“A Love/Hate Relationship Between an Author and Her
Characters”
Growing
up, whenever I visualized “a writer,” it always seemed like a purely
intellectual undertaking. There I would be, intermittently scribbling notes and
pounding away at the keyboard as my mind emptied onto the pages.
In
reality? Sure, there are times when it’s like that but, surprisingly, there are
also times when the emotions become overwhelming! I’ve been known to say to
friends, “Man, these people are driving me crazy!”
“Who?”
they ask.
“The
characters!”
“You
mean the fictional ones in your book?”
“Yes!”
(This is usually followed by them turning one finger in a circle on the side of
their head, making a coo-coo sign, then asking if I’d like a glass of wine.)
I
confess that my poor husband has also fallen victim to me being mad at him
because of things the husband in my book has done, and I’ve had no patience for
my kids even at the beginning of a weekend because “they” have already been
testing me all week in my imagination.
Conversely
(thank goodness!) I also sometimes have warm and fuzzy feelings toward my real
life family members and friends due to niceties with the characters at times. I
think it would be safe to say that my cat, Indy, who insists on being ON my lap
and/or desk EVERY MINUTE that I am working, is probably still on my good side
only because Frick (the cat in the book) is so docile.
Come
to think of it, I would imagine that most careers cause mixed emotions at
times. Social worker? Both rewarding and frustrating. Salesperson? Both elating
and disappointing. Professional dancer? Both exhilarating and exhausting. I
could go on and on, but I’ll stop now. (If you’d like to comment below about
your career and any mixed feelings you might have, I’d love to know!)
Overall,
I do find it worth it to have to put up with all of these mixed feelings. In
ways, I actually feel like I’ve grown as a person from writing my books and
with “Unexpecting” in particular, I feel like I’ve tackled some parenting
issues, feelings, and dilemmas that haven’t even come up yet (some of which
hopefully never will!).
I
hope you’ve enjoyed this perspective and look forward to getting to know you a
bit too. Thanks for reading!
AUTHOR BIO: Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author,
speaker, and small business consultant since 1995. She has been featured
in media including “Lifetime Women’s Network,” the “My Carolina Today
Show,” and “Boston Globe Forums Live.” Her public speaking has occurred
at many prestigious venues including “North Carolina State University,”
“Nassau Community College,” and many more. She has received two awards
for her novel, “Momnesia,” and her nonfiction, “Everything You Need to
Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” continues to be one
of the most highly recommended in its genre since 2005. Lori is a happy
married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten.
She is very excited about the release of “Unexpecting,” and enjoys
getting to know her readers via social media and in person. She invites
you to learn more at www.LoriTheAuthor.com.
“Momnesia”: Feeling invisible under all the responsibilities of caring for her family, a suburban mom sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness… seeking balance between her “momminess” and her “sexiness!”
“Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs”: Whether you have a puppy who is first learning, an adult dog with ongoing confusion, or simply want to teach your pet to use a designated area, this book answers literally every housebreaking question!
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