Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Monica: Sometimes. It depends on the book. Some of my characters are more open than others. Devlyn from Love’s Revenge (in the Forbidden Pleasures anthology) has been the most outspoken of all my heroes. Probably because he’s an in-your-face alpha. He doesn’t care what people think about him. Morgan from Love’s Portrait was a bit more reserved, but he too showed up to speak his mind just the other day. I was reviewing sample bookmarks from my vendor, and they were so totally unhappy with the design they were growling like two bears. Usually, the characters don’t show to comment on my marketing items, but these two guys were unbelievable. One of them growled that he wasn’t a zebra (there were white swirls on black for the first design). Then Morgan complained about the color background and how it was too reddish brown. These two hammered away at me and my vendor until I opened up the final sample and it was like having a freaking orgasm. The guys were shouting with lots of gusto and I was drooling. So yes, my characters do come alive, and they stay with me. There’s no one certain point in time that it happens. At least not that I can tell. It’s sort of like a one day they’re not there and then the next day, poof! There they are.
Oh, I simply love this. Characters do care what happens to them, yet I'd never considered they might be concerned with their own marketing. How interesting.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Monica: Most of my stories are from my dreams. In truth, I believe I’m seeing scenes from past lives I’ve lived or that I’m tapping into the thoughts of others in the universe when I dream. I’m very lucky that I remember most of my dreams. Not everyone has that. I still remember a dream I had when I was about 14 or 15. It ran for two nights straight, took place in the late 1800s on a train with a villain shooting the hero. Really potent stuff. *grin* I still haven’t written that dream yet, but I’m betting it’s coming.
How wonderful to remember your dreams. They can be such slippery wisps at times.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Monica: Well, I was a pretty unique kid. Not many 12-year-olds read Edgar Cayce for pleasure reading. LOL But I did read a lot of the classics, thanks to my wonderful maternal grandmother. The woman gave us books for presents and they were all the great classics. She’s the one who got me hooked on the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Three Musketeers. Great romantic adventures.
She sounds like an absolutely wonderful Grandmother! We should raise our glasses to the Grandmothers of the world who encourage stories and imagination!
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Monica: Dream it, believe it, achieve it. That’s one of my mottos. It means that whatever I imagine, as long as I believe in it, I can achieve it. There are no limits. The universe might be shrinking in on itself, but the final collapse is so far away as to be almost infinite, so holding back is of no value to anyone, especially ones self. Imagine yourself a bird flying over a couple walking along a beach. Imagine what they’re saying to each other. Imagine what will happen when drop your load on them. LOL Just imagine it, and you’ll do it.
Monica, that is such a lovely motto and one to post by our computers as we write. Thank you for joining us here to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. To learn more visit www.monicaburns.com
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