Eliza Gayle » Blog Archive » Snippet Saturday

It’s that time again and this week it’s all about characters. Whether it be character sketches, interviews or an excerpt that gives you insight into a character.

I’ve decided to give you a little insight into my process.

When a book idea grabs me and demands to be written I generally start with that theme and begin to mull characters that might fit into the story. Before I can ever get to know them I have to name them. Kind of like most of us do when we have kids. Once named I sit down with a pad of paper and start jotting down notes asking myself Who is the heroine? and Who is the hero?. Sometimes I consider careers but more often I focus on how a characters attitude got shaped which leads me down the path of their family and friends. What makes the character strong and what makes them weak. Or in some cases, especially short stories, it’s mainly about what is about to happen in this story along with a little backstory.

I usually end up with a page or so about each character that I use to guide much of the story. I’m not at home today and the only characters I have with me are for books that are being written or have not yet been published. (I have far too many notebooks and folders floating around my office) I do however have a character sheet for release coming out next week, Watch Me Hide. So if you are curious for more you wont have to wait long.

So…Who is the heroine?

Emerson is young, early twenties and fresh out of college. She has brown hair and blue eyes with a slight build but is a plain jane. No one ever notices her until one night she follows her crush to a club called Purgatory and discovers his secrets. After a week of planning, Emerson dons a leather costume she bought online complete with leather mask. She enters the fetish club and embarks on a journey she never expected and learns in costume she can become the woman she’s dreamed of. The exhibitionist she never knew she wanted to be. Now she’s ready to take the next step.

So there you have it. When I sat down to write the story of Emerson and Rio, I only had the above to go on. Yes, I did have to condense it a little so as not to give away too much about the story, but only a couple of sentences.

Watch Me Hide will be out August 24th with Phaze Books.