Author, K. C. Blake is visiting my blog today. She just released Witch Hunt! I haven't read it YET, but I'm very intrigued by the synopsis. Check it out! The rest of this post is brought to you by K. C....
Something occurred to me the other day while I was working on my latest book Witch Hunt (available now at Amazon). Before I wrote the first word I already knew my characters intimately, but the readers don’t know them at the beginning of the book. As a writer I have to introduce the reader to my characters through action, dialogue, internal monologue, and narration. It’s a daunting task. I find myself wanting to throw everything at the reader at once, but you can’t do that. The introduction has to be slow and easy.
Witch Hunt is the second book in my witch-game series, but each book has different characters. Plus there are several important characters in this book. The more characters you have, the harder your job becomes. Because this book is a paranormal romance I needed two main characters to fall in love. They had to be strong, fun characters that the readers will learn to care about.
Starr Hughes and Dylan Winchester aren’t supposed to be together. He is in a group called the It-Squad, and they aren’t allowed to date outsiders. Starr hears whispers about a game they are about to play. It sounds dangerous and sneaky. She worries that Dylan is up to no good. Before she falls harder for him, she wants to find out what he and his little group are doing.
Most books have a villain. They’re always fun to work with. Witch Hunt is no exception. I added the shadow of a villain in the background. Writing for a villain is different than writing for the protagonists. Sometimes you don’t want the reader to know who the bad guy is until the reader nears the end of the book. In the case of Witch Hunt I wanted the reader to suspect at least three people of being bad, so I had to add more characters.
Then you need to think about friends and family for your protagonists. Starr had to have someone to confide in. I gave her a good friend and a sometimes-absent father. Dylan has his friends on the It-Squad, so I didn’t have to scrounge for someone for him to talk to.
How do you introduce your characters to the reader? Try not to throw too many at the reader at once. I prefer to start with one or two characters. Although in Crushed (number one in the witch-game series) the book begins with all three sisters. A situation like that is doable as long as the characters have different personalities that will make each one stand out from the first page. Be careful not to thrust the reader into a crowded room with several characters talking. You can’t expect to keep the reader’s interest if they feel confused from page one.
Start off slow if you’re a beginner. Write for one point-of-view character. As a writer you will grow and your writing will grow with you.
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