Character Connection: The Writing Life

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had an amazing week full of uplifting experiences and building memories.

Last Friday, I shared a line I cut from my latest piece, Chasing Forgiveness. If you missed out, check it out here.

Source

Chasing Forgiveness is told in first person from two different points of view--Madeleine and Amelie. Thanks to beta comments, I realized I needed to flesh out one of the characters a bit more, as she was lagging behind her story partner.

In the process, I discovered something: the character who needed more details was the one I identified with the most. I found it more fascinating to dive into the mind of Madeleine, because she's less like me. Amelie, on the other hand, is very much like me. 

Madeleine embodies many traits I admire but don't always emulate. She's eager to embrace change and power, she follows gut instincts and enjoys spontaneity, and she doesn't let fear rule.

Amelie is the older sister and more level-headed. She wants to be needed, trusts her heart, and is more guarded.

I love both characters, but I found Madeleine more exciting to write, because I want to incorporate more of her qualities--ones I have but are more dormant--into my life. Still, Amelie is the voice of reason and the nurturer, which we all need to be in touch with as well.

Do you find yourself more drawn to characters who are like you or different?

Next week, I will share which actresses would play Madeleine and Amelie in a movie adaption. Until then, have an awesome weekend and beginning to March.