Voice.
Every character must have one. The
real test is figuring out the trick to creating a truly unique person. As an
author, you want your hero to walk off the page, sweep the reader into his
arms, and carry her off for the ride of her life.
The task can be easier said than done.
Personally, I have tried any number of methods for fleshing out characters–from
studying horoscope profiles to reading about the sixteen personality types. I've invested hours in studying the GMCs (Goal, Motivation & Conflict). In the quest to
create memorable people that stand apart from the crowd, I've slapped my
characters with scars, childhood traumas, and Tic Tac addictions.
Zachary Hunter, the hero of my erotic
paranormal novel, The Mating Game, walked off the page Totally British. He's a
mystery suspense novelist and a sexy werewolf. He also possesses a dry wit and
biting sarcasm. His voice was crisp and clean, but his vernacular presented an
immediate issue. I, his author, am from Northern California. My familiarity
with English accents derives primarily from Monty Python and Joss Whedon
characters.
California has a great deal of diversity,
so Brits are sometimes spotted in the wild, lurking about pubs and book stores.
My early attempts into research began with tea and scones placed under a box
trap, but the English are shy, wily creatures. The snare stood empty for days.
When I switched to baiting with hard
liquor, I caught a fine Scottish lad immediately. Only I coldna understand a word he said. Not fer the life o' me. Sadly, I set him free and turned to Google.
"TheBest of the British"
and "A Dictionary of Slang" are the top two hits to return
when searching "British Slang". Both are fun and interesting sites
with a ton of useful information. I highly recommend them. I had a blast doing the research, and it
presented a real challenge to use the jargon sparingly.
Zach
talking to the heroine, Theresa:
“I’ve
got a deadline, love. My editor is an absolute slave driver. That’s why I’m in
this state.” He indicated the odious apparel with a flourish.
She rolled her eyes. “Of course. Your
editor made you run through the forest in an orange dress. Makes perfect sense.
I’m sorry I asked.”
He frowned. “I was running on four
legs, love, not two. You know that.”
“Of course I do, but you didn’t
expect anything but a hard time—showing up here in that.” Grinning, she gave him a quick up-down.
Zach chuckled. “Not really. To make a
long story short, I left my clothes in a hunter’s blind but when I returned, my
clothing was gone.”
“Did
someone find your clothes?” she asked with a worried frown. Such a minor thing
might result in unforeseen troubles for the pack. As a rule, the local
werewolves went to great lengths to conceal their presence from the human
population. Normal people in the small Nevada town of Iron Stone remained
blithely unaware of the wolves living amongst them.
“Not
someone—something,” Zach said.
“Raccoons: three of the scrotty little sods. They ripped my clothes to shreds
and dredged the creek with my shoes.”
“Oh,
no!” Laughter again threatened to split her sides. She pressed her hands to her
ribcage and gasped for breath. “Did you eat them?”
“No.”
Zach looked miserable for the admission. “It was a mum and two babes. I didn’t
have the heart.”
Theresa
reached out and touched his hand. “You’re a good man, Zachary Hunter.”
“Thanks,
but I’d rather be a clothed man,” Zach said. “I stole this getup off a laundry
line in the Widow Crawley’s yard.”
“For
shame! Stealing from a little old lady.”
Zach
rolled his shoulders to add emphasis to the voluminous dress. “Not so little.”
THE MATING GAME is on sale for 99 Cents for the next two weeks.
Available at:
My current giveaway...
