by Judi Fennell, guest blogger
Back in 2004 when I joined Romance Writers of America, I had one manuscript (in sore need of craft workshops!) and the dream.
I had nothing else. Not a clue how to do this, not another story idea, no industry knowledge. Nothing. How could I ever expect to get a book published - especially once I got my first contest entry back and saw that I needed a lot of help.
Enter the characters who won't shut up.
And thank God for them. First it was the gypsy who showed up in a re-write of that first story. Then it was Cinda Bella, obviously a Cinderella character but modernized for today's world. Then it was Bella from Beauty and The Best.
And then there was Reel. And Erica. And Chum. And Puffer and Vincent and Chipper and Angel and Harry and the rest of the cast of In Over Her Head. Once those floodgates opened, there was no damming them back up.
In Over Her Head is my debut novel and the easiest story I've ever written - all because of the characters who won't shut up! Even now, as I do the edits on the third book in this Mer series, the characters are all chatting in my head.
Sounds crazy, right?
Crazy keeps me writing. These characters wake me up in the middle of the night. They have parties at 5 am, each one trying to shout the other down. It's insane. I have learned to keep a notebook next to my bed so I can jot down what they're saying - don't want to lose it because they can get a bit stubborn about sharing it with me again. "Not important enough to write down when I'm saying it? Then I'm not going to repeat it."
There's a reason writers call their stories their babies - sometimes they start to act like grouchy teens!
But I love each of them, even the villains. They've given me a lot to work with in the stories and I've been blessed to hear from readers that they love the characters.
Many people have emailed me that they love Reel, laughed at Chum, identified with Erica, but the email I received today was a first.
The reader loved my bubble gum-chewing pelican, Amelia. Amelia only shows up for a bit, but she plays a big part, and the bubble gum just sort of came along with her.
So if you've read In Over Her Head, who's your favorite character? Besides Erica and Reel, who would you most like to hang with? I'd love to know. If you haven't had the chance to read it, please email me once you do (Go to my website for my contact info!).
The characters who won't shut up are taking bets as we speak.
And while you're on my website, (www.JudiFennell.com ) feel free to register to win one of three romantic beach getaway weekends. The Atlantis Inn Bed & Breakfast in Ocean City, NJ (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House B&B in West Palm Beach Florida, (www.HibiscusHouse.com) have come on board to offer these weekends to celebrate the release of each of the Mer series books.
And the winners can keep an eye out for sexy mermen, or talking fish or even the occasional gum-chewing pelican... Here's an excerpt from In Over Her Head:
Amelia, Ernie's wife, popped by instead, floundering to a pelican's lumbering landing just as they hit the beach.
"Heya, Reel. You are one lucky S-O-M." Amelia was munching on that chewy substance Humans were so fond of. It stuck to everything and they stuck it to everything: the underside of docks, boat hulls, every piece of their refuse. He could always hear her coming from a mile away.
"What's the scoop, Amelia?"
Erica groaned behind him. "Amelia? As in Earhart? Who's next? Captain Nemo?"
"Sorry, chicky, but Nemo's in the Pacific these days. He and Ern had a falling out." Amelia blew a pink solid bubble with that stuff.
That always freaked him out. Bubbles. Solid. Out of water. Pink. Odd, just odd.
"So, what's happening in my luck department, Ame? Krak still chasing the herring?"
The bubble popped all over her beak and she made the mistake of trying to remove it with her wings. Several gooey, fowl-mouthed comments later, the pelican was spun in a web of her own making.
"Oh, for pete's sake!" Erica approached the squawking bird, plunked her cute backside in the sand and started picking the pink gunk off Amelia.
"Thanks, doll," Amelia said when her beak was untied. "I guess I oughta lay off that. If you could do that big feather on the bottom... yeah, that one. It's bending back and pinching a bit... yeah, that's it." The pelican sighed. "So, where was I?"
"About to tell me if we're heading into a trap? You know, just a tiny portion of info that could determine whether we live or die? Nothing too important, Ame," Reel answered.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your scales on-wait. You don't have scales. My bad."
"We're wasting time, Ame. So, did Krak take the bait? Or did his two brain cells rub together enough to generate a spark of intelligence?"
Amelia stretched a freed wing out to its full three-foot width. "I said you're a lucky S-O-M and I meant it. The big, dumb oaf is probably halfway to the Falklands by now."
"Good." Reel pulled Erica to her feet. "Come on, sweetheart, we've got to get moving."
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13 comments ↓
I never understood when authors would say that their characters talk to them and won’t leave that alone. Now as I write my own stories my characters won’t leave me alone. And I have new characters talking in my head.
Good morning and thank you for having me! Yes, Katie, once they start gabbing, it’s hard to get them to be quiet. But now that I need them to keep talking, I let them talk. That’s why it’s great to belong to writers’ groups because people “get” that you’re really not crazy when you hear voices in your head.
I always have characters talking in my head- and I don’t even write!! LOL maybe I should so people don’t think that I am totally crazy.
I love the idea of a gum chewing pelican. Just picturing the above scene in my head made me giggle.
I love it when they won’t shut up! Far worse is when they get all crabby and won’t talk at all! You already know how much I love this book (devoured it the minute I got it and can’t wait for the next ones!) I have to say, Chum is my favorite. Sweet, loyal, wise-cracking, grateful to Reel and yet proud. I love that he never lets his “disability” get him down. Now, did I hear something about a flamingo coming up? You *know* I adore flamingos!
Thanks for sharing your story of how you got started writing, Judi – hearing stories like getting your manuscript back makes writing seem a lot more approachable.
I tried to think of a character in a romance novel that is very talkative, and honestly, I couldn’t think of one? I think that is because most of the H tend to be strong silent types. Although I am curious about your book, I have never read a book about Mermen!
lolol! I love Amelia, what fun character! Yes, I love you too Chum… These observations are based on what I have read of your story and blog excerpts. We don’t have the book here yet, but by god we will.
I like the comment about our books being our babies or cranky, grouchy teens. Yep.
I also keep a notebook by my bed and in the bathroom, b/c you never know when they will start chattering. Mouthy things, those characters….
Great article, Judi.
Judi,
I haven’t finished, so there may be some characters I haven’t met yet, but for now my favorite secondary is Angel. Her leg fascination tickled me. Knowing she’ll be the main character in Catch of a Lifetime, I can already imagine the mischief.
Loved the excerpt. I love readig about authors and their different ideas and ways that they have with their characters.
Do u have a favorite character from your books?
Sounds like fun! My characters used to talk in my head all the time when I wrote. I think the best books come about when they are at least a little in charge of their own stories – our purpose is just to write them down!
This book looks fantastic.
I would love to have some characters in my head talking to me. This sounds like a fun series and I would love to give it a shot.
Oh, Judi, I can so relate to talking characters who don’t shut up. They drive you crazy or they pop into your head at the darnest times. I never thought of them a teens before but I realize some of mine are stubborn teens. Others are pesky toddlers. But I have one guy who is the most obstinate man. He’s a small town police detective who won’t go away until I solve his love-life problems; until I do that he just keeps coming up with more criminal cases to work on with the local crazy woman.
Great post and can’t wait to read your new book. I am headed to the book store tomorrow morning.
Judi do you identify with one of the characters in the book? I suspect that they all have bits of you or others you know in them, but when you play the story in your head from whose point of view do you see it?
Loved the descriptions of the garden in IOHH and the way you effortlessly anthropomorphize the characters. Well at least it seems effortless.
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