Where Would My Characters Be?

Loretta Eidson

“I’m off to play golf with the guys.” My husband yelled from the front door.

I ran to the top of the stairs so he’d know I heard him. With the golf bag hung on his shoulder, he waited for my response. “Okay, have a good time. I’ll be hanging out with my friends.”

“Your friends? Who?” His look of surprise tickled me. I’d already told him during breakfast I planned to stay home.

“Jenny, Angie, and Billy. We’re in an important conversation right now. See you later.” I waved goodbye.

He shook his head, laughed, and shut the door.

I rushed back to my writing.

As I sat engrossed in my story and the suspense it held, my characters seemed to be in the office with me. They told me their secrets and trusted me to help them through their entangled predicaments. They sought wisdom and direction for decisions they were forced to make. Their very lives were threatened and they needed me to show them the way to safety.

Where would my characters be without real dangers and struggles? How could so much happen to them in such a short time? I had to persevere. They needed me. I had to pave the way through the muck and mire so they could resolve their fears, mistakes, and regrets.

Where would my characters be without villains to cause tension? Ruthless villains who manipulated, threatened, and stalked until their evil desires were met, overpowered, or stopped.

Where would my characters be without love? Oh yes, love. They had to find love. How else could a romantic suspense novel be successful without characters finding their soul mates or realizing they are worthy of love?

Where would my characters be without someone to curl their toes with the first kiss or create the yearning to be with their love for hours on end? Characters who watch the clock for their loves return or dream of the next kiss. Characters who are elated when their love arrives or when their love comes to the rescue.

Where would my characters be without hope? Without God? I must show them who will answer their prayers, calm their fears, and give them peace. I must convince them they are never alone. God will always be there if they will call out to Him and trust Him.

Where would my characters be without knowing there’s a bright future ahead? All they must do is stay with the story. In the end their lives could be filled with joy and laughter. They could find closure to their problems and hope to live “happily ever after.” That’s where my role comes in. Where would they be without me?

Loretta Eidson writes romantic suspense. Her novel won first place in her genre in the 2014 Novel Rocket Contest, placed in the top ten of 2013 & 2015 ACFW Genesis contest, was a finalist in the 2014 ACFW Genesis Contest. Loretta is a Craftsman Alumni of the Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband live in Iuka, Mississippi. They have four children and twelve grandchildren. Find Loretta on Facebook and Twitter.