Building Characters with Real-Life Inspirations

While writing the book, I feel in love with the characters. (Note, while editing, I fell in love with nothing lol…it’s just a hard process, for me, that eats away at my soul. I’m defintily trying to imrpove this part of the processs!). And the characters, while fictional, had parts of many people I know, want to know and, well, dno’t want to know!

As with most people, I know myself the best (well, at least I know my stories the best – I’m still learning to get up to speed with who I am, what I want to do, etc…another tale for another day). The whole idea of glowers and sensers is based on my observations on questions about the world – but it’s also about who I am. Sometimes I have thougths that are not pleasant. Rarely do I ever say anyting aloud…their deep thoguhts. But, sometimes they’re not the best.

As an example, when I’m driving. Spending nearly 25 years in Boston, I had many years where my blood pressure went through the roof the moment I got into the car. I have said maybe a few words, from the comfort of closed windows, to drivers I thought were, well, assholes. But, many times, I might have been that more so!

There are also some incidents that occurred in the book that reflect my childhood (no, I’m not a sensers or glower, but I do play one in the book 😊). Part of my process of writing is to connect to it on a different level, which for me is to write about personal things that matter to me. Throwing bits and pieces in there helps me to understand things in the past (I tend to learn more when trying to talk about it, or in this case, write about it).

As for folks like Laura, there are several people who I have mimicked her after. My wife is reflected in her steadfast, intelligent and somewhat prgramactic/caustiious way. Paul, in some ways, resprsenents the part of me that is “push forwad, not matter the cost”. I tend to be forward moving, despite others not wanting to do so; I have to constantly self-check to ensure I don’t leave behind, or am left to journey on my own. It’s a constant struggle.

As for Miguel, I would say that he is mostly the acculumation of someone I understand but hope to never be like. I defintily don’t ever want to get his type of nosebleeds…

Till next time!

Len