Meghan March | On Writing: Keeping Characters Real

Every time I get a review that says "the characters are so real and relatable"
I do a little mental fist-pump. Mission. Accomplished. As an author, it's
incredibly important to me that my readers make that connection with the
characters and get sucked into the story on more than a surface level. Because
once I've hooked them, I can make them feel. That's why I do what I do. I'm
not only an author; I'm a reader first, and I read because I want to feel and
I want to sink so deeply into the world someone has created, I forget that I
have to load the dishwasher, fold the laundry, pay the bills, feed myself,
etc. I want to escape.

The way I write and craft my stories, I consider the first step on that path
to escape the character connection, and how do you connect with a character if
you can't relate to them? I've been asked in interviews (today actually),
whether I pull events and inspiration from real life. The answer is
absolutely, especially when it comes to crafting characters. I'm a little more
like a chef, a dash of this person, a hint of another, a pinch of a third, but
most of my character inspiration comes from real people--either people I know,
or people I observe.

When I write, I try to bury myself in my character's mind so I understand
everything about him or her, and most especially how he or she views the
outside world and interacts with it. How would my heroine really react to
finding a picture of the guy she's digging in the paper with another woman?
How would my hero really react to seeing his girlfriend being kissed on a
sidewalk by another man? I tend not to be a writer of over-the-top drama,
because I want what's real, not what's overblown and expected. The biggest
upside to going deep into my characters' backgrounds is the ability to sit
back and watch them dictate the story. I don't control my characters' actions;
they do that all by themselves. In writing my new release, Beneath These
Scars, I was dealing with two very stubborn characters. If I thought they
should do something, odds are they would do something completely different. It
was a wild, sexy, and crazy fun journey, and I hope you'll take a ride with
me!

About Meghan March

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods
wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also
impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that
she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts,
selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing
books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring
them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves
hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

Meghan is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

About BENEATH THESE SCARS