The Deadly Vixens is pleased to welcome Vivienne Westlake! Thanks so much for joining us this week Vivienne. We're thrilled to have you with us. And without further ado...
Villains...or the Case of the Ex
First, let me thank the wonderful ladies of Deadly Vixens for letting me blog this week. And, a special thanks to Sierra who was there with me when I was doing a mad dash to finish my novella, Secrets Uncovered.
Now, on to the juicy stuff...
I had a thought this morning. How much do villains resemble ex boyfriends or guys we've dated?
I thought about Fergus, the dead philandering husband of my heroine in Secrets Uncovered. While Fergus is much worse than my particular ex-boyfriend--whom we'll call Adam, after the first man--Fergus' height, coloring, and general features greatly resemble Adam's. And, while my ex didn't have three other wives (that I know of), Adam sure had a habit of disappearing and reappearing at will, just like my heroine's first husband.
I didn't consciously set out to turn my ex into a character. Nor did I set out to kill him before the book began. But, the subconscious mind is a powerful thing and it sort of happened anyway. Perhaps it's writer's revenge. A long time ago, I read a quote by Gloria Anzaldua that said, "The world I create in writing compensates for what the real world doesn't give me." While the quote was not exactly intended in this way, it makes sense here.
So, I'd like to know, has anyone else either consciously or unconsciously made an ex boyfriend the loose inspiration for a character or certain traits of a character? Feel free to dish. I won't tell if you won't.
Vivienne Westlake Romance
History Has Never Been Hotter
www.viviennewestlake.com
My Blog * Myspace
Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Villains...or the Case of the Ex
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10 deadly screams:
This is hilarious Vivienne, because I just posted a similar question on the message boards at Romance Divas. I wanted to know how many real people others have killed off in their novels. I haven't done it yet personally, but I've thought about it. I can't wait to find out what kind of responses you get.
Thanks so much for blogging with us today. I loved your post. Hope to have you back again sometime.
Hi Vivienne!
Funny you should mention this. It's not x boyfriends who show up in my books. It's x bosses! LOL. Seriously I'm dying to figure a way to get an x boss into a story line. I once read a book by Sherrilyn Kenyon and I swear she had actually interviewed people about one boss I had. LOL. Ever since then I keep thinking how kewl it would be to put a boss in a book.
Great Blog Vivienne. I'm not a writer but Sierra invited me over from Facebook. IF I was a writer I'd probably go with Teresa's way of thinking - and write about some bosses I've had in my past. It would give me great satisfaction to kill them off in some horrible death scene in the second chapter.
I'm looking forward to reading Secrets Uncovered.
I haven't so far, although acquaintances have made cameo appearances. I never tell, but I don't they'd recognize themselves anyway. Actually, I think it would be a great form of therapy!
Hmmm...I may have worked out some of my issues in my stories. Using exes personality traits, or general feautures for dramatic effect (or comedic).
Hi, Vivienne! Thank you for blogging with us today. This was a great topic and fun to read.
In answer to your question, absolutely yes! I've intentionally patterned people in my books after characteristics and personalities of other people. I have even closely named some of them to their real names. I've not killed any of them off though.
Great topic!
Thanks everybody for commenting. I like Teresa's idea of using ex-bosses. I have had some crazy working environments in the past which might make for great fodder for a future book. Some of my jobs have featured very eccentric personalities, so that could work...
I absolutely agree. Teresa's idea is a keeper, LOL. I've had several bosses I'd like to use.
OMG:) Well, first of all there's Matt (Love Finds a Way), who bears a faint resemblance to my own AF officer; Joe (Love the Second Time Around), which was sort of self-therapy while writing him; Kyle (Forbidden Love) is a mix of 3 men I used to date; and my current Alpha Male is based on The One That Got Away...oh, and my hubby is loosely represented all over the place as well. His personality can be found in Troy (LTSTA); an unnamed character in Love is Sober; as well as many others too numerous to mention.
Wow, Molly! You must have had some interesting boyfriends. My relationship history hasn't been exciting enough to span several books. But, writing is a great form of therapy. Better that the exes show up on the page than interfere in real life!
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