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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

If You Give an Author a Character…

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

give author character
If you give an author a character,
She’s going to want a story,
When you suggest that she write the story,
She’ll probably work to make it amazing.
When she’s finished, she’ll ask you read it.
Then she’ll ask for a pen so she can make “corrections and improvements.”
With great reluctance, you’ll give her a pen.
She’ll start marking… and scribbling… and marking some more.
By the time she’s done, the manuscript will look like an obsolete, ancient hieroglyphic language.
She’ll apologize and offer to type it up for you so you can read it.
You’ll pass her a laptop.
She’ll rework every character and scene in the story–including the one you gave her.
But something will be missing.
So, she’ll ask to brainstorm.  She’ll suggest kings in palaces.
You’ll suggest pirates at sea.
She’ll create a modest girl with a gentle heart.
You’ll assure her that would be the perfect addition.
She’ll add it.  She’ll ask for more.
You’ll give her a character idea.
And chances are… if you give her a character…
She’s going to want a story to go with it.

But is it true–about characters?

If you’ve ever wondered what happens in character development–that’s about it.  Every book has at least one character I want to explore further.  In Not a Word, it was Rory.  Love that kid.  I want to see him as a teenager.  Will he still be crushing on Kenzie, or will moving him away throw him in the path of a little girl with almond eyes and dark curls that make him forget Kenzie’s red braids and freckles?  Maybe he’ll win talent shows as a comedian!  Will Mac take him to open mic nights at a club in Rockland?  Will the critics love or hate him?

In Discovering Hope, there was Kirky.  I have her story started, and I want to finish it.  It’s important to do.  Something about her appeals to me. Sometimes as a writer, I feel more like a psychologist. You know, prodding and poking into the minds and psyches of these unfortunate people who find themselves at my mercy.  *insert evil laughter here*

But the book that introduced the MOST characters who demanded their own stories was Thirty Days Hath.  **SPOILER ALERT**  If you haven’t read the book, skip the next section!

*cue music playing for those avoiding spoilers*

*pretend it’s The Piano Guys.  THIS is probably my favorite one of theirs.*

**Back to the tale of 11 lonely girls*

Allison, of course, needed something to prove she does have spark and passion.  It just took a guy with a rough past and a love for Jesus to do that whole “sparking” thing.  But what some people don’t know is that there are more books in the works featuring “Adric’s Girls.”

April gets her own story.  It even has a title (which I love).  Dead Limb Walking. You can just imagine what happens at the opening of that book.  And another book idea I had is now likely getting morphed into it.  I think my lackluster subplots just got a whole lot more interesting.  But she’s not all.  Remember Christine?  Oh, yeah.  She’s GOT to have her own book!  All that sass NEEDS an outlet. Gwen?  Maybe she meets Kim from HearthLand–at a performance, perhaps?  Maybe she opens a ballet studio in HearthLand.

Okay, maybe not.  LOL.  But what about faithless Faith or the half-crazed girl with the amazing grandpa.  What if she got HELP?  Would any guy who knew about fake suicide attempts with rose thorns really give her a chance?  These questions plague me.

And then, of course, I’m back in the endless cycle.  I’ve got a character… and I need a story to go with it.  I’ve got the story, but now I have new characters who want their stories.  And round, and round it goes.

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Comments

  1. Ramie says

    February 9, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    Chuck!!!!!! Willow’s kids!!!!!! Love this blog post!

    Reply
  2. Joanna says

    February 9, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    Yes, definitely. Every girl deserves a happy ending…or rather beginning, not necessarily married but God’s will being confirmed in their life. Because single girls need some stories of happy “old maids.”
    But it think it would be sweet if that dear old Grandpa would find some lady that knew how to help turn his granddaughter around and they got married and had their own ministry starting up support groups for parents that have children with emotion problems….
    Oh, I’m sure I could think of more but the above ideas are great too. 😉

    Reply
  3. Rebekah D says

    February 9, 2016 at 4:25 am

    William and Tina? From Aggie. And Kirky. And Chuck. I HAVE to know about Chuck and Chad’s sister. And…. 🙂 Ok. Maybe I’ll stop now.

    Reply
  4. Tina at Mommynificent says

    February 9, 2016 at 4:11 am

    I’m beyond excited at the thought of Christine’s book!

    Reply

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Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
byChautona Havig

Christian dystopian thrillers are too few and far between, but author J. A. Webb has a great one for us. Listen in while we chat about his Seekers Series and the second book, Inheritance.

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Mix a corrupt secret society along with a priest on the run, and you’ve got a great mix. This series promises to be full of amazing twists and turns. 

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 A Dystopian Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The Order has been betrayed. The hunters have been loosed.

Father Curtis has forsaken his vows. He has left the Order and joined the Seekers, a hidden rebellion dedicated to uncovering the truth long buried by the global church. But walking away from the Order does not mean escaping its reach.

When word spreads that a copy of the True Text — the original thirty-nine books of the Creator — has surfaced on the far side of the world, Curtis, Professor Reuel, and Phillip embark on a desperate mission. If they can retrieve the artifact, it could change everything. If they fail, the truth will be lost forever.

But the Eye of the Eternal, the secret police of the Order, has already mobilized. Their assassins are relentless. Their power is absolute. And they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.

Outnumbered and hunted, Curtis and his allies must risk everything to defy an empire built on deception. But against such overwhelming darkness, is faith enough? Or will their inheritance — humanity’s true past — be erased from history once and for all?

The war for truth has begun. And the Order will not suffer heretics to live.

A Gripping Tale of Power, Deception, and the Courage to Seek Truth

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📖 If you love stories of faith, defiance, and the battle against unseen tyranny, this is the book for you.

The Order has ruled from the shadows long enough. Are you ready to see the truth?

Learn more about J. A. Webb on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

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Episode 429:  A Chat with J. A. Webb
Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
May 12, 2025
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