Last week my friend Mary shared a tale. She’s an avid reader
and has enjoyed both of the Jefferson Chene novels. In conversations, Mary has
told me a number of times that she found this character to be very realistic,
to the point where she expects to bump into him someday.
It turns out that Mary was with friends in Detroit for the
weekend. They went to see the Red Wings hockey game and explore parts of the
city. Along the way Mary insisted that they find the intersection that gave
Chene his name. She even got her picture taken in front of the sign post.
Although she didn’t find him, Mary is determined to track
Chene down the next time she’s in town.
That’s one of the greatest compliments a writer can receive.
To create a character that readers believe is real, one that they can relate to
and connect with. The idea of searching the city to find him is priceless. That’s
why it’s part of my ongoing effort to make a character an individual, not
something out of a cookie cutter, with real traits that readers can recognize.
So whether it’s a main character or a sidekick, you want to make them
memorable.
It’s just as important to me that supporting characters are
well designed. Here’s an example from “Fleeing Beauty” the third book in the
Jamie Richmond series.
In this scene, Jamie is with Ian, the teenager who is Malone’s
unofficial little brother. He has been helping Jamie with the project of
opening the crates in her late father’s studio and building a catalog. Ian has
been smitten by Brittany a young girl who lives in Jamie’s neighborhood.
A few days later Ian was at the house with Brittany. I
was just finishing up some work on the computer when I remembered the
sketchpad. Taking it from the bookshelf, I walked out into the backyard.
Brittany and Ian were at the picnic table with glasses of lemonade. Her dog,
Lucy, was lounging in the shade. The kids were sitting close together. As I set
the sketchpad on the table Ian’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“We bumped into Krip the other
night at the studio. He happened to see these and encouraged me to bring them
home.”
Ian started to reach for the
pad, but Brittany was faster. She snagged it and flipped it open, His sketches of
her were right on top. She carefully studied the first one, then moved it aside
to look at the next. Soon all three were spread out on the table before her.
“I can explain,” Ian said. His
voice was soft and meek.
Brittany raised a hand to
silence him. She kept staring at the drawings.
Ian turned his gaze to me with
a pleading look on his face. I shrugged. There was nothing I could say to
diffuse the situation. We waited. A minute later Brittany turned to Ian and
placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Did you draw these from
pictures?”
He slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“So this is how I look in your
head?”
“Don’t be mad. I know you’re
even prettier in person, it’s just that Malone challenged me and I…”
He never got another word out.
Brittany raised her hands to his face and drew him to her. She planted a deep
kiss on his lips that left both of them blushing. The fact that this happened
less than three feet from me may have occurred to them only after they separated.
“That is the sweetest thing
anyone has ever done for me,” Brittany said. “You think I’m pretty?”
Ian shook his head. “No, I
think you’re beautiful. Pretty was all I
could do from memory.”
Was Malone coaching this kid
in more than just baseball? The thought brought a smile to my face.
“So you think you could do
even a better job if I was right in front of you?”
“Brittany, I don’t know, but
I’d like to try.”
She pushed the sketchpad
toward him. “Well, let’s try.”
Ian scrambled into the house
for pencils. Brittany looked at me as if suddenly remembering that I’d been
there all along. She glanced at the sketches spread out before her.
“He really did these?”
I nodded. “Yes. And Mr.
Krippendore thinks he’s very talented. Krip is a painter. He wants to talk with
Ian the next time we’re at the studio.”
“Would it be okay if I went to
the studio sometime? Ian’s told me all
about it, but I’d like to see it firsthand.”
“Sure, we can go next week.”
Ian returned with several
pencils and a big gum eraser. Brittany
moved to the grass and pulled the dog with her. She knelt down and coaxed the dog
to sit beside.
“Okay, Rembrandt, let’s see
what you’ve got.”
Ian picked up the pad and
started to draw. I took that as my cue to leave.
Buy Links:
Music this
week is from The Rolling Stones.
