Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we’re teaming up with Rachel’s Random Resources to bring you a stop along their latest tour making its way through the blogosphere. We’ve got our book spotlight ready to shine, followed by a great GUEST POST from the author herself! So, if you’re ready, let’s get this show on the road as we introduce you to today’s title in the spotlight…
Photographed in the Writer’s Room
by
Michelle L. E. Price
About the book...
Former TV star Brandi Tyler's big screen debut crashed and burned amid rumors of an affair with her married co-star… Now, she wants nothing more than to quietly slink away from Hollywood. When she's offered an opportunity to get out of town and work on a project involving the photographer that launched her career, it seems like the perfect escape! Unfortunately for Brandi, her famous face makes hiding out even a huge city like Houston a little tricky.
When the celebrated photographer's son offers to let her use his home for privacy, it seems like everything is falling into place. Little does she know that Michael Ames a gorgeous best selling author, and he comes with the package! As Brandi makes her way through old photographs and new scandals, Michael struggles with his next project, and they both fight the growing attraction between them.
Maybe a posse of new girlfriends, some Texas-sized boozy brunches, and a little private time in the writer's room will help this leading lady find her path back onscreen. And, if she can just picture it, maybe this time she'll even find love?
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~~~ GUEST POST ~~~
Giving Characters Character
By Michelle L.E. Price
One of the most entertaining parts of writing fiction is being able to invent new people out of thin air… As the author, I get to choose every single detail about them, from their hair color to their occupation to their family and upbringing. I’m mindful of having characters of different races, sexual orientations, having some that are parents, some who are single, young and old… My goal is always for the characters in my books to be as rich and varied as the world that we actually live in.
Since I write contemporary fiction, I also always want the people in my stories to feel sort of familiar to the reader. Of course, the characters may have occupations that are not quite main stream (like Meghan, the narrator for a hit television show in Hidden in the Writer’s Room, or Michael, a best-selling author in Photographed in the Writer’s Room), but I still want them to feel real to the reader.
In order to do that, I’ve developed a practice of creating “character boards.” All that really means is that for every character that I create, I make a sort of visual collage on poster board. It might have a dozen photographs of what the character looks like in my mind, pictures of what they might wear, the car they drive, things that they might travel with, the kind of home they might have… anything that helps me form a more complete picture of them in my mind. The goal of these character boards is to develop a complete backstory so that when I’m describing him or her, I am able to be consistent and specific. For my main characters, I may go even so far as to determine their Meyers Briggs personality type or their Enneagram number. It helps ensure that their reactions feel honest to the reader and in keeping with the character of the person they’ve come to understand.
After that, the real fun as a writer begins! The best part of creating new characters is, without question, giving myself license to invent the small bits of their personality that will not only humanize them and make them relatable, but also make them memorable. The best way that I’ve found to do that is by adding quirks. I call it developing my character’s character.
Are they independent professionals who still text their mom every night before bed? Do they love sushi but hate seafood? Do they seem really driven and utterly serious, but secretly dress their dog in ridiculous outfits? Do they follow bloggers online, have a tattoo, or read insatiably? Do they forget to charge their phones or lose their keys? Does their immaculate apartment secretly have a closet full of halfway done projects and useless junk?
I’ll admit that not all of the details from my character boards or the quirks I want to give my characters will make it into the final draft of my books. They might be too obscure, too frivolous, or too tangential. But, I’ve found that the exercise of creating them, of fully knowing the people (oops, I mean, the characters!) I’ve created helps me to tell a more complete story. One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever gotten was on Instagram when a reader said that she wished that she could be friends with my characters in real life.
Me, too.
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About the author…
Born in Montreal but raised in New England, author Michelle L. E. Price has been writing as long as anyone can remember. An avid reader who was on the verge of losing her mind as a mom to two small children, Michelle began writing her first book, Hidden in the Writer’s Room, as an escape… at least her characters would do exactly what she told them to do and she could always count on a happily ever after ending. She also enjoys wine, re-watching 90’s sitcoms and occasionally running, but heavily relies on writing to stay sane. Michelle is a firm believer that laughter and love are the best parts of life.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you and to author Michelle L. E. Price for the great guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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