In writing THE EARL'S ENGAGEMENT, I've decided to use some minor characters that are unusual. No, not vampires, angels or werewolves, not anything paranormal, just one little old lady and a dog.
Oona, yes, that's her name, is Rosamund's old governess. About five years back she took a tumble down the stairs and at the same time, had a heart attack. Poor Oona. Now, she can't speak, walks with a limp, and is kind of crazy. Kind of. She's very sweet though, has the mind of a child, dresses in Rosamund's old girly gowns, and wanders around the manor like some kind of Alice in Wonderland looking for mischief.
Then there's Tuck. Short for Friar Tuck. He's the dog. Originally he was going to be an Irish Wolfhound, huge beast of a dog, but the picture I have for the cover shows some kind of spaniel, so in order to not confuse the reader, I gave Tuck the spaniel features, only a little bigger. He's a "good dog, a loyal and true boon companion". That is, according to the lady who used to own him.
Now why am I placing these characters in the story? Because I can. These characters may not seem much to you now, here, in this blog post, but they add so much to the story. Unease, upset, anger, heroism, compassion, loyalty, love. And who doesn't love a crazy old lady and a dog?
Tell me -- Do you love those wacky characters in stories, or would you rather just read about the hero and heroine?
I love them! I think it's a great idea to use them, because such characters usually add a lot of colour to the story.
ReplyDeleteI assume these "wacky" characters will be a part of the storyline...so of course you need them. Now, Anne, I'll have to read this one...because my father's nickname was "Tuck."
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