Q and A with Barbara

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
Sources of inspiration for and development of characters
Which comes first, character or plot?

Sometimes one, sometimes the other. In my 2009 book, While My Sister Sleeps, the main character came first. I had never written a coming-of-age story before, and though my main character is 27, she hasn’t yet found her voice. I wanted to help her do that.

How much time do you spend sketching out your characters until they seem real enough to write about?
Randomly. I never knowingly name a character after a friend or acquaintance. Over the years, many a reader has written to me after seeing her name in one of my books, but I assure you all, it is total coincidence.

I try to match up first names with the personality of my characters. Many times, these first names come from baby books. I get last names from the phone book, newspapers and magazines, mailboxes on the side of the road, even obituary notices - and don't say that's morbid. Isn't it nice that someone who has died now lives on in one of my books?
Some authors use pictures of celebrities to help make those characters real. Do you?

Not of celebrities. If I did that, I would see their faces, not those of my characters. I do use pictures from magazines, but mostly to capture a mood. Remember, my books are character driven, and those characters suffer angst. Sorry, but the smiley faces in the Banana Republic catalogue this fall just don't inspire angst.
Of all the characters you've created, which is your favorite?
Bree, in THREE WISHES. She was sweet and quirky, independent and resilient. I loved her from Day One.

But I have to tell you, the heroine of THE SUMMER I DARED comes in a close second. Her name is Julia Bechtel, and she has spent a lifetime giving to others without demanding much in return. Sound familiar? I think many women do this. We are nurturers, and will often put our own needs second to those of others. In Julia's case, surviving a tragic accident against all odds, forces her to think about what she wants to do with her life.