I’ve mentioned a couple of times here that I have been re-reading some of my books, interested in how I’ve changed as a writer, and how the type of novel I write has changed. I’ve just finished re-reading ‘The Stalking of Rosa Czekov’, which gives a pretty good idea from the title onwards what it’s about. This is the blurb:
Rosa Czekov is an ordinary person who, through an extraordinary act of courage, brings herself to public attention. Rosa is modest and private, and this unwelcome publicity attracts a stalker who makes her life a misery and brings her to the verge of a breakdown.
Her cousin, Tyche Kane, has a mission to discover who is tormenting Rosa and bring him or her to retribution. In the course of her pursuit, Tyche uncovers many secrets in an effort to prove Rosa was not just imagining her persecutor. However, her quest not only puts her own life at risk, but endangers Rosa’s friends and family and leads to the murder of someone very close to her.
On rereading it I was interested in one of the main characters, Rudi, and remembered clearly who the unlikely inspiration was for him. He was only supposed to have a walk-on part as best friend of Rosa’s husband, but somehow he muscled in and became a major player – a goodie or a baddie? You’ll have to read the book. It gives nothing away to say he is a very big man, tall, stout, and intimidating. However the inspiration for his appearance came from an unlikely source.
I used to take my children to school every day and collect them in the afternoon. There was always the same group of parents, friends, family members delivering and picking up, and among them was a lad of about fourteen. He was such a nice young man, always smiley and jolly. He was quite portly and with a very white face and very black hair, and I thought he would be a great character in a book. I imagined it would be aimed at a teenager audience, but when I started to write properly, despite having been a teacher, I found I was writing for adults. I never forgot that lad for some reason, so when I began to write the story of Rosa Czekov, his appearance just popped into my head and became the inspiration for Rudi. Not at all alike in any way, I knew nothing about the lad from long ago, but somehow he lodged in my mind and became my character.
I mentioned a pair of emerald earrings the other day, another observation from long ago, I have so much stuffed away in my mental filing cabinet, so many people lurking there it’s not surprising I am forgetful. When I led my two adult writing groups, I would say again and again and again, be observant, watch people,, see what happens as you walk along the street, remember odd bits of overheard conversation, notice expressions, gestures, movements. I comment in the same way in various social media writing groups, when others can’t think of what to write or how to describe characters – be observant!
This is something I heard as I was walking along the other day, I don’t know who said it, they were behind me, but it got me thinking, “You’ve got to do it! It’s a safe and legal request!” I have no idea who they were or what they were talking about, but I wonder…
This will take you to my Amazon page, The Stalking of Rosa Czekov is available as a paperback and as an e-book
Lois Elsden 