Have you ever seen someone in real life who is the character in some book you’ve read? Or, if you’re a writer have you ever seen one of your characters show up in flesh and blood right in front of you?
We were having lunch a Mexican speedy, but not fast food place when I noticed a blond woman sitting alone in the booth behind us. She was eating the chips that come with everything and seemed to be reading something. For some reason when she got up to go to the salsa bar for a refill, my gaze was drawn to her. She was nicely dressed in dark medium brown slacks and a rust colored sweater. It wasn’t the clothes that caught my eye. It was her belt. It was big and brown and featured a holster with a gun. As she leaned over the salsa bar, I caught sight of the handcuffs and some other little compartments on the belt.
She might have been a little older than my character, but she was definitely Detective Heather from the crochet mysteries.
It was hard not to stare when she sat down with her salsa. I wanted to ask her a million questions about what it was like to be her. Of course, I didn’t. How crazy would I have looked if I slipped her a bookmark and said she seemed just like a character in the books I write? Sometimes you have to look at it from the other person’s point of view. Like the time I went into the sheriff’s station on Catalina and when they asked if they could help me, I started explaining about the book I was writing and how it took place on Catalina and I was curious about their jail cells. Did I mention I was wearing a hat from the Oprah show and sun glasses and a whole lot of bracelets? The female sheriff eyed me suspiciously and pretty much blew me off. Looking back on the episode I can see where I came across as a little odd.
So while the blond woman with the fine features was Detective Heather as far as I was concerned, I kept it to myself.
No surprise, when she left she got into a black Crown Victoria just like the one Detective Heather drives.
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8 comments:
I've not quite had anything like that happen. But I was driving past Mrs. Rowe's house one day--she's the woman I wrote cookbooks about--and realized that she was a lot like Beatrice, one of my main characters in SCRAPBOOK OF SHADOWS. I hadn't realized that at all when I was writing her. Beatrice is a physicist; Mrs. Rowe was a cook and restaurant owner. But their personalities are similar. ;-)
Mollie, it makes sense that we'd use the personalities of people we encounter even if we don't realize it.
I've never met one of my characters, exactly, Betty, although there are times I will pattern someone after a person I know... even myself! I have a lot in common with Kendra Ballantyne in particular. My pet-sitter mystery protagonist lives in my neighborhood, is a lawyer by background, and has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lexie. Her successor protagonist, Lauren Vancouver, from my Pet Rescue Mysteries, also shares things in common with me--like loving pets and wanting to save them all.
I think you should have approached her, Betty. I bet she would have loved talking with you!
Linda, I know what you mean. Molly's house has a striking resemblance to mine.
Joanna, if I see her again at the Mexican place maybe I will. A lot of cops like to eat there.
They are usually very happy to chat with mystery authors.
I think it would be great fun to have an author approach me and tell me I look exactly like one of the characters in her book. Of course, I would hope the character wasn't a wicked witch.
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