Hazel or Blue?

I love getting letters from my readers. Love, love, love it.  I love the kind that simply say, “loved Sew Deadly” or “can’t wait for the next book!” And I love the ones that tell me which characters they liked most and which plot point kept them up all night. Seriously, what’s not to like about mail like that?

But I also like the letters that ask questions. Like this one from Jayne…

How do you keep track of all those characters?

I love this question because it’s exactly the kind of thing I’ve found myself wondering many times while losing myself in the pages of a favorite series. But now that I’m a writer, too, I can actually answer that question.

If you’ve read Sew Deadly–the first in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series–you know I have an assortment of characters. Which means I have a lot of people to keep track of from book to book. 

The further I get into the series (I’ve already turned in book # 3 even though book # 2 isn’t even out yet) the more familiar I get with my characters–the quirks and habits that make each and every person unique. But it’s the physical stuff that can be tough to remember (especially when you’re writing romance novels between mystery installments). Is Milo’s eyes green or brown? Does Rose live in a ranch or a two-story? Does Nina drop her “g’s” or is that more Margaret Louise’s thing?

If you’re a series writer, you need to know these answers. Because your readers do. And there’s nothing more frustrating for a reader than a writer who keeps changing things mid-stream.  Which is where my character box comes in.

Like you see in the picture to the left, I’ve commandeered an index card box (mine is green) and filled it with an assortment of character cards. Each character has his or her own card filled with descriptive facts that keep me on track. They contain eye color, hair color, any facial scars or characteristics I’ve given them, etc. And it’s my go-to box once I start back on another Sewing Circle Mystery.

Did I solve that mystery?

So how about the rest of you? Any questions you’d like to see me address on future “Writing Thursdays?” Fire away!

~Elizabeth

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