Character Continuity: What the Heck
was I Thinking?!
One of my biggest pet
peeves is a lack of character continuity in a series. Nothing throws me out of
a story as fast as a character who acts completely at odds with who he or she
is supposed to be, and for no real reason. A character who is set up to act one
way in Book One shouldn't act a completely different way in Book Two unless
there's a good reason. Character growth should be gradual. In a good story,
it's also reasonable and generally provoked by the internal and external
conflicts that particular character is required to deal with. If there's not a
valid reason for a character to flip a behavioral switch, the integrity of the
story becomes eroded, leaving readers wondering what the heck happened and why.
But ensuring character
continuity is not always so easily done!
I began writing FADE, the
first book the Ragnarök Prophesies series, seven years ago. I didn't really
start working on book two, FALL, until 2012. I grew during the six years in
between, and so did our main characters, Arionna Jacobs and Dace Matthews. That
meant we all had to strip away so much of that growth and go back to the
beginning. I had to relearn who these characters are and what motivates them. I
also had to make sure they grew from FADE, but not quite so far as they had in
my head in the last seven years.
As my beta team can
attest, that was a nightmare for all of us at times. I wrote, rewrote, and then
tore it up and started over so many times, they were ready to mutiny. I'm
serious! They were one email away from killing me in my sleep.
On top of that, Arionna
and Dace are in a unique position in that they share their souls with these
mythic wolves, Geri and Freki, who have their own personalities, their own
experiences, and their own way of dealing with all the sad and scary things
happening in their world. Their motivations sometimes bleed over for Ari and
Dace, meaning I had to find a way to make that work while still ensuring they
were their own separate entities.
To do so, I'd spend a
little time writing short pieces from different perspectives. How would the
wolves cope with X if they were in charge? How would Ari deal with Y if she was
forced into the back seat for a while? What would Dace do if Geri wasn't there?
This exercise allowed me to get to know all my characters better, which helped
me stay true to them while still letting those necessary bits bleed through.
Granted, that was
frequently harder said than done, but I have to confess I'm pretty pleased with
the outcome. Despite the six year gap in writing and the extraordinary
situation they find themselves in, FALL sees Ari and Dace grow in a way that's true
to who they were when FADE ended. And I now get to dive into the third book,
FLAME, feeling as if no time at all has passed since I began writing their
story so long ago.
I just love that because
I have no idea what I was thinking
waiting so long between stories! :)
BLURB: How do you save someone who doesn't want to be
saved?
Those called to stand
guard against the end are broken, and Sköll and Hati run free. Now Arionna
Jacobs and Dace Matthews face a threat unlike any before. Ragnarök is coming
and they aren't strong enough to stop it.
Arionna thought she understood
sacrifice, but she never counted on her destiny tearing Dace apart. Ever since
she nearly died, he has been consumed with guilt. Now it threatens to turn him
into the monster he always feared.
It's up to Arionna to
stop him before it's too late, but the path to hell is paved with good
intentions, and Dace is hurtling toward self destruction. This time, Arionna
isn't sure she can save him from himself. Can she convince him to let the past
go, or is her true destiny to sacrifice her heart in exchange for the lives of
the people she loves?
You can read the official
prologue to FALL here.
FALL
– The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book Two
will be available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble on October 5, 2013 from
Curiosity Quills Press. FADE – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book One is
available now at Amazon
US, Barnes
and Noble, and Kobo.
Blog Tour Giveaway:
About the Author:
A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas
with her husband, three dogs, and demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in
Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world some day. When she’s not
writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause
mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork
army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.
