Energized!

Getting set up for the Celebrate Holiday Bazaar

Last week I finished the first draft on my second Caitlyn Jamison mystery. As I sat back and thought about where the story had taken me, it occurred to me, once again, that my books are character driven.

Is it because my characters don’t trust me to come up with an interesting story, or is it that I am developing the characters to the point where they have minds of their own? I find some characters are more controlling than others and it’s interesting to sit back and see how their personalities develop.

Getting through the first draft was a long haul – almost a year – but that fact energized me to really dig in and fully develop the characters and the plot lines. I also want to give my readers something to think about by the end of the story.

And then, the folks I met at last Sunday’s holiday bazaar have also energized me. “Are you the author?” was the question as their faces lit up. They’d pick up the book, read the back, and then we’d talk about books and the writing process.

Sales were great, but talking with readers was even better.