd ever write a series...but more like, connected books. Glimpses of other characters.
M
Some characters
just take up so much space in your life, your heart, and your head that you always wonder "what happened later?"
Nora Roberts has sprinkled characters from previous books into newer ones and it's always fun.
Sometimes, though, if you don't like the characters to begin with, it can just be annoying.
When I read Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, I LOVED the main character. I didn't like the friend that she stole the fiance from.
When I read Something Blue, I was hoping to see more of the character from Something Borrowed but she barely made an appearance (sorry, I'm blanking on names now). But it was still okay.
Then I read Baby Proof and the same recurring character showed up and I thought Enough already!
So it really depends on the character.
Since I enjoyed about Elle and Dan (and I read Broken before I read Dirty so I was already wondering about Elle), I will definitely look for this new Elle story!
ani
yeah, I think if they show
yeah, I think if they show up too many times without having their own stories or any sort of growth, that can be annoying.
M
Visiting Old Friends
Megan, I love series and recurring characters! Some of my favorite books are the ones where I get to see what's going on with OTHER characters I fell in love with from previou stories. Its not all of them, but certains characters just seem to resonate- like certain people - and I am always excited to see what they're up to. In my current WIP, I reference the lingerie line Audra, the heroine from Double Dare, designed for. My CP was so cute, giggling and doing a Whoohooooo Audra moment, she was just too fun to revisit.
:) sounds fun! M
:) sounds fun!
M
yes i love dirty love elle
yes i love dirty love elle dan. cant wait til more books from u. love broken.
thanks! ;) M
thanks! ;)
M