WHAT DRAWS ME TO MY
CHARACTERS?
I have been invited to reflect on my latest work and to write
about what draws me to these characters. As both my murder mysteries, Femme Noir and Kiss of Noir, are now on Bold Strokes Books’ backlist, I will
discuss works in progress.
Murder on the Rocks is a murder mystery that takes place in Tulsa during a
catastrophic ice storm and the protagonist, Jill Rogers, is a seasoned
detective who must work against crime and the elements.
What attracts me to this character is that she’s brave to the
point of foolishness, good-hearted, gritty, mouthy, sexy, funny and irreverent.
If she took herself or her job too seriously, I would first humiliate her and
then have her killed. Sophie, Jill’s hot and cold love interest, would probably
applaud that.
I create characters about whom I feel strongly. I never put
someone into the story and think, “meh.” I love them’ I have them; I admire
them; I want to punish or reward them. Sometimes even save them. When I wrote
the scene in Kiss of Noir in which
Cleo Sweetleaf got fatally shot, I cried and was upset the rest of the day. But
Cleo was fine about it. He knew it was coming and was at peace.
Frequently (and I’ll deny this in a court of law), I’ll base
characters on real people without their knowledge. So don’t piss me off unless
you don’t mind showing up in a novel as a whiny, stupid, bag of slop with a
teeny weenie.
In my other work in progress, At My Mother’s Table, it is a coming-of-age story, so the
protagonists are children. I am drawn to creating very strong kid characters
because of their play ethic and accurate world view. When something is not fair, it really isn’t. And sorry
kid, no justice for you; maturity is when you can suck it up, tolerate and
accept the dozens of not fairs that
happen on a daily.
I enjoy writing from a child’s perspective-it comes easily to
me because I don’t think we ever grow up. Our bodies change and we’re able to
force ourselves to play house full-time, but inside each, we’re still the
lonely kid on the playground with the weird lunch and high waters. It’s just a
bigger playground. When my father returned from attending his 60th
high school reunion, I asked his opinion of his remaining classmates. He said,
“They’re just like they used to be; only more so.”
There. Even at age eighty, you’ll still be that same kid.
Clara Nipper writes fiction and
blogs-www.claranipper.org. When not writing, she makes desserts,
www.andyscandies.biz and enlarges her certified wildlife habitat gardens. Her
two murder mysteries (Femme Noir and Kiss of Noir) have been published by Bold Strokes Books and are available at
their website: www.boldstrokesbooks.com
and on Amazon.com. She is a contributor to local publications: This Land Press www.thilsandpress.com and the Tulsa
Voice. Clara also skates for Tulsa Derby League under the derby name Cat Owta
Hell. With two Rollercons, countless clinics and boot camps under her jamming
belt, it is safe to say it’s derby until death for this Jammer Assassin.
Outside the rink, she has had roller derby articles published in Five on Five Magazine-www.fiveonfivemag.com,
Hit and Miss Magazine-www.hitandmissmagazine.com.au/, USARS Magazine, Lead
Jammer Magazine- www.leadjammermag.com, Blood and Thunder and Derbylife.com. Currently, her works in
progress are two coming of age novels and another Tulsa-based murder mystery
entitled, Murder on the Rocks. Find Clara at her website, on Facebook, Twitter
(@mindybendy), Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Linked In, Amazon Author Pages,
Good Reads, Derby Social, Word Press and at the farmer’s market.
Facebook.com/clara.nipper and
facebook.com/pages/cat-owta-hell
Twitter: @mindybendy, Good Reads: claranipper
Instagram: claranipper, Pinterest:
pinterest.com/catowtahell/
Tumblr: Catowtahell, Linked In: Clara Nipper
Derby Social: Cat Owta Hell, Wordpress.com: Clara Nipper
Amazon Author Pages: amazon.com/claranipper, amazon.com/author/www.claranipper.org
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