Welcome to a stop on the Absolutely Erotic Blog Hop, where we’re showcasing erotica and
erotic romance authors from the Absolute Write forums. Each day, interviews will be posted,
and when it’s all said and done, some lucky commenter will win a huge prize! Click here for the entire blog schedule and details about the contents of the prize, and how to win an armload of ebooks, a $25 Amazon gift card, and more.
Today, I’m hosting Charley Descoteaux.
Thanks for having me, Thea!
A top question of a lot of aspiring writers is how to create characters the audience will be drawn to. So I’ll start out by asking – what makes a character compelling?
I’m attracted to odd, offbeat characters. As a reader, if the main character is “typical” (unless
he’s a fire fighter—fire fighters are hot!), I usually start looking for a cool secondary character to follow through the story. When I’m writing I write the kind of character I’d like to read, they’re usually very flawed and maybe even broken, but hopeful.
Where do you get the names for your characters?
Anywhere and everywhere! Neil Sedwick, the main character in my summer release Directing Traffic, started telling me his story over breakfast while a Neil Sedaka song was playing. It’s probably not a coincidence that I’d recently re-read Holly Black’s Ironside! It’s not always so literal, though. I didn’t know Neil’s last name until his best friend called him Wicki. And Jake strolled into a story and introduced himself.
Inquiring minds must know – have you ever named a character after someone you knew?
Yes, but that story hasn’t been published (yet?). I named the fairy godmother character in a
modern fairy tale after my daughter. It seemed appropriate since she’s done a lot to help me with my writing—from talking about what makes a good story to reminding me to grocery shop!
Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your
imagination?
This is a hard one! I don’t want to sound too nuts, but for me it’s more like getting to know
a character than creating one. Ever since I can remember I’ve had a place in my head where they hang out and tell their stories. It started out as a beanbag chair in a paneled basement and somewhere along the way turned into a kitchen table—but it’s still the same space. I’ve learned to listen. And to resist the urge to change them too much, because when I do they have an irritating habit of disappearing. To answer your question, though, it’s a little of both. They come from some crazy hallway of my imagination, but I see people I know or have met in most of them.
Do you have a favorite character out of all the ones you’ve written? Why is he/she your favorite?
Sunny White. She’s Sam White’s mom, and the first character to ever surprise me with a twist as I was writing one of her stories. That turned out to be my first published story. No sex or romance, but it was the first time I really felt like a writer.
Who is your favorite fictional character of all time?
Every time I think about this question a different fictional character pops into my head.
Some days I lean toward Starfleet captains, others toward the loyal friends of tragic heroes
or flamboyant ladies who shamelessly work what they’ve got. Today, I’m leaning toward a
gunslinger: Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower series. Roland has just about everything I like in a character; he’s broken but not beaten, intensely loyal, and a great storyteller.
Let’s change gears a little – what do you think is sexy?
I’m usually not impressed by things that are easily quantified, which can be a drag. But I am
fond of tall women who wear engineer boots because they’re practical, and artsy men who aren’t afraid to wear bright colors. Sexy to me is something one-of-a-kind, someone who is so much themselves it’s impossible to say they remind you of someone else.
If one of your titles could be made into a movie, which would it be and who would play the lead roles?
Well, I’m usually most in love with the story I’ve just finished but right now I’m feeling it for
my upcoming release, A Sunday Kind of Love. It would be fun to make this movie, and not only because Ewan McGregor would be perfect to play Jake. I don’t know who would play Mason but it would be fun to bring in a bunch of handsome actors to see if they had chemistry with Mr. McGregor.
Oh, I agree. That would be fun. Along those lines – what’s the most romantic scene you’ve ever written?
A scene where my two main characters are discussing boundaries. It doesn’t sound as earth-shaking as a proposal but it was pivotal in their relationship. I knew it could be romantic and a hot little tease—which is a lot to expect from one short scene. Not easy! Hopefully you’ll be able to judge whether I got it right sometime soon.
Lastly, do you think anyone can write a novel? Why or why not?
Sure. Anyone who’s determined enough, or crazy enough, to sit down every day for weeks/
months/years and pour out their innermost thoughts/feelings/insecurities knowing they’re likely to be criticized and rejected. No sweat. 😉
Seriously, anyone who wants to write should try it and see if it’s for them. Not only novels—for some of us the sweet spot is a short story or novella. It all depends on how you’re wired, because a short story isn’t just a shorter novel, it’s a unique form and just as challenging. The variety of markets online is cool—both readers and writers can find just about anything they could ever want!
Thanks so much, Charley, for this informative interview!
Thank you for visiting this stop on the Absolutely Erotic Blog Hop! Please be sure to visit Charley tomorrow to read an interview with J.M. Keep, and comment for more chances to win the grand prize!
Rattle Charley’s cages—she’d love to hear from you!
Blog: http://cdescoteauxwrites.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharleyDescote
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/aqe7g7r
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/
e-mail: [email protected]
A Sunday Kind of Love will be released on June 9th, by Amber Allure.
Jake McKynnie, middle-aged jazz musician, has the chops to solo—in every sense of the word. He retreated into the music after his lover died which didn’t hurt his career but turned the rest of his life into a train wreck. DJ, the boy who calls him Dad, turns up the day after his high school graduation like a sucker punch from the past. Could their celebratory trip to the salon be the catalyst for Jake’s duet with the enigmatic stylist, Mason?
Until then, check out her debut, Comfort and Joy, M/M Erotic Romance, available now in all
formats from All Romance eBooks (Etopia Press).
Charley Descoteaux can’t remember a time when she didn’t have characters sharing her
headspace, because it probably doesn’t exist. She started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough, sometime around the third grade. Home is Portland, Oregon, where the weather is like your favorite hard-case writing buddy who won’t let you get away with taking too many days off, and in some places you can be as weird as you are without fear. As an out and proud bisexual and life-long weird-o, she thinks that last part is pretty cool.