Where my Characters lead me

What an interesting journey writing my stories has been. When I started, I thought that I would have a plot, and some characters. A story to tell, and I would tell it.

That is not at all how this adventure has worked. My characters lead me through my stories. They demand to be more than I initially imagined them to be. They take the stories in directions I never imagined.

Two of the main characters in the Bayou Beni series, Bessie Chauvin and Sister Dorothy Murphy, were supposed to be side characters in one book.

Instead they are pivotal characters in all of the Bayou Beni books. And I know my books would not be anywhere near as good without them.

I sometimes feel that my characters are using me to tell their stories, rather than me using my characters to tell my stories.

Sometimes a character will make an observation that helps me see things differently than I have ever seen them before.

I feel like my characters help me to grow in compassion and understanding as they show me different perspectives on the world.

I hope they can do that for my readers too.