When I pick out a book to read, one of the most important things for me is
that the
characters feel real. I want to get lost in the world the author has
created, but if
the characters are too scripted or too predictable or too perfect, it’s
impossible.
This is a very important element when I write my own books, and I’ve found
that there
are a few key elements in making a character jump off the pages of a book—or
screen of
an ereader.
One: Characters must have flaws
Have you ever read a book where the characters were a little too perfect?
They don’t
make mistakes and everyone likes them. They’re never annoying or whiney or
sullen just
for the sake of being moody. Those are the characters that drive me nuts,
because it
isn’t real. Even my best friends get on my nerves from time to time, and
everyone has a
day where they are in a bad mood for no good reason other than they woke up
on the
wrong side of the bed. I can’t tell you how many reviews I’ve read where the
reader
says that my characters got on their nerves from time to time—but that’s
fine with me!
There isn’t a single person I know who hasn’t gotten under my skin at least
once—even
the people I love the most make me want to slap them upside the head every
now and then
—so having a character that makes you cringe once or twice while you’re
reading about
their story is a good thing. At least to me.
Two: Characters need to make poor choices
Have you ever made a bad decision that you could have just kicked yourself
for later?
Of course you have, and you aren’t alone! Everyone has done things that even
several
years later make them cringe at the memory. As humans, it’s normal to react
based on
emotions, whether it’s out of jealousy or anger or hurt, and oftentimes the
decisions
we make based on how we feel end up being the wrong choice. So to me, it
makes perfect
sense to have my characters make a decision that others might see as stupid
or
immature. If every decision they made was the right one, not only would they
seem fake,
but it wouldn’t make the book very interesting to read.
Three: Characters must have feelings
So this may seem like a silly one, but it does get forgotten from time to
time. A
romance novel focuses on two people falling in love, possibly for the first
time, and
love is an emotion that seldom comes by itself. A whole gauntlet of other
feelings
accompanies this emotion. You’ll find everything from jealousy to anger to
insecurity
tagging along after that little feeling of love, and when characters slide
into a
relationship with too much ease, it doesn’t make for a very realistic
portrayal.
In my own novel, NO
REGRETS, Cami has lots of flaws, especially at this pivotal point in her
life.
She’s trying to overcome the loss of a very important person while starting
a new life
of her own in college. When she meets Liam, a hunky Brit who makes her knees
weak, the
desire to give herself over to him completely conflicts with the promise she
made to
her very best friend. There are times when you’ll want to smack her upside
the head, or
yell at your book (or ereader), but try not to let those feelings overshadow
the very
real moments when Cami’s emotions get the better of her—leading to some very
poor
decisions. All in all, she is a very loving and giving person who is just
struggling to
figure out how to make herself happy while coming to terms with the painful
events of
her past.
Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife.
She grew up
in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at
the age of
twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia,
Mississippi, South
Carolina, and California.
Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story - especially if zombies are involved
- as long
as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy,
non-
traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and
her love of
wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently
resides in
Oklahoma with her husband and children.
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College is supposed to be fun.
Go to parties.
Pick up guys.
Maybe get in a little trouble . . .
On the surface Cami is your average, wild teenager out to have a good time,
but inside
she’s struggling. Almost a year ago her best friend was in a car accident,
an accident
Cami feels responsible for. Since then, she’s made it her personal mission
to
experience everything life has to offer, both for herself and for Julie, who
will never
have fun again.
Then she meets Liam, her cousin’s sexy roommate. Hooking up with a hot
British dude
seems like the perfect way to start off the school year, but the more time
she spends
with him, the more she finds herself actually liking the guy. Which totally
screws up
her plans to live life with no regrets . . .
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