Who Are YOU?

Hello there and welcome to another edition of WHO ARE YOU? The talk show where we finally unravel the mystery of our characters. Today’s question comes from faithful audience member, Abby, who asks:

Where do your characters come from? And once they’ve been introduced to you, how do you get to know them?

To ask today’s question we have a panel of Christine’s finest characters – Aydan and Nesy, from her YA Dark Romance, A BEAUTIFUL MESS

Take it away Christine….

Christine: Hi everyone. Hi Nesy and Aydan. I’m so glad you’re joining me today.

Aydan: Yea, whatever. I have things to do. Let’s get this over with.

Nesy: Don’t be like that. Christine’s been nice to you. We both agreed to help her out with this post.

Aydan: Yea, yea, I’m here, aren’t I. Go ahead with the questions.

Christine: Okay. First question. How did I first meet you guys?

Nesy: Oh, I’ll start off. You met me while working on a different project – during a dream.

Aydan: Jeez, how cliché.

Nesy: Ignore him, he’s still upset over the whole “being marked” thing.

Aydan: Well, how would you feel if you had to wear this brand and deal with the demonic urges all the time.

Nesy: Hush, Gabriel and Mikayel took care of that for you. Stop whining about it. Now, back to your question, Christine. I first came to you after a tough writing session. You were in the throes of your NaNo novel and you need a diversion. I decided to be that diversion for you.

Aydan: Whatever.

Nesy: You have something to add?

Aydan: Um yea. How about the truth. You know, for an angel, you tell some pretty tall tales. Christine met me first. I took over her thoughts for about a month before you ever showed up. And I stayed with her during edits, long after you split. Isn’t that right, Christine?

Christine: Guys, let’s not get into this again.

Aydan: See?

Nesy: What? You met him first? I bet you crafted the story for him, too. Didn’t you?

{{awkward silence}}

Aydan: See. It’s always been about me.

Christine: No. The story has always been about both of you – you’re both just too stubborn to see that. Now, can we get back to the interview please. Next question, how did you make yourselves known to me? How did I learn about you?

Aydan: You obsessed over me for months. You had no problem figuring me out.

Nesy: Yea, but I was harder. You were so busy dealing with lover-demon over here, that you had to spend a lot of the revision time figuring me out.

Aydan: Don’t flatter yourself. You aren’t that hard to figure out.

Nesy: And you are?

Ashlynn: What the heck!!! What is this? A party and I wasn’t invited. Dude!

Christine: Ashlynn, what are you doing here?

Ashlynn: Um, I live here?! Why aren’t you asking me any questions? Don’t I count any more. Why do Nesy and Aydan get all the attention all the time.

Christine: That isn’t true. I just haven’t had time to work on your story right now.

Ashlynn: Whatever. You’ve never liked me. Too hard, my story. That’s what you tell people. Personally, I think you’re just a chicken.

Ian: No she isn’t. She’s willing to tell very dark stories. And hard ones.

Aydan: Wait a minute here. Who the heck are you?

Ian: Her new MC.

Aydan: MC? She is telling a new story about…you? Christine.

Christine: Um, I think that’s all the time we have for Who Are You? today. Join me next time when we talk about getting characters out of your head once they start talking.

(Note: The characters in this post are all from Christine’s stories and yes, they all live in her head. Christine does everything she can to try to tell their story…and not hers. Trust me, her characters correct her loudly when she messes up. For more about her books and current projects, check out her Fiction page.

To learn other ways of meeting your characters, see what Kat said yesterday, and visit Margie tomorrow.

How do YOU find your characters?)