Writing 101: Character Development

Pardon my lack of humbleness as I pat myself on the back. As Three Crosses continues to make its way through the hands of readers, I am randomly approached with compliments and typically some variation of any of these 3 questions:
1. Where do you get your ideas?
2. Do you base your characters on people you know?
3. How long does it take you to write a book?
I'll start with #3 as its the easiest to answer. 1st draft - about 5 weeks. However, and this is a big HOWEVER, some novels have been brewing in my head for years and even decades before they make their way to 1st draft. Others, like A Miracle for Mackenzie, had absolutely no brewing time and Mackenzie book was never completed so its a bad example.
#1 - I get my ideas from a myriad of places. As most of what I write is character-driven, answer to Q2 will explain some of this a bit. But my ideas come from my own imagination asking the age-old question, What If? I don't do writing exercises per se where I deliberately ask the question; I just go through life asking that question about everything. Makes for a busy brain so I have to do something with all those thoughts. I get curious about certain things - like ghost encounters, so I create characters who deal with my curiousity because lets face it, I don't have the time to do all the research for everything that piques my interest. I also am quite interested in why people do the things they do. It can be something as extreme as "why do psychopaths do the most horrible things to other humans?" to something not as extreme like "why did Michael choose not to marry the woman he had dated for seven years?" If I get curious enough to want to know more, well then Q2 kicks in...
Q2 - Sometimes, like in the above paragraph, a situation will prompt me to develop a character, but other times a character finds his or her way into my head where they start to have experiences that may or may not blossom into a story. But are my characters based on people I know or have known? Simply put, no. And again I say, BUT sometimes characters are borne from traits of people I have seen, or met, or have known.
For instance, I have a potential character brewing in my head this very moment. She was borne from a real live human being I observed last night. I started a narrative in my head this morning about what I observed.
It was hard to be aware of her pretty facial features when I was so distracted by the gauntness of her body. She was a walking, living, breathing ad for osteoporosis. She had no descernible butt but she had muscle tone in her arms. How odd. Her attire of ratty, wrinkled, and holey cargo slacks matched with her canvas sneakers that looked as if they had been pulled from a dumpster gave me a picture of someone with little to no money. Her bleached-out blond and cropped hair looked like it was shellac to her skull in a rubber band and it screamed to me that she couldn't be bothered with primping. But the fact that she was present with girlfriends who were well groomed and quite obviously concerned about their appearance told me there was more to her story.
The questions in my head start. Is she a past drug addict? Was she intentionally making a fashion statement? Did she just get out of rehab? Is she anorexic? If she is, why? Don't her freinds care enough about her to help her? Help her what? Maybe they do care. Maybe they are the ones getting her to the gym. Maybe she would look even less put together if it weren't for her freinds. Maybe she is a rich young woman with lots and lots of money that her friends want so they keep her around despite her drug habits. Maybe they started her on drugs? Maybe she saw something when she was a kid that made her want to disappear.
And on and on it goes, well at least as long as I am interested. Let's say I am interested in developing this real woman into a character. The woman I observed may be the start of a character who ends up looking and acting nothing like the real version of herself.
Both Simon and Amanda in Three Crosses are shadows of people I have known. As a matter of fact, Simon is a shadow of a combination of people I have known. He exhibits traits that I found interesting in real people.
The point is, there are no characters in any of my books who are mirror images or even closely mirror images of people I know. People I know/meet/observe may be the jumping-off point for a character to come to life, but each of my characters are just as unique as every single child that was ever born or will be born. As a matter of fact, there could be a whole other world where all my characters live out their lives...but that thought process will only get me labeled crazy. Delusional, primary diagnosis, God-complex, secondary diagnosis. Oh...I think I just started a new story. Ha! Have a great day! Thanks for reading:)

Update

Wow! It has been a while since I have said hi. Sorry folks, but I have been busy...writing! editing! Hah! You thought I was going to say busy with life! That too, but also writing, creating, editing.

Just wanted to say hi and that I will update you in more detail over the weekend. All fun stuff!

Check out this site

www.shootandpaint.blogspot.com/

For all you artists and art admirers...join the fun and the challenge. Or be like me and just check out the artwork without actually participating. But if you enjoy painting/drawing, give it a try. I would love to see your work.

Dragon Naturally Speaking

Working on THE RED JEEP this morning - not so much because I know how I want it written but because I was practising using DRAGON, the dictating software. I have to use it a bit for it to recognize my "profile" or train it to understand me. It's a pretty cool tool and once I get use to it, I am sure it will make my writing experience all the more interesting.
I have a busy day ahead of me but wanted to check in. I had a wonderful Christmas and hope everyone else did too. The New Year is almost upon us and I look forward to a fresh year of positive developments and increased productivity in my writing life.
I just realized that I should have used Dragon to dictate this blog. DUH!!! Next time.

C.L.LeMay rambles on and on again!!!

It has come to my attention that there is a significant amount of formatting issues with both the e-book and the paperback version of THREE CROSSES. I have also researched it a bit and it seems that there is a software program converting problem. THREE CROSSES as it appears in my MS Word format differs from the e-book and paperback versions. There are sentence breaks, etc. in the e-book and paperback that are not in the Word doc. Also when I review the paperback version on my computer, it appears different than what actually printed in paperback. I am both sorry for the annoyance and the fact that I did not notice previously. But thank you to all of you who read it despite the issues. I don't know yet how I will address this issue and can honestly say, I'm not sure I will do anything about it at this point. I originally made THREE CROSSES publically available because there were quite a few potential readers waiting for it - plus I needed to induldge my Leo personality.
Having said all of that, I have once again been approached by readers/potential readers (as recently as last night) inquiring as to the next publication. Like it or not, I have a group of readers who are waiting patiently for the next book. I think it best to leave the publishing and editing aspects of writing to the professionals and therefore will be looking for professional representation come next year (I say this oh so confidentantly as if they are waiting in line to represent me!). I do not have the time to do the writing, editing, and managing of the publishing aspects of my books. Of course I say that but we will see how far I get with that pursuit! Maybe I will just get a website up and publish books directly to that so readers everywhere can read without editing issues (beyond my own flubs). Of course I will be a poor author because no one would have to pay to read my books.
My brain is certainly overloaded with stories - short stories and novels. I have been dreaming stories. No matter what I am doing, there is a story in my head. Sometimes it is hard to focus on a task at hand because I have characters moving around like there's a movie in my head. Amanda and Simon keep lurking in the sidelines, trying to get my attention. Lurking. I like that word. It's creepy in a way. Creepy. I like that word too. Anyway, I don't know what to do about all these thoughts that keep manifesting into stories or potential stories. I could quit everything I do in life and just write and be busy for the remainder of my life. I have learned how to shut it out so I can focus, but it's getting harder and harder to do because these stories and characters are getting louder. One fo my sisters gave me a magnet once that states "The voices are getting louder. Must be time to write." It speaks to me a lot lately and I feel compelled to succumb to the inevitable (is that spelled correctly? I can't remember how to spell a lot of words today-usually I can sound it out but its like that part of my brain isn't there today) rather than shoving it to the side. And blah, blah, blah. There I go again, rambling on about the same ol' shit, I mean crap, I mean stuff.
So have yourself a Merry Little Christmas if I don't touch base again before the 25th. I am soooo excited for Christmas. It's good to be a kid! Ok, sometimes I just feel like a kid. When the hell did I grow up? I don't remember getting here!

C.L.LeMay shares her favorite authors

I was pondering the fact that I have had a paperback next to my bed for a couple of weeks - unread. I have reread the 1st chapter a couple of times. The chapter is great and I am intrigued but I can't seem to get into it. I think it's because I am thinking so much about my own writings that I can't get very far in my reading. I love to read, many types of books, fiction and non. Mysteries, thrillers, love stories, women's lit, forensics (fiction and non), true crime - you get the jist. I like to read. As I was acknowledging this truth in my head, I realized that I want to share with you, my readers, which authors I have enjoyed the most and most consistently over the years. Aaahhh...so sweet, she wants to share. Now come along children, it's circle time.
C.L.LeMay enjoys...drum roll...Stephen King. Now there's a shock. But what can I say, the guy is talented, prolific, scary, imaginative. He molded my views at a young age as to what powers can be in the hands of an author. And yes...THE STAND is one of my most favorite stories of all time. Sorry, Stephen. I know you find it a little sad that one of your best if not your very best work was written decades ago. Also liked - don't remember the title of the short story, but the one where the guy was bitten by a snake and ends up in the coroner's lab - wow! My heart pounded. Btw, your son is an excellent writer as well. Kudos to the King family writers. Hi Tabitha! One day if I ever meet you guys I will tell you how COVET came to be - it involves me thinking about the two of you as a married writing couple and the potential crisis that could generate. But that's a story for another day.
C.L.LeMay also enjoys Pat Conroy - especially THE PRINCE OF TIDES. You, Mr. Conroy, taught me to write passionately and honestly. I cried, literally balled my eyes out while reading TPOT. I've read many of your other works and am rather in love with your story telling abilities.
C.L.LeMay also enjoys Barabara Delinsky. You are a fine writer with genuine characters and tight plots. THE SUMMER I DARED dared me to bring my writing to another level (especially in ALONG BLACK RIVER). You learn you settings well and educate your readers as well as entertain them. I also cried while reading your book THREE WISHES. It must have been a tough one to write. I also just want to mention that from time to time over the years in my different jobs, I have run into Mrs. Delinsky and she is absolutely a lovely human being. I think she is brave with her personal battle with cancer in the past (and hope it will always be in the past) and I wish you many many healthy wonderful writing years.
C.L.LeMay loved the book THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova.
C.L.LeMay enjoys reading Jefferson Bass novels as well as the non-fiction Dr. Bill Bass & Jon Jefferson books. I love the forensics. I am utterly fascinated by it all and if I could start it all over, I would absolutely pursue a career in forensic anthropology (and I don't mean the TV drama version - I mean the real painstaking science) or be a medical examiner.
C.L.LeMay enjoys Reynolds Price but I have to be in the mood (yes, I know I am mixing 1st and 3rd voice). The guy knows how to bring me down, but he does it in a way that I feel enlightened. KATE VAIDEN was my first and my favorite for years until I read THE PROMISE OF REST. Another tear jerker - raw emotions. Be prepared to have your heart broken.
C.L.LeMay recently read George D. Shuman's LAST BREATH. I believe I have read other books by him but can't recall. Extremely impressed by the plot of this book. He amazed me with his skills.
C.L.LeMay adores THE WITCHING HOUR by...oh my God, I cannot think of her name! She wrote INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. what the heck? I can't think of her name. I can see her face but am drawing a blank on her name!
And of course, there's DUNE. There are no words to describe what a fabulous book this one is. FRANK HERBERT was sheer genius.
There are many other books and authors I have enjoyed over the years. I will mention them in later posts, but quite frankly, I'm done here.
Thanks for reading. Pick up one of these titles soon and share your thoughts.

Short Story on its Way

I am working on a short story - "The Red Jeep" and I will start to post it in the next few days for your reading entertainment. Thought you would like to know:)