|
Originally, when I began writing Blythe By Name I had a whole story arc planned out for Claire Meredith and Sally that would continue in Blythe By Nature, and it was really very touching, I thought. I wanted their friendship to be rather enduring and sweet and strengthening through their shared turmoil. But as I started writing Claire, she became more and more catty, somehow. And then I started getting reviews about how you guys weren't so sure of her, and I realized that I wasn't either. And I decided that her and Sally's relationship would grow a little more troubled than I planned--and the cousins naturally began to grow apart from one another, from there.
I have to admit it was kind of a relief to write a character who was descended from the Blythes but kind of a brat. It's freeing, somehow, to have an imperfect, flawed character descended from the Holy Blythes. I don't know what it is about this story--am I jaded?--but I find that I keep testing the "practically perfect in every way" Blythes in ways that I never imagined I would. But...I kind of like doing it! I never really liked Nan and it's wickedly fun to take those frustrations out on her daughter. And it's making the story a little more fun to write!
Have you all ever changed--purposefully or inadvertently--a character's personality, because of how your reviewers reacted to him or her? Did this change the plot of your story at all? Were you sorry you changed him--do you wish that you had stuck with your original conception of that person?
_________________________________
I have a few more chapters of BBName to post, and then I have to think for a while on BBNature and how I want it to be. I am having so much fun writing this story, and I really hate Kevin Sullivan for holding the rights so I can't try to submit them as sequels to AoGG. I was thinking that if I changed some of the copyrighted details and reworked a few places, and did a little more historical research that they could be standalone stories, sort of an Eight Cousinsish kind of series. Which is super-odd for me, because I never, never thought I would write YA, or even wanted to!
