One of the great things about developing an alternate universe that runs through a series of books is the opportunity to resurrect past characters. And there are a plethora of interesting personalities for me to choose from.

I did that on purpose. I love all the aspects of creating a place for my readers to escape to. I love describing the environment, the cultural nuances, and building suspense around whatever devious act is taking place to complicate Bernice and Agent Wyatt’s already complicated relationship. But my favorite aspect of writing is creating memorable characters.

I want them to feel real to the readers. I want them to have personalities that resonate, leave a mental mark if you will. Good, bad, ornery, beguiling, seductive, arrogant, melodramatic, self-absorbed, manipulative, sweet, compassionate, driven, sadistic, deranged, delusional, self-righteous, sexist, racist, charismatic, annoying, self-deprecating; these and many others are descriptions of the human condition. And our big, bloated brains give us the ability to possess all of these traits in various doses.

Whether by fault or design, however, some aspects of our personalities shine brighter than others. For the sake of the story, it may be those aspects that I focus on for a character that only makes, say a 5 or 6 page appearance. Characters that make a more prominent impact throughout the story get to be more rounded. But that doesn’t mean “lesser characters”, for lack of a better term, don’t make an impression. It is that impression that I rely on to reintroduce them into the continuing story.

I’m no longer a spring chicken as it were.  And I naturally write from a place of life experience. My main characters have been around for a bit as well in their own universe.  They’ve rotated  in and out of enough relationships to create friends, enemies, rivals, as well as conundrums that remain unsettled.

That’s what gives the story its richness, like flavors that build up in a stew.  Life simmers on, and sometimes old crap bubbles up from the bottom. You have to deal with it in whatever form it presents itself. Bernice is probably not thrilled with that. Her creator is having a blast!

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