Thursday, June 2, 2011

Emotional Stress and My Characters

As usual, everyone has done a great job of covering this topic this week. I'm going to go in a slightly different direction.

When my characters are stressed emotionally, I've given them some habits that (hopefully) outwardly betray their inner turmoil.

Sharlie in This Time for Always twirls the ends of her hair around her finger.

Jessica in This Can't Be Love bites her lip. Zach went out and chopped wood when guilt over kissing Jessica consumed him. (He couldn't help it...when she bites her lip it drives him crazy...in all the right ways!)

After a difficult law case, Amber in "This Feels Like Home" decides to escape the city and visit her cousin in the country.

Erika in "Family Secrets" bites her fingernails. (She also opted for a late night ice cream raid of the refrigerator! Something chocolate-y of course...)

Heather in A Christmas to Remember ate entire bags of Doritoes and Double Stuffed Oreos after her cheating boyfriend took his secretary to Jamaica.

I plan on adding drumming fingernails, kicking the foot crossed over the other leg, or toe tapping to future characters.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
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6 comments:

  1. Paula MartinJune 2, 2011 at 8:00 AM

    What a great idea, to give each of your characters a different habit. Must remember that one!
    My heroine in 'Nile Romance' has just cleaned her kitchen from top to bottom as her 'stress therapy'!

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  2. Debra St. JohnJune 2, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    Cleaning is always good stress therapy!

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  3. Francine HowarthJune 2, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    Hi Debra,

    Hee hee, so love this putting forth of characters' quirks/habits. It can be quite erotic when a guy runs fingers through hair in frustrated response to infuriating female! ;)

    best
    F

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  4. JENNIFER WILCKJune 2, 2011 at 1:33 PM

    Hi Debra. I love your ideas. My heroine in my current WIP shows her stress by being extra clumsy--I should say, it's stress specific to being attracted to the hero and not knowing what to do about it. I enjoy finding a specific habit to give them!

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  5. Debra St. JohnJune 2, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    Ah, yes, the fingers through the hair is an excellent one.

    Oooh, and I like the clumsy idea...the heroine is so overcome, she just doesn't know what to do with herself around the hero. Love it!

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  6. Ana MorganJune 2, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    These are great ideas, everyone!

    ReplyDelete

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