Falling in Love

Something strange happened to me this week - I realised I was falling in love with one of my characters in the new book, The Dark Horizon.

I'm amidst the final edits, which is far from my favourite part of writing. Thinking up the ideas, the people, the places, the twists and turns is the bit I really like, followed by the actual physical writing, but as for the edits... oh, yawn and trudge.

However! The more I edited the sections involving her, the more I found myself smiling at what she was doing and why, and wanting to spend more time with her.

June is her name, and she's not a major character, but not a minor one either. She's fundamental to the plot, so perhaps she's a major minor?!

And before I sound too weird here, I should emphasise it's not a physical thing. June's old enough to be my Mum, but she's powerfully driven by her principles and acts on them in the most creative and remarkable ways. And she's wise and kind and just generally fab.

Which then got me thinking about the other characters in the book, and I came to an odd conclusion -

I like them all, in that I created them for a purpose and they seem to do their bit in the story. But some I actually like as people and others I don't care for at all. 

But then, that's only a reflection of real life, isn't it? Just as in so much of writing - it's like a snapshot of the real world. Some of what you find there you like and some you don't.

And when you write a book, it must surely be a good sign if you can start believing in the world you've created?

On the subject of things I like, I haven't included a picture in a blog for a while. So here's one of my photographic diversions and of something I love very much (and no, before you say it, because I can sense you thinking it, it isn't myself!) -

I needed inspiration for some teaching I'm working on, so I took a walk on my beloved Dartmoor. For me, this shot sums up the vast and open, sometimes lonely, but always uplifting feeling of the moor.

So here's to all we love, in fiction or in fact, and to June and her friends who will come into being in only seven weeks or so, when Dark Horizon is released. I'm getting excited already...