The Shadow and The Me
In this case,
Sandi Webster (of the Sandi Webster Mysteries) is the “Me” and I’m the “Shadow”,
depending on your point of view. We’ll work with my point of view.
I’m sure
readers often wonder if the writer of a series is part of the protagonist. To some extent, it’s very possible. It’s
often been said to write about what you know about.
I’ve also
heard that readers want to know a little bit more about the author.
I shadow
Sandi around during her escapades and add things I know about, such as being a
chocoholic. I try to downplay it a bit, but I’ve always got chocolate within
reach. She’s run out on occasion and since it’s her “comfort food,” that can
turn into an issue.
Sandi is 5’3”
and I’m 5’2”. While I don’t know much about being tall (unless I’m standing on
a ladder), I do know something about being relatively short. If you’re a
shorty, when’s the last time you tried to reach a product you needed that was
placed on the top shelf at the store? I frequently have to ask another customer
to reach things for me.
Sandi and her
husband Pete drive a Jeep. So do I. Sandi has an imagination. So do I. Sandi’s
a bit naïve. So am I.
She sighs and
rolls her eyes frequently. I didn’t realize I do those things until my husband (God
rest his soul) read one of my books and called it to my attention. “Why are you
always sighing and rolling your eyes?” He knew I’d done those things long
before Sandi did them.
That’s
probably about where Sandi and I part ways. She’s a private eye and I’m not,
although I probably would have enjoyed that type of work. She frequently deals
with death. Thankfully, I don’t. She also has friends (Felicity and Stanley)
whom she adores. I have friends whom I also adore, but Felicity and Stanley
aren’t knockoffs of the people I care about. Sandi takes more chances than I
probably would under the same circumstances. However, you never know what one
will do when faced with a particular situation.
Sandi goes
places and does things that I’ll never be able to do. I’d love to be stranded
in a ghost town like she was in Old Murders Never Die and solve a mystery in
the process.
Have I ever
purposely included personality traits of someone I know in characters in a
book? You bet. In Choosing One Moment – A Time Travel Mystery, I included
traits of someone I know in three of the characters, and they were all good qualities.
After having
said all of the above, I have to admit there’s a difference in the book I’m
working on now. I needed to do a lot of research for the new book and found
myself frequently running into a brick wall. Consequently, Sandi is having the
same issues. There’s plenty of action, but she’s working on another old
crime(s). With old murders comes research. In real life, if Sandi was real, she’d
probably be standing next to me banging her head against the wall about now. Of
course, stories need a resolution, and I’m sure she’ll prevail.
So when you
read a Sandi Webster book, mentally look behind her and I’ll bet you’ll see a 5’2”
shadow following her. Maybe, depending on the time of day, her shadow will have
morphed into someone tall.
As a reader,
do you enjoy learning tidbits about writers you enjoy? As a writer, do you
include some of your traits and habits in your protagonist? The curious want to
know. Or in this case, The Shadow wants to know.
Until next
week, don’t be a shadow. Be the “Me” in your life, and have a great week.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
Check out the
book trailer for Old Murders Never Die at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBOpzq-wDM
An interesting topic! I had never thought much about the "me" in my characters until I was asked the question in an interview, "Which of your characters is most like you?" Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when I realized that my two main characters, Ann and Marnie, each have bits and pieces of me.
You're right, Pat. It's not something we generally think about, but it is interesting if we think about it. So when someone reads your books, they just might learn a little about you, in addition to your characters. Great! Thank you so much for stopping in today!
DeleteI see so much of you in Sandi that it's like I'm right there with you, sharing the adventure. All the better since it's often one I can never take part in--like the ghost town mystery. I think it's inevitable that bits and pieces of the writer find their way into the character's makeup. It adds to the fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Dorothy, and I see bits of you in your protagonist, Jennet. It's fun when an author can take us to a new place and a new adventure. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI pattern my characters after people I've known and admired for one reason or another. My daughter surprised me when she said, "Red Regan is you, isn't he?" And I thought, well, in large part. I never recognized it while i was writing.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you pick out characteristics and traits from people you know. Your daughter is obviously a smart woman to see the you in Red. Sandi may be more me than I realize, but if so, I'm not admitting it. : ) Thank you so much for stopping in today!
DeleteI love reading about the lives of my favorite authors. Agatha Christie's autobiography especially was interesting. She even went surfing in Hawaii! Who knew? And my female protagonists are most definitely me--especially Pam in my Human Zoo Trilogy. And some of my romance heroines have some of my traits. Fun blog this week, Marja.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it, Pat. Write about what you know about, and that's what you're doing. I really enjoy your books. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI guess we all do it to a degree. Sticks Hetrick and I have a few things in common now that I think about it. But, I don't think anyone would ever confuse me for Sylvester Tilghman (for one thing he's a lot bigger than me). I think I 'mine' acquaintances and, even more so, strangers for character-istics.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite things, Jack, is to take characteristics from strangers. If you see someone watching you intently, you never know, it could be an author. : ) Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteMy first book, Stella, my first character, and I shared some attributes, but the more I write the less like me they've become. I do tend to keep my characters Latina, but that's because I am one, and am quite familiar with their dramatic selves and thief family histrionics. I would't know what it feels like to be a Japanese living in San Francisco, but a Latina. Yep.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point, Brenda. It would be difficult for me to portray other ethnicities, too, although I can come up with some traits if I look to friends. It would be difficult to make a main character someone with an ethnic background I'm not familiar with. Thank you so much for stopping in today!
DeleteGreat blog post, Marja. I've always pictured you as the Sandi Webster type of gal. My Charlotte is pretty much a wimp, like me. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou gave me my morning chuckle, Evelyn. I don't picture you as a wimp though, and Charlotte seems to be able to hold her own. Thank you so much for stopping in today!
DeleteThe main character in my new novel definitely have things in common -- she's a landlady of 30-plus years as I have been -- and have similar backgrounds as teachers, but I gave her some other traits and a different appearance. My first readers see the resemblance to moi, however.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, from having met you, I have a feeling your new novel has some humor in it, too. I think we all, or most of us, put something of ourselves in our books. Thank you so much for stopping in today!
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