I’ve watched a lot of authors around the panel tables over the years, and it never fails to set me back when I see one or more chortling over the prospect of throwing more trouble and woe against their characters–as if they enjoy it. A part of me agrees as watching your characters rise over the situation and emerge triumphant, or at least alive and kicking, is uplifting. But for the most part, these are the hardest pages for me to write. I procrastinate, I check my FB feed, I make a pot of tea, sharpen my pencils which I’m not even using at the moment. Anything. It’s a recognizable pattern.
Today, as I finish up the first rough draft of the Drafter teaser (hopefully to be released next month) I ache for my character, knowing what’s going to happen, that I’m the one that is putting it out there–something bad that rocks him to his foundation, that will color him for years, bring him pain, this wonderful man that I gave so many gifts to. And I’m going to have to deal with it for at least three more years.
Chortling with glee? No, I don’t think so.
Sixty minutes, I tell myself. It will take one hour to write, one hour to bring his world to an ugly place. Will he rise up? Of course he will. Will he find a new core? It wouldn’t be much of a story if it didn’t. But it still hurts. And it will, for three years because of sixty short minutes.
Kim Harrison 
Silas? 😥
I was just re-reading Pale Demon today and right before the end, I was thinking that you must really be ‘in the moment’, feel what those characters feel, to express their pain and emotions so well and make the reader actually ‘feel’ them too. It sucks, but it makes for more relatable (is that a word?) characters and experiences.
Life is hard it will knock you down walk away come back and kick you in the kidney a few times. But what I find so beautiful about art is that everyone experiences it differently. There will be an audience that says, “How could you do that?!” However there will also be someone who is forever grateful that you let this character experience this pain because they could connect with the character. I know it’s hard now, I will do whatever to procrastinate too, but give it time you never know maybe next comic con you’ll receive another rainy day letter. (Wink)
Katie Booth
I will hurt with you; I already do.
You are one of the bravest people I know.
I love how you share your process…I would never think that an author cared for a character they created. I guess that person becomes your ‘baby’ and you have to care for the great story that is your trademark. Very very enlightening.
I can’t wait for your new book to come out. I love the way you spin a story.
I have several friends that are writers in different genres; but I love the way you describe your process. When one of my friends are stuck I tell them what you would do. And they seem to be able to work through it……
I cried for three days and couldn’t write for a week when I realized that I had to kill off a character. There was no way around it, and I knew it. I have no trouble with most of the trials I put my characters through, but that just made me hurt.
Enjoying something that brings so much pain to you makes me feel bad.
That’s what makes your books so special to read. We can feel that pain and we grip that book harder and can’t put it down. Sorry for your pain, but don’t stop 😮😄
So you dance a LOT? So many minuets, only so many minutes….
Can’t wait for the next book, thanks for everything up to now.
I’m sorry to say this Kim, but you are a TEASE! Not that I don’t love it, but it makes the wait all so much longer. 🙂
I know the feeling. I have a character that is currently missing (maybe deceased?) not sure.