Torturing Characters

Behind the Scenes with a Character

Interview with Emma

Did you know Missy would be throwing so many things at you when you agreed to be the next character in her novel?

Agreed? Do you think we had a conversation about permission? She never asked me. She shoved me into it and started to twist my life into knots.

That sounds like a bit of an exaggeration. How did she twist your life into knots?

I had a comfortable boyfriend, a tolerable work life, and the ambition to become a semi-famous artist. She twisted everything about my life until it was unrecognizable.

It couldn't have been all that bad.

Well, no. She did get rid of Joe. I'm sure Melanie would have killed him with a cooking utensil any day, so she not only rid us of Joe, Missy saved my best friend from a life behind bars. That's something to be thankful for. There were some pleasant surprises, too. I can't give away everything that happened, but it took a surprising turn.

Do you always look on the bright side?

I try. That myth about tortured artists being brilliant is a total...myth. Not that I'd consider myself brilliant, but I did have that showing of my work recently. I had some sales. It's a start. But anyway, I'm not tortured. Except if you count my time with Joe. Writers may need a place to draw experiences from, or they create it entirely from scratch if they have a vivid imagination. Artists have a vivid imagination, too. We see things differently than most people.

I heard there's a man involved in your story.

There is. There's two actually. One of them made some trouble for me as he exited my life. I can't say I was all that upset with his leaving. The other one was a mystery. A man who was a bit scared, maybe slightly damaged, but completely redeemable.

Is that your bright disposition showing again?

Why do you say that as if it were a bad thing? It's not so wrong to be positive all the time. We can't all be miserable and brooding. You shouldn't want a world full of tortured creative types. The drama would be unbelievable and completely draining.

What would you say to readers who were picking up the book?

I'd tell them that if they're looking for tragedy and high intrigue, they're opening the wrong one. It's for people who want to see me tortured by the author while I try to remain upbeat. It's a light read perfect for sunny afternoons on the porch.

Don't let my torture be for nothing. Make it mean something. Pick up the book, so I can get my happy ending.