Having just completed her latest book, I can testify that young writer Simar Malhotra has considerable skills in creating characters. She has done this perfectly in her second novel, “Tides Don’t Cross” published recently by Rupa Publications. Rukmani aka Rhea, Mrinalini, or Ayaan, each of the main characters has been extremely well depicted. The story is built around these three people. Rukmani and Mrinalini are sisters but are as different from each other as you can imagine. Ayaan is Rukmani’s friend, with whom she spends six memorable months in Paris.
Tag: creating characters
I gave a talk recently on “The Joys of Writing.” In this I dwelt on the immense pleasure, which is hard to describe, that an author gets when he creates a character in a work of fiction. There are so many memorable characters from the pages of fiction: Sherlock Holmes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Tom Sawyer from Mark Twain, Jeeves and Bertie Wooster ( and indeed a host of others) from P G Wodehouse, Rhett Butler from Margaret Mitchell and closer to our times, James Bond from Ian Fleming spring to mind. Continue reading “Military Characters I Have Admired From Fiction”
If you have read my second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” released in December 2012, you might like to try this quiz I have put together for you about the characters in “Lucky For Some, 13” on Goodreads.
In earlier posts, I have introduced you to some of the characters here and here.
But where do these characters come from? The author’s mind and what he/she has observed over time. You may remember someone you knew years ago or someone who you met recently. It could be someone you know or merely some one you caught a fleeting glimpse of. That’s what makes crafting a character so fascinating for me.
Here are some snippets and thoughts that went into my mind while creating these characters:
- At a wedding reception, I saw an American lady with mehndi on her hands and dressed in a sari. She actually carried it off very well and you will find some of this in a description of Alice Hatchman.
- To make Mohini a stronger character, I had to tone down Dash’s character in describing their relationship. He has his own strengths but they do not include physical combat!
- Many of the aspects of life for the “support staff” in luxury apartment complexes such as the drivers, nannies and the like come from my own observations and stories I have heard.
- I like to think that all my characters are totally believable and there is nothing unrealistic about even one of them. I lay great emphasis on having credible characters, be they in ” good” or “bad” roles.
If you haven’t read “Lucky For Some, 13” yet, order it from Flipkart, where it is currently sandwiched between titles by Lee Child and Karin Slaughter to be #631 out of the 17857 titles listed in the category: Suspense & Thrillers.
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 