Becoming Emotionally Involved with Characters

 By Alyssa J. Montgomery

Well, it's a wrap! The third book in my Hope Creek Series - Now and Always in Hope Creek - has been released today. 

But, after the champagne cork has popped - and even while the messages of congratulations are being received - I confess that I'm feeling a little flat. 

"Why?" 

It's simple. I've spent so long with these characters - learning who they are and watching their stories unfold, that I've formed a real connection with them and now I'm going to miss them.

Below: The Richardson Family (AI image)

While I've been writing their stories (and you'll note I write 'their stories' not 'my stories') I've become deeply invested in them and formed an attachment to them. I've understood their fears, shared their triumphs, worried over their struggles, rooted for them and cried at their heartaches. I've been on an emotional roller coaster ride with them as each drama in their lives has unfolded. And ... the heroes have definitely claimed a piece of my heart. (Insert swoon here.)

How much attachment is good and how much is unhealthy? There are a number of articles on the internet about the dangers of authors forming deep attachments to their characters.

Above: Morgan, Matt, Stella, Mitch & Kade (and Jax the dog)
Callie, baby Rory and Jack; Jim and Margaret and Blue 

How deep is too deep? One of the pitfalls of caring too much would be if the author refused to let their character suffer or intervened in the course of the story to alter the character's fate. 

Yes, I speak as though the characters' futures are pre-ordained. I generally feel that way - as though I'm merely a scribe channelling their story. Sometimes, I'm even surprised at a turn of events that I didn't see coming, but if disaster is about to strike, I don't stop it from happening. 

I quote cmbel2005 from a reddit.com web page who wrote:

    "Fictional characters are incorporeal. Inanimate. They don't exist. To develop emotional feelings with them to the point of debasing the story is a failure in my opinion."

I think the crucial words here are 'to the point of debasing the story' because romance writers know how important it is to let the characters draw out every possible emotion in the reader. Without feeling all the varying emotions, would we care about the outcome of the story? Would we keep reading?

Have you heard authors referring to their stories as their 'book babies'? 

I think I understand what cmbel2005 is saying - up to a point.  Authors shouldn't be like overbearing mothers who can't let their characters develop. We shouldn't avoid relationship breakups or situations that hurt our characters because it might save their feelings but it will detract from the depth of the story. Characters must experience all the highs and lows of life so they're more relatable. In fact, I think it takes skill for an author to learn about their characters and make them leap off the page as though they're real life people. It takes skill and effort to make our readers care so much about fictional characters. 

I confess that I have been missing the Richardson clan from Hope Creek, and I've taken great joy in using ChatGTP to create some images of the family. I told myself it was to build the hype around the release - strictly intended for promotion purposes only - but wow it was amazing to see my characters coming to life in images that were straight out of the storylines.

What do you think? Is that taking attachment to characters a bit too far? It might be, because like a proud mum, right now I feel the need to share some of those images from the Richardson's family photo album with you! (Like Grandma's Brag Book). I like my characters so much, I want you to get to know them and be invested in them too!

Above: Morgan, Stella, Margaret, Jim and Callie (AI Images)

Below: Margaret and Jim Richardson of Hope Creek Station

Below: The Richardson Clan gathers for one of Margaret's famous home cooked meals.

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I'm sure that as romance readers, you've formed attachments to characters you've read about. I'd love to know which characters have stayed in your mind and what is it about them or their situation that's made you feel that emotional attachment? 

Love to Learn: About how other authors feel about their characters and how real their characters feel to them.

Love to Laugh: At the fact that I really may have become too involved with these characters - although having said that, I have moved on to write the first book of a new series and there are no Richardsons in sight!

Love to Love: Starting each story or series and making connections with the characters and knowing I'm going to enjoy their journey through the ups and downs of life.