Character Flaws
If I think about my favorite characters, whether from books,
television shows, or movies, I find that they usually have something in common:
I have a soft spot for flawed characters.
Now, that doesn’t mean that I have a thing for jerky guys or
bratty girls. But I also find myself pretty much automatically turned off if a
character is too perfect. For me,
there needs to be a balance. Too many flaws and a character comes across as
nasty or hopeless. But no flaws? Chances are I’ll tune right out, assuming the
character is a bland goodie-two-shoes. A good balance, on the other hand, makes
a character relatable. More interesting. The kind of person I want to root for.
The Notebook is
one of my favorite movies of all time. Duh, right? Ryan Gosling is totally
swoon-worthy as Noah Calhoun. Noah’s relationship with Allie (played by Rachel
McAdams) is pretty much perfect—even though neither character is perfect. Allie is spoiled and really hot-headed. Noah
is arrogant and has a temper to match Allie’s. The two fight like crazy (but
isn’t it the best when they make up?). I think those flaws make the characters
more interesting, more relatable. And I absolutely love how they make each
other better. Isn’t that the hallmark of a great love story?
The characters in my new novel,
Escape in You, are definitely flawed. Both Jet Taylor and Zoe Janes
are hiding things about their pasts
. They both deal with
a lot of pain in their home lives. And, over the years, both have escaped their
pain through alcohol, fighting, partying, and meaningless sex. They’ve hurt
people who care about them and hurt themselves even more. But, as their
relationship grows, they make each other better. Both become calmer. Less
volatile. Stronger. Falling in love makes them realize how much they’ve been
missing by hiding from life. My hope is that readers will enjoy watching them
change and grow and fall in love—and will appreciate their imperfections just
as much as I do.
What was your
inspiration for writing Escape In You?
I was walking my dog, Lucy, through a wooded area by my house when I saw a
couple sitting on a fallen log off the path. The girl had her head on the boy’s
shoulder and both had their eyes closed. There was something sad about them,
but they also seemed insulated in each other, like the rest of the world
couldn’t bother them when they were together. They stuck in my mind, and even
though I never saw them again, they wouldn’t leave my head. From then on,
anytime I walked Lucy in those woods I would imagine a love story for that
couple. When I finally sat down to write Zoe Janes and Jet Taylor’s story, I
had the entire thing planned out to the last detail.
What can you tell us
about Zoe? Zoe is a girl who has had to go through a lot of changes in her
life. There was a time when Zoe was your typical high school student—she got
good grades, had lots of friends, and gossiped with her mom about cute boys
after school. All of that changed for Zoe when her mom started to have issues.
She had to move, she lost her friends, members of her family, and her dreams
for the future. By the time she meets Jet Taylor, Zoe feels very trapped in her
life. She parties a lot as a way to escape but she doesn’t think long-term
freedom will ever be possible for her. Even with all of these hardships, Zoe is
really loyal to her friends and her mother. She comes across as a bit of a
badass, and she really is very strong, but she shows Taylor a more vulnerable
side.
What’s the deal with
Jet? Why does Zoe call him Taylor? How many names does that kid have, anyhow?
Taylor does seem to have a lot of names, LOL! Different people call him
different things, and you can actually tell a lot about his relationships by
what he’s called. His full name is Jeremy Edward Taylor. The people who have
known him the longest, like his parents, still call him Jeremy. It represents
his past, before things got messed up in his life. Jet, on the other hand, is a
high school nickname given to him based on his initials and his speed on the
baseball diamond. By the time he meets Zoe, Jet
has become a bit of an illusion. He’s not that person anymore. He recommends
Zoe call him by his last name, Taylor, and she’s the only one who does so. This
is important, because Zoe is also the only one who really sees Taylor for who
he is.
Can you give us five
random facts about Escape In You? I
like random facts! Here we go:
1.
This is my ninth book! I
also wrote it faster than any other book I’ve ever written. By the time I
started writing I knew exactly how
the story would go. That never happens to me!
2.
This is the first book I’ve
written without a cameo from one of my Three
Girl characters (the Three Girls
are from a chick lit series I wrote). I decided since Escape In You feels so different from my chick-lit books, I would
keep the Three Girls separate. In the
end, I kind of missed having them pop up.
3.
This is the first book
where I’ve based a character on someone I know in real life. Don’t worry, it’s
a small part and he said it was okay!
4.
I may or may not have a
huge crush on Taylor’s friend, Fred. I have an entire backstory for him planned
out that didn’t make the book. I might have to revisit that someday…
5.
Ellie’s reaction to the
roller coasters in the Cedar Point scene is pretty much the same as mine. I’m terrified of heights. I actually like
roller coasters, but only once they start to go downhill. The whole way up I’m
a huge mess.
