I love American history and I enjoy stories centered in historic events. What really makes those stories come alive for me are the people involved. How was my great-great grandmother affected when her husband rode away to fight in the American Civil War? What were her thoughts and fears? Was it hard to make a living? How did her husband get back home to Georgia after he was captured at Vicksburg? I read about the War and know that it was a terrible time of great division and suffering but when I can actually read, through letters or journals, the day-to-day activities, hopes, fears, and thoughts of the people caught up in the conflict, the whole era becomes more real.
People involved in events make the stories come alive. What is true in fact is also true in fiction. Weaving a good plot is important but it is the characters that make the story live and breathe and make the reader hate to put the book down.
I have been watching re-runs of a mystery series that was, and is, one of my favorite television programs. I was sorry when the series was discontinued but I enjoy the re-runs as much as I enjoyed the shows the first time around. Only thing is, this time, as I think about the plots, I find many of them are far-fetched or pretty simple or so convoluted they are mind-boggling. Yet, they keep my interest. You know why? It’s because of the characters. The actors played their parts so well that they made the most amazing twists of fate seem believable. It was the characters that kept me tuning in to that show week after week.
As I write the cozy mysteries involving Darcy and Flora, I want make the reader like them. I like them; I want the reader to like them. Woe to the author if either sleuth acts or speaks out of character. Even with lesser characters, it is important to spend time developing their thoughts, feelings, background, and why they are as they are. For instance, in the third Darcy/Flora, the mystery opens with Darcy confronting a heavy equipment driver. He does not appear anywhere else but the first chapter; however, his curiosity, which borders on nosiness, his tendency to gossip, and his greed are the root cause of the whole mystery and are talked about throughout the story.
Writing is a time-consuming, emotions-consuming business and character development is the basis of a good story. By the way, the Springdale Library is having a “Meet the Author Fair” tomorrow from 2:00 until 4:00. Many Northwest Arkansas writers will be there. I will be there too with copies of Grave Shift to sell. Come on down and join the fun and meet some of those fascinating characters who live within the pages of our books.
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