Welcome Guest Blogger Bronwyn Jameson!
First up, can I just say hello and thank you for having me as a guest blogger here at Love Is An Exploding Cigar! When I reserved this spot, Sam suggested a few different approaches that might be fun and I got all excited about the prospect of blogging from the viewpoint of one of my characters. Done! I cried. Ric Perrini from my January book would be my victim, er, my volunteer!
Then I went away and wrote on my next book and enjoyed the holidays and when it came time to do this column, alas, the character interview didn't work. I tried it from several angles but Perrini would not cooperate. But you're the writer, I hear you say. He's your character, conceived in your imagination.
Well, yes, he is. But he's also a strongly defined character in my imagination, a creature of his world of high-flying business and dawn-to-midnight working days. I could not for the life of me coax that man into a conversation about his private life, and especially not about Kimberley Blackstone. That topic was a complete no-go zone. (Perrini knows letting her go was a monumental mistake, but will his pride allow him to admit it? Um...no.)
Mr. Alpha Tycoon is too busy working his butt off to get his personal affairs in order, let alone to come chat about anything other than the business of diamonds. Which is a pity because there's a lot more to Perrini than meets the eye. Beneath the hand-tailored suits and the smooth veneer lurks a boy who'd do anything to prove his worth to the family who abandoned him. Kimberley likens him to the diamonds they work with:
"When Kimberley first met Ric Perrini, she'd judged him as the perfect Blackstone representative, as eye-catching and expensive and charismatic as the stones at the company’s foundation. Now she was intrigued by his hidden facets – and by the original, rough diamond from which he’d been hewn. What drove his ambition, his love of the beautiful and the exclusive, and his loyalty to a man who’d manipulated him into marriage?"*
Oh, and that butt he's working off? A very nice one, indeed.
So, no blog from the character's viewpoint. Just me explaining why this didn't work for this particular character. Another hero who's charming and witty and droll would have worked a treat. (Take, for example, Sam's conversation with Rafe Moore. Now he could teach my Perrini a thing or two about cooperation.)
To me character integrity is a big deal. I do map out plot points for a story in the planning/synopsizing stage. At this point of the process I don't know the characters as well as I need to. The knowing grows and blossoms, and if I come to a plot point when I'm writing that doesn't work -- because he or she wouldn't say or do or react in that way at that point of the story -- then the plot point is scrapped.
As a reader, I can buy into all kinds of fantasy worlds and accept crazy surreal situations that bear no relation to the real world. I'm not just talking street-tough vampires and sexy shapeshifters whose clothes don't rip from their body during the transformation, I also mean 21st century marriages of vengeance and virgin curses and incredible will revelations. I can believe in all these and more, as long as the characters make me believe.
How about you? Is there a limit to the storyworld situations you will buy into? And what makes a character "stick" with you long after you've finished a book -- is it bigger, stronger, larger-than-life characteristics, or are you attracted to the more "real" characters whose world and conflicts you can relate to and empathise with?
*from VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM. For more about Perrini and Kimberley and Blackstone Diamonds visit Diamonds Down Under.
Hi Bron,
And welcome! I have to admit, I'll buy into anything skillfully done. I bought into a boy wizard who gets mail delivered by an owl, lol. The trick to me, is making the characters human even if they aren't--giving me something to identify with. A foible is always good.
By the way,I found the reasons that you couldn't do a character interview very intriguing and because of that, I'll have to get to know Ric for myself!
Hi back, Jeanne
Ah, but he's not just any boy wizard, is he? Like your comment about the foible. I think it was Jill who mentioned, in her recent post, relating to the heroine's "thing" about her feet and spiders? A classic case. I especially love when the foible is more than a random thing, but relates to the conflict or backstory or something else in the character's life. Might be only small, but there's a significance.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Jeanie
I'm with you I love the comment about the boy wizard you are right on. If it works for the story I'm there
Great post. I think for me,
Great post. I think for me, as a reader, I *want* to believe just about anything. But don't pull my leg, don't take advantage of my willingness to believe. And I'll go pretty far, but when the author has thrown in everything AND THEN goes for the kitchen sink, too??? That's when I give up. It takes a bit for me to step back and say, "oooookay, can't quite get behind that one," but when I do I always put the book down.
I prefer reality unless the book is fantasy or SF, but when I say reality, I mean...make me believe the world you created. I can buy shifters and vampires and all that, IF you've done the work and made me believe the world.
Just like Mulder, I want to believe!
:)
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com
I *want" to believe, too,
I *want" to believe, too, Megan. That does sum it up, doesn't it? And I agree with the the "kitchen sink" syndrome -- read one of those recently and I just could not take any more!
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Hi!
What an intriguing post, Bronwyn! Now I'm curious to get to know Ric to see what kind of person he is that he wouldn't be into guest-blogging :) (Busy, I suppose, for one ;))
I'm with Megan--I want to buy into whatever world the writer's creating, but unless it's meant to be a fantasy or paranormal, don't push it too much!
As for characters, I think I can better relate to the "real" characters, but the larger-than-life ones linger longer in my memory--the ones that are a little more amazing than I can imagine being in reality ;)
BTW, I just picked up several books from your backlist and am excited to get more of a taste for your work :)
Fedora
Hi there, Fedora. Good point about relating to the realness of characterisation, while larger-than-life characters linger in the memory. You know what really resonates with me? The touch of real in a LTL type. That touch is usually emotion, the universal leveller.
I'm interested to know which of my books you've acquired. Let me know what you think! My older Desires (pre guideline changes of 05-06) are definitely more grounded in reality.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Definitely...
If the emotions are real, then I can buy a lot of other stuff :)
I picked up Just a Taste, The Rich Stranger, The Ruthless Groom, The Bought-and-Paid-for Wife, and Back in Fortune's Bed. I haven't had a chance to open them yet, but I'll definitely let you know what I think when I've had the time to enjoy them!
Fedora
Wow, quite a collection there...and a range of stories and characters and settings. Thanks so much!!! Hope you enjoy them all, but can I say The Rich Stranger and The Ruthless Groom are personal favourites? (I know, one shouldn't love some children better than others... ;-))
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
I prefer the real charater
I prefer the real charater that you might see in day to day life.
I imagine because you
I imagine because you empathise with those characters, and understand what they're going through, Gail. I do love characters drawn so sharply that you believe you DO know them and by the end of the book you don't want to see them go.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Welcome, Bronwyn!
Hi Bronwyn -- Great name, BTW! I have a strong Welsh heritage and Bronwyn is a family name. As far as storyworld situations go, I'm pretty much willing to buy into anything if I believe in the characters. I love "real" characters and enjoy reading about how they overcome their "real" conflicts, but if the story is well written, also love the bigger-than-life heroes and heroines! I love how you've described Perrini and I'm totally looking forward to reading his story!
Thanks, Karen
Thanks for the comment on my name. Funny, but when I was growing up I hated it for its unusualness (I wanted to be a Debbie or a Maree or a Karen :-)) and the fact that 50% of times people couldn't spell it correctly or had to ask the correct spelling. Murder for a shy kid! But I've grown into it -- and being Bron most of the time helps with the spelling thang -- and when I sold the editor said I HAD TO keep the Bronwyn because it was so unusual and distinctive in America.
Thanks, also for lovely words re Perrini and my post. Warmly received. I have yr Flyboy in my TBR pile -- that title just screamed out at me. Must treat myself...
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
I want to believe, too!
Hi Bronwyn,
I can believe just about anything if the character makes me believe. I like what a previous poster said about the kitchen sink. Great analogy! I like "real" characters and I like "larger than life" characters, but I don't like when those titles are the excuse for something totally implausible!
Welcome to LIAEC!
Cathy
The Kitchen Sink
Oh, well said, Cathy! We share a brain cell (with Jeanne too) on that one. There are some cases where the incredible creeps into the inconceivable and, to me, that's usually because the characters just would not do that.
Thanks for the welcome. I'm really enjoying being here and have added Cigars to my favourites.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Hey Bron!
I have to admit, I buy into quite a lot. And yet, I'm mostly glad you didn't do the character interview because I've always had trouble buying into BEING the character, lol. It's one thing to enjoy them. I know it's playful to pretend to be them, lol, and that it makes me a giant downer, but I've never had any patience for it.
I'd say what makes a character stick is their emotional reactions to their situations. Some chars are just so viceral, you can't do anything but be part of their situation. :)
Love those kinds!
Dee
Hey back at you, Dee
Hope you're feeling better after the horror day you blogged about. Re "being" the character: I can buy into that too, as long as the blog/interview SOUNDS like the character and not just an extention of the author's voice/ideas/perception. Has to sound like he really is real, I guess.
what makes a character stick is their emotional reactions to their situations
Absolutely -- that's what WE relate to, that emotional reaction. Love that kind, too.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Characters
I have to believe the hero and heroine will be together for the story to work for me. That means that throughout the story I see how they love each other and that they are important to each other.
Hi Maureen
You read for the romance, and I love what you've said about recognising that hero and heroine are meant for each other. Sometimes that's the little, subtle things, isn't it, rather than the grand guestures and declarations at the end?
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Hi Bron
Your Ric has me in his clutches already, LOL -- nothing like a mysterious, driven man. ;)
I want it all, LOL -- my absolute favorites are those bigger than life characters (Buffy, Jason Bourne, etc) who also have real life characteristics, conflicts, vulnerabilities. I love, for instance, Brenda Johnson on The Closer -- she's the best mix of a regular person, a regular woman with all kinds of personal issues, who is still larger than life. Love that.
I don't like passive characters, though then I think of The Shipping News, book not movie, and Quoyle, and how wonderful he was. However, while I can appreciate a well told story about any character, the ones like Bourne, Buffy, or Brenda -- and Bond, LOL -- (huh... all B's -- must be something about B names!) that really grab me and make me take notice.
I like a little edge and darkness in a character, too -- reading Wendy Roberts' Remains of the Dead right now, and it's amazing, the lead character, Sadie, is that wonderful blend of "super" and real life...but definitely a lot of dark corners there.
Sam
Those B Names
How funny, Sam, with those B names. You've hit the nail though with the combination of larger-than-life characteristics that grab the attention underpinned with the regular, real-life stuff. I haven't seen Closer but you've intrigued me with your description of Brenda. I must check to see if we're getting this here in Australia.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
I will buy into almost
I will buy into almost anything that is well written.
Estella
Estella, you are the ideal reader. *g*
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Hi Bron!
Ric sounds yummy! I can buy into any kind of fantasy world as long as I'm emotionally drawn into the situation. If I'm not I might step back and say "hmm, don't know about that." For me the most memorable characters tend to be the ones that really get my juices flowing :sigh: And I don't mean my creative juices. I'm so deep :-D
LOL about your character refusing to be interviewed! I always interview mine before I start, so I have the goods on them from the get-go :wicked laugh:
Jen
http://www.jenlewis.com
Hi Jen
Emotionally drawn -- that's the key, every time. And I can just hear that hmmm happening, as it does with me, over certain scenarios...except it's not the scenario itself, it's the emotional stakes. Lol about the juices flowing. Must say that you write a very yummy hero, Ms Lewis. Maybe you can entice your Declan in here to reveal his secrets?
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Thanks Bron!
Both for the compliment and the great idea. I'm guest blogging here on Monday so we'll see how it goes :glances over shoulder to see if Declan's watching:
Have a great weekend!
Jen
http://www.jenlewis.com
I was reading a book my
I was reading a book my daughter lent me and just could not get into it. Everything just was too farfetched and unbelievable. Then my daughter tells me it was a memoir and based on fact! So truth is stranger than fiction. Normally I have no problem suspending belief and getting into any genre.
Fact vs Fiction
Too true! I don't know if it's just me, but this year there seems to have been an inordinate number of news stories that could have come straight from the pages of a fiction drama. The tale of the missing man in England comes to mind.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Nice post
Hi,
I have to say I can deal with a lot of surreal situations... because I still love the marriage of convenience stories or the very few guardian/ward romances!
I usually remeber the arrogant, selfish heroes who just realized their cruelty and prejudice against the heroine, and become sensitive to their mistakes.
Hi Nathalie
Guardian/ward romances, huh? Maybe I need to see if I can come up with one fo those. I think that would be a challenge for a contemporary but it does come with its own inbuilt conflict, which is always a good thing (same with the marriage of convenience, which is one of my favourite storylines, too!)
Do you remember them in a good way? And is that because of the transformation, the fact that their arrogance is brought to its knees by the heroine?
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Thanks!
Hi Bronwyn,
Thank you very much for not laughing at my love of those older ward/guardian romances! They work very well in historicals or older Harlequins, but it would be very interesting to see them in a fresher setting with our more modern views :) I am also glad I am not the only one who likes the marriage of convenience setting...
I remember both because the heroine learns to deal with her husband and his temper :) plus, the hero also ends up bending his ways... so I guess both are somewhat transformed... that is especially true with the guardianship situation, where the young woman wakes up one morning and sees her mentor in a total different way, and vice-versa of course for the hero. I guess I like the psychological aspect of these situations, now that I think of it!
Guardian/Ward
Was actually my jumping off point for Fascination, which met with mixed response -- I took Guardian/Ward and translated it into FBI Officer/Parolee, LOL. But I think what interested me most was the power dynamics of that relationship -- the power is almost always in the guardian's hands, which makes it iffy - and in my case, the guardian was also older, more experienced, etc so kept all that, but his had those vulnerabilities which the "ward" (a hacker who was being paroled) could exploit.
It's a touchy thing to do, though, because of the usual age differences, etc. I think marriage of convenience can really work, because most of us discover what love is and how it grows after we're married for a while, so how people come together at the start isn't always the main story...
Sam
Re: Guardian/Ward
Fascinating stuff and I agree with you Sam and Nathalie about this being a tough challenge in a contemporary setting because of the power inequity as well as the age difference...esp the power inequity. I think the age difference can be handled with a strong, mature, confident heroine. Suzanne Brockmann handled that beautifully in her TDD series -- the Admiral's book.
Of my 13 books to date the one which probably received the most lukewarm response was my boss/nanny story, and I always thought that was perhaps because of the power inequity. I don't usually write heroines who are disenfranchised -- I don't much like stripping away their power to make choices -- and I had to that with Emily. If I attempt a similar storyline again, then I will give the heroine more power in other areas. Or do a better job of bringing out a quiet inner emotional strength. :-)
Thanks for the discussion. Love thinking about the levels of story and what works for readers and why.
Bron
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
Love your books :)
Hi Bronwyn,
I usually really love your books... and I am sure I will also enjoy this one!
I am a person who loves the traditionnal romances and who can't handle paranormals!
For the type of hero I remember, I usually remember the hero if the story caught my attention and the end drew me in so I had to re-read it a few times... so I guess the hero is not as importnat as the story itself.
Lily
Thanks, Lily. I sure do hope you enjoy this book, too. From your comment it sounds as though you are a plot-oriented reader rather than character. Even so, the two are often so closely twined. The plot can be wonderful, but does it work without the perfect hero (Bourne.) Or a character can be wonderful (Buffy), but the plot os necessary to show/change/grow that character.
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com
I totally agree!
I totally agree with you, I can't imagine a great book without its set of great characters, they are both inherent for a great book... something you master very well ;)
Thanks, Lily!
VOWS & A VENGEFUL GROOM, Sil Desire Jan 08
http://www.bronwynjameson.com
http://www.diamonds-downunder.com