I submitted my latest book for publication this week. I started writing A Wizard's Choice (AWC) about a year ago and finished writing it during NaNoWriMo.
I ran through three rounds of self-editing before I deemed my manuscript presentable. During my last round, I struggled with a scene near the end of the book. It seemed rushed. It seemed stilted. It seemed like I was bending my characters to my will.
That never works.
My hero Kurtis has been a particularly strong character. He wants to do all sorts of things that I would never do. Like swear. A lot. I've been aghast at the language he uses. But I wrote him the way he wanted to be portrayed. When you listen to your characters, the writing is a heck of a lot easier.
In AWC, Kurtis has two potential love interests. Dee, a vampire he's been crushing on for ages. Alina, a fairy he's just met. I had to pick one so I considered the pros and cons.
Dee
Kurtis has a serious crush on Dee. He's known her forever. They have an established relationship of sorts. Dee is a hellion. She loves to tease and torment Kurtis and doesn't seem to care about him. Is the attraction one-sided?
Alina
Kurtis meets Alina during his quest to find his mother. Alina is sweet and kind. She has a crush on Kurtis. They share common interests. A relationship with Alina will help end the wizard-fairy feud. Does Kurtis feel an obligation to Alina?
I wrote the story giving Kurtis plenty of opportunities to spend time with both ladies. Although, I had planned Kurtis' love interest from the beginning, I never gave the reader hints. My original draft selected one, but Kurtis changed my mind during the third round of editing. I rewrote the ending to adhere to Kurtis' preference. Did Kurtis choose the she-devil vampire or the peaceful fairy? What do you think? Who would you choose?
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