2004 Romance Author Roundtable

2. AOTW: Many of you write with recurring characters in your stories. How do you keep track of what your characters have done to ensure that your storyline stays true?

Jill Marie Landis: I've written recurring characters in Lover's Lane, the upcoming Heat Wave (Ballantine/May) and a third contemporary due out in 2005, as well as in my connected historicals.

Since most of them are on center stage for one book and then only make cameo appearances in each other's books, it's pretty simple. I just go back into the book in which a character was the hero or heroine to make certain I keep their same personality traits and descriptions. Their lives pick up pretty much where they left off --- when their own "happy ending" was resolved.

Though characters and settings may recur, I like to make certain each book stands alone, so that they don't necessarily have to be read in order. That way a reader doesn't have to worry that if she didn't read book one, she can't start the series unless she finds the first book. She can read them out of order and still enjoy them.

Kimberly Raye: I use very detailed character charts for each character that lists everything from physical description to emotional background, personal goals to unique personality traits. Each character also has a mission statement, so to speak, that outlines the problem they are facing at the beginning of the story and how they will grow and evolve throughout the book to overcome that problem. I do charts for all of my characters and constantly refer to them while working on a book. These are usually enough to keep me on track when I'm writing recurring characters in connected books.

Mary Balogh: I keep lists of characters and places and key descriptions. But on the whole I am a "head" person --- I keep everything stored in my brain. If I am not sure of a detail, then I have to go rummaging through the previous books to check. But it is, of course, hugely important to keep the details consistent. My books Slightly Tempted and Slightly Sinful not only are related but also run concurrently. I had to get both plots and sets of characters to converge at a certain time and a certain place (the same scene occurs close to the end of both books). That meant keeping very detailed time lines for each book. I did not want one group arriving at the appointed place a whole month ahead of the other group! It was tricky --- but part of a writer's job is to be able to pull off these things. It is part of the fascination of the job!

Susan Crandall: I'd love to say that I, of course, remember every detail of every character I've written. However, since I have trouble remembering where I put my glasses, I'll have to be truthful. I use a cheat sheet. For every book I write, I have a spiral-bound steno pad. One section is dedicated to characters, physical description, life background and personality details. This includes my secondary characters. There's nothing more disconcerting than old Mrs. Morrison having lively blue eyes in one chapter and warm brown eyes in another. (Not that this has ever happened to me and had to be caught by an eagle-eyed copy editor or anything.)

Karen Rose: A couple of ways. First, I'll normally write a small backstory on each major and significant secondary character before I start writing the book. I also keep little lists on some of the characters --- you know, favorite food, city of birth, number of siblings, favorite sports team, where they went to college. But mostly, the characters become real people to me and one is as unique as the people you meet on the street or at your job. What they've done in each book becomes part of my memory, just like anyone else I've met. I must admit this sometimes worries my husband, who feels compelled to remind me that, "These aren't real people, Karen." But they are, in their own way. They have to be, or nothing they do is believable.

Lisa Kleypas: It's all in my head. So much of my characterization depends on past events that have shaped my hero and heroine's personalities, and this is true of my minor characters as well. Whenever I think about a character I've created, his or her past history is fixed firmly in my mind, and that gives me the freedom to go on to new possibilities in the storyline.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Savvy authors start a chronology at the very beginning. Those of us who stumble into writing a series rely on our readers, who remember everything. My favorite research tool is the bulletin board on my web site. If I need a detail from one of my older Chicago Stars books and I don't want to interrupt my writing flow to look it up, I'll post a question and, within an hour, someone will reply. Here's what's scary. When I double check, they're always right.

Jane Feather: I keep re-reading the manuscript as I work. I start the day by reading yesterday's product and editing as necessary, and end the day in the same way. All in all I must read every chapter several times over before it gets printed out.

Lisa Jackson: That's always a challenge! I keep a character roster for all my books, which includes excerpts from the original book where I introduced the characters. I think if you really get into a character's head, staying true comes naturally.

Nicole Jordan: Most of my recurring characters are past heroes and heroines, so I know them pretty well --- they're almost like real people to me. Otherwise, for my series characters, I keep a file of pertinent information. And I often find myself referring back to previous books to make certain I'm consistent.

Linda Francis Lee: Keeping notes and detailed lists have saved me more than once. However, the most difficult job comes about when you write a book without a thought to a secondary character having a book of his or her own. There's nothing harder (and sometimes more fun) than having to redeem or forgive some character's unfortunate misdeeds in a previous book.

Laura Lee Guhrke: My latest release, Guilty Pleasures, is the first I have ever done that has secondary characters who will have their own stories later on. As I wrote the second manuscript, I often went back through Guilty Pleasures, reading the scenes that involved the characters in the new book. I also keep notes on each character.

Linda Lael Miller: I keep extensive notes and reread previous books in the series to pick up loose threads. I have my assistant read for contradictions, errors, etc. and, of course, my editor has a hand in the process, too. For all that, I STILL miss things now and then.

Beverly Jenkins: I'm in the process of working on a historical that will be based in the fictional town of Henry Adams, KS where my first book, Night Song, took place. Night Song was published by Avon in 1994, so I'm rereading it in order to reacquaint myself with the people and places.

Judi McCoy: Notes. Scads and scads of notes. Plus, I try to make even the most minor character special, so that each has a unique and unforgettable quality.

Cherry Adair: I keep extensive notes on each character, how they connect, and their relationship to my other characters.

Stephanie Bond: My books I Think I Love You and Kill the Competition were only loosely connected, but yes, I keep notes on overlapping elements. In my May 2004 release, Party Crashers, readers will see the return of the detectives who investigated the crime in Kill the Competition, but they remain secondary characters. That's my way of giving my regular readers a little treat because they'll recognize the connection where a casual reader might not.