I thought I had booked three nights in an Airbnb in Dubrovnik. It turned out I had only booked two. After searching the internet I couldn’t find accommodation for another night. The I remembered our taxi driver. When we arrived by boat in the harbor, he asked if we need a ride and we accepted. He not only took us to our booking but also helped lug our suitcases up a series of steps to get to it. I still had his card and gave him a call. Thankfully, he kindly offered us a room almost directly opposite an entrance to Dubrovnik old town. My wife and I had a great conversation with our host and discovered that he dived for squid and supplied it to many restaurants. Which is why he was perfect for another character in my book – Nikolai:
[Maria was unaware of Nikolai’s clandestine work. She put his secrecy down to the fact that he grew up without a father figure and had developed a tough shell around his working life. Her heart yearned for more affection from a husband who was too deep to fathom.
Nikolai had secrets and loved the outdoors and the sea. His broad shoulders and powerful legs helped him snorkel and free dive for underwater delicacies. He was a dark, leather-skinned Croatian who knew every reef and rock pool along the rugged coast, and where to catch good squid and lobster. The best restaurants paid him well for his fresh seafood.]
It’s always fun to draw on our relationships for character development.
Here’s a question I have to ask myself often—how well do I know my characters? Yes, I can describe them (features like hair, makeup, dress, etc.) but do I really know them? A few years ago I met a long-lost half-brother. We talked and he was quiet, reflecting on a father he hardly knew. But, I never understood him until he told me about a letter he had written to his father. The response he got, and the way he reacted, gave me clues about the depth of his feelings. When I saw my half-brother walk away, he had the same gait as my father and my eyes were opened fully to his character. In writing, there is that elusive search to reveal a character by his or her actions, rather than through description. They give away their true identity with a gesture, body position, speech and response. In my latest novel, many of my characters are build upon people I know quite well, but others have to be fabricated from observations, etc. My goal is to have none of my characters appear flat (as in this cartoon). And, here’s a secret, one of the key characters in my book is a little like me—Oh, very well, a lot like me!