UFI welcomes Author Amanda Pillar. Thanks for Joining us!!
Character inspiration
I was recently part of a wonderful anthology, Cranky Ladies of History,
published by FableCroft. It features a plethora of stories about important women
of history; about their lives, foibles and victories. And it made me think, how
often do popular women (or men) influence authors in their creation of their
characters?
My novel, Graced, has four main characters, but only one is a woman. I didn’t
want Elle to be a wallflower, or a passive character where life just happens to
her. And it made me think: how much of Elle was created through my admiration or
dislike of famous women? Fictional or real.
So here’s 5 women who I think had influences on Elle’s development:
-
Bella Swan (Twilight). Not because this story features vampires and shape
shifters, but because I wanted someone very different to Bella: I wanted a woman
who was empowered, and who refused to allow a man to dictate her life to
her.
-
Countess Elizabeth Báthory (The Blood Countess). The most prolific serial
killer in history, by some accounts. This is the kind of woman who could easily
live as an aristocrat in the Graced world, and she stands for much of what Elle
hates: entitlement, disregard for human life, and a hunger for power.
-
Beka Cooper (Terrier, Bloodhound, Mastiff). She’s honourable, hardworking,
and has a unique talent.
-
Surreal (Black Jewels Trilogy). She’s kick arse. Fights for those she loves.
And did I mention she’s a bad arse?
-
Margaret Thatcher (former Prime Minister of Britain). Okay, this isn’t really
an influence on Elle’s character, but may be a bit representative of her
grandmother, Olive, who has had a role in Elle’s upbringing. Love her or hate
her, Olive only wants what’s best for her people, whether they want her version
of ‘best’ or not.
Then there is Dante, one of my other main characters. He was a challenge to
write, as he’s a sociopath, but I wanted him to be realistic…so which 5
individuals helped me develop his unique traits?
-
Dexter (Dexter). He’s a sociopath, but he tries to be good and has developed
his own moral code.
-
Patrick Bateman (American Psycho). Patrick is an interesting result of Easton
Ellis’ research. I wanted to make Dante sympathetic, whereas Patrick can be hard
to relate to as a reader.
-
Johnny Depp. Well, this was more of a physical inspiration. Dante looks (in
my mind) a little how Depp does in Sleepy Hollow.
-
Ian Pavlov. Not because Dante likes to play with bells. But because Pavlov
didn’t just experiment on dogs, but also children. Ethics?
-
Charles Darwin. Not for personality or traits. Just the methodical and
meticulous way in which he researched and studied.
I’m sure there are many more sources of inspiration for all my characters,
but these are the names that spring to mind easily. Every character an author
creates is individual, but they’re not developed in a vacuum. No one person is
the model for Elle or Dante; rather, they were born of a thousand different
ideas, until each became their own.
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Amanda has had numerous short stories published and has co-edited the fiction anthologies Voices (2008), Grants Pass (2009), The Phantom Queen Awakes (2010), Scenes from the Second Storey (2010), Ishtar (2011) and Damnation and Dames (2012). Her first solo anthology was published by Ticonderoga Publications, titled Bloodstones (2012). Amanda is currently working on the sequel, Bloodlines, due for publication in 2015.
Amanda's first novel, Graced, will be published by Momentum in 2015.
In her day job, she works as an archaeologist.
Find Amanda and her books
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GracedCity Guard Elle Brown has one goal in life: to protect her kid sister, Emmie. Falling in love–and with a werewolf at that–was never part of the deal.__________________________________
Life, however, doesn't always go to plan, and when Elle meets Clay, everything she thought about her world is thrown into turmoil. Everything, that is, but protecting Emmie, who is Graced with teal-colored eyes and an unknown power that could change their very existence. But being different is dangerous in their home city of Pinton, and it's Elle's very own differences that capture the attention of the Honorable Dante Kipling, a vampire with a bone-deep fascination for a special type of human.
Dante is convinced that humans with eye colors other than brown are unique, but he has no proof. The answers may exist in the enigmatic hazel eyes of Elle Brown, and he's determined to uncover their secrets no matter the cost...or the lives lost.
