The People Who Live in My Head

Join me tomorrow eveing for the All In launch party

My dear friend Sonja Akins from South Carolina asked,
“Joanna, where do you get these authentic pictures of your characters? They’re just perfect.”

At the risk of giving away all my secrets… ahem… it’s a gift.

Real-er and Real-er

The more I work with my characters, the clearer they become in my head. They grow real to me. As I write, I see them. That’s one reason I hate writing when anyone else is around me. It’s a sacred bond I have with these imaginary people.

Elizabeth Bowen said, “Characters are not created by writers. They pre-exist and have to be found.”

Inspired by my son

Gordie is, in part, my son Michael, at a younger age. I remember coming home to a stack of pots in the kitchen. All were smeared with stuck-on macaroni and cheese. Bless him. He’d tried to make it for himself but dramatically underestimated how long pasta needed to boil.

Michael and me.

Michael has always been a fierce advocate for himself and his friends. Once he wrote a friend’s mother a long, courteous letter pleading the friend’s case: the mother had bought her son a video game but locked it in a closet until his birthday. Michael asked her to imagine the boy’s agony knowing it was just sitting there. He ended by assuring her the child would still grow up to be a “useful citizen.”

Start at the beginning for best results

That’s why starting at the beginning of a series matters. Characters grow richer over time, and so does my understanding of them.

If you want to meet Kiki at the beginning, start with Paper, Scissors, Death:
https://amzn.to/49PYVVH

Every book in the series stands alone. But with each story, I dig deeper. I feel what my characters feel. Most of us argue with ourselves — our better angels versus our baser instincts. None of us are 100% good or bad. We’re all a jumble of impulses, struggling. That’s what makes characters real.

I hope you’ll pre-order your copy of All In today. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4rsjTQC

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🎉 Launch Party Invitation!

Come party with me and my husband David! We’re celebrating the release of All In:

https://amzn.to/4rsjTQC

David will be joining remotely, and we’re going to talk about what it was like writing a book together across time zones — including the part where he was flying to California brainstorming scenes mid-trip. Apparently remodeling a house isn’t the only thing couples survive… writing a novel together should be added to the list.

We’ll share behind-the-scenes stories, answer questions, and celebrate with the people who made this book possible: you.

If you’ve already grabbed your copy, bring it.
If you’re planning to make a purchase, tomorrow’s the perfect night. (David will be giddy with excitement!)
If you just want to hang out and celebrate, that’s reason enough.

This is the party place:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785

See you Saturday night at 8 p.m. EST.
— Love, Joanna