When I first started these stories, I think I thought about character building in a very top-level, linear way, perhaps like all writers do at some point. Who is Fair Finley? What is her background? What does she want? What does she want that she doesn't yet know that she wants?
Fair is a very internally focused character at the start of the stories. She lives in her head, so building her character around her inward quirks was a necessity. Now that she's growing a little less self-focused, her character and the other people of "Wilfair" are revealed more in how they relate to each other and the situations they face.
That has been a challenge and a pleasure, finding out who this inward-looking person is via her friendships and how she connects and takes action.
And who the other characters are, too. I've visited the "Wilfair" world nearly every day for a few years, and I can say my energy and enthusiasm for returning to the writing remain suspiciously high. Not that I never face problems or thorns on this storytelling road, because I do. But I'm committed to these characters and their relationships with each other and I want to see how they'll turn out.
And that's ultimately what keeps it fresh for me, day in and day out: relationships. My favorite pairs tend to shift from week-to-week -- Fair and Gomery aren't always in my top spot, though I promise I give those two plenty of consideration -- and I think that's positive. For example, the cousinship of Monty and Gomery is often on my mind. I'm intrigued by two easygoing and, yep, handsome cousins who do not spend their days sparring over a girl. Rather, they have each others' best interests at heart, even if they have different life approaches and personalities.
Today I'm all about Monty and Prior Yates.
This is all to say I like how two people relate, for a friendship is a singular as a thumbprint. It's as unique as the two individuals participating in it. And I like how two people help each other in a relationship, and sometimes take, and how the taker will apologize for taking and the takee will accept the apology, or not.
I like how two friends or cousins or potential sweethearts love each other or learn to love each other. I don't even mind when twosomes venture down sad paths, as long as they can help each other out, somehow. Or send for help. Or blaze a new trail off the trail that wasn't working.
Which is my very lengthy way of getting to this question: Do you find yourself more involved with a character, or how the character relates to other people?
Relationships
