Children of Light – How did I come to write books?

I have dabbled in writing for most of my life. I didn’t make a concerted effort to write a whole book until after our first daughter was born. During maternity leave, I had a dream that refused to go away, so I wrote a book from its inspiration. That book took about four years to complete. It sits safely tucked away in a cupboard. I am afraid to read it, as I think it will be terrible, but I will do it — one day. Since then, I have written and started several others, all safely tucked away in the same cupboard. I call these books and the 40 years of dabbling my practice.

Inspiration for Children of Light (COL)

So, when the inspiration came for what has turned out to be my COL series of books, it was not a giant leap for me to write. What was unusual was that I had not written anything more than short stories for many years. I was busy with a job and working on my Master’s degree. So, for the inspiration to come and, to be honest, be so vivid, I had to start again.

What was the inspiration?

You may be surprised to learn that it was a piece of music I heard on the radio. (I was driving my husband home from Windsor after he had a medical procedure and he was not allowed to drive. By the way, I love being a passenger, as it allows my mind to roam, and often great ideas come.)

So, while I drove, I had the radio on since Brian was sleeping. As the music played, I had the strongest image… or a mini-movie playing out in my head. The image was so powerful; that I had to write it down. It became the opening scene of the Pairing Ceremony in COL Book 1 – Into the Light.

In my mind’s eye, I saw a group of fierce warriors performing an intricate series of movements, which required practice, skill, speed, precision, and dedication. These were not the beautiful movements of a dance recital or ballet. The artistry comes from the power and force exuded. Many of the moves are aggressive and harsh, but that is to be expected from warriors. But the overall picture, the overall impression, and the sensation are one of awe.

Couldn’t Stop

Once I recorded the scene, I put my notebook down – what could I do with this? Almost immediately, the story started to develop. I had an overwhelming urge to keep writing. I think I sat on the deck and wrote for about three hours. I filled so many pages of my little notebook that I was almost out of paper. But Children of Light books were born.

However, I must admit, originally, I thought it would be a single book. I had no idea what it would grow into. I think I was more surprised than anyone when it became five books, and now I’m about to finish the sixth, with at least one or two more rambling around in my head, and in notebooks.

Character Development

What about all the characters? Stories are about people, for the most part, and mine are no different. My overactive imagination took flight, and I wrote almost daily for several weeks. I couldn’t stop. As I wrote, the story began forming itself and characters arose, made their presence known, and some insisted on their piece of the action. You may think it strange, but that is how my character development takes place. They jump on the page. Some are transitory, and many were removed and filed, not making it to the final version of whatever book I was working on. But, some insist on staying. 

Character Sketch

Once I determine that a character is worth keeping, I make notes about her/him, a character sketch. The other thing I do is find a picture on the internet of what I think that character may look like. I have a stash of faces on my computer just for such a purpose. I put all of this information in my Scrivener file for the book. (For info about Scrivener, click the highlighted link. This will take you to the home page, and at the bottom is more info.)

Grayson

Some characters I deleted because I didn’t like their voice, that is… how they sounded in my head. (Yes, that may be strange, but it is what it is.) Despite my best efforts, some insisted on being in the book and the series. One such character is Grayson.

Initially, I wrote Grayson as a quick stand-in. A sloth. Despite being a Light-Warrior, he was less. Less dedicated; less driven; less honor-bound; and entirely untrustworthy. He was self-absorbed; self-serving, and being a Light-Warrior was all about what his status could bring him. That was his voice, and I didn’t like him. But, not all characters are likable. He certainly was not… at least not at first.

Yet, as time went on, his true voice came out. All his bravado, unwarranted self-assurance, and so on, was nothing more than a facade. Once the facade dropped, or melted away, as it was a rather slow process, the true man stepped out of the shadows. (Yes, another pun.) In book two, Into the Shadows, we meet the true Grayson. Moreover, he gets an entire book to himself, in book four, the Hidden People.

Emma

I must admit, to my great surprise, a female turned out to be the protagonist. When I wrote the original idea… the opening ceremony, I believed it was going to be Kaiden, the Light-Warrior of the opening scene during the Pairing Ceremony. However, Emma was stronger and had much more at stake once I learned who she was. Yes, it may sound strange, but I do get to know my characters. I have rather imaginary conversations with them… and that helps me understand them. A good protagonist must have a great deal at stake… a lot to lose or gain.

The first chapter of book one, Into the Light, was written almost at the very end, when I’d finished book one, and had already written a large part of book two. Weird how that happens.

What’s in a name?

As I wrote and studied, I found out that naming a character is extremely important. The name has to fit. Emma was originally called Sarai, but the name didn’t fit. It was too unusual for her character. She is a young woman who only wanted to be ordinary… anonymous. Why? Because of a lie she was told and taught to be that way. Emma was a more natural name, and it stuck. Once her name changed, her character blossomed. I wrote so many pages about her background. Her story filled several chapters, all of which were cut out, and instead, little drips and drabs that reveal her character are sprinkled throughout the series. 

Who is Emma?

I’m not sure I knew the entire complexity of Emma’s character until the series was done. Although Emma appears to be mild and meek, she has an inner core of steel. She needs to understand who she is and what her purpose is. Once she figures that out, she can get going and get it done. By book three, almost all of her is out there, but who knows, she may still have a few surprises.

Several other important characters have grown and developed over time, but I won’t go into them now. Maybe later.