When last we saw Anna Hoyt in “Declaration,” she had announced to the criminal classes of 1740s Boston that she was now a player to be contended with. This was done in her own special way, of course, using murder, arson, threats, and what can most kindly described as bad attitude. The latest of four short stories, takes Anna in a new direction; she's still a tavern-keeper and...something more than a petty criminal.
That was a fun story to write, and difficult. And it's left me in a bind working on the novel featuring Anna. I have to completely re-discover a way to get into Anna's head.
As I've been working on the novel, I've found I can no longer listen to the music I used when I was first getting to know her in “Femme Sole,” “Ardent,” “Disarming,” and “Declaration” (the last two stories appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). She might still live in constant fear for her life, but she's much more an agent in her response to the troubles around her, professional and otherwise. So the playlist I've been using earlier, to feed the fear and bravado that characterized her first internal state, doesn't work now. It took me days to figure that out.
Anna's always been a bit of a surprise to me, and now she's changing. That's a really good thing from a reading point of view, but it's damned hard from a writing angle. She's a bit of a sociopath (it completely threw me when I figured that out--don't even ask), and now she's going public and personal with her bad-ass self. What music suggests that? I've been pondering, as she attempts to run with--and at--the big boys.
And then there's the shenanigans she'll be getting into. Will they be of the purely girls-games-booze variety traditionally associated with taverns, or something a bit more...unusual? That question sent me running to my reference books and to find out more about crime in the 18th century. Fun stuff—plus, I get to buy books and do research!
As Anna changes, so must my approach to her. Both of us have to be on the ball if she's gonna surivive the next chapter of her life.
Ooooh, can't wait!
Posted by: Marcia Talley | June 12, 2015 at 11:22 AM
Characters really are like children, aren't they, Dana? We think we've figured them out,and then they turn around and do something unexpected. Can't wait for Anna's novel adventure.
Posted by: Elaine Viets | June 12, 2015 at 11:32 AM
Thanks, Marcia and Elaine!
Elaine, every single time I write Anna, she goes rogue. Which is in character, I guess, but really, really annoying some times!
Posted by: Dana | June 12, 2015 at 12:50 PM
:) :) Going rogue is cool. It's gonna be great!
Posted by: Mary S. | June 12, 2015 at 07:18 PM
Anna is unpredictable, which takes a lot of planning.
Posted by: Charlaine Harris | June 13, 2015 at 05:53 AM
Oh, I cannot wait to read this. GO, Dana! xoo
Posted by: Hank Phillippi Ryan | June 13, 2015 at 06:56 AM
Thanks, Mary!
You're so right, Charlaine--I think that's why each successive story has been harder to write.
Thanks, Hank! Got a lot of work ahead of me!
Posted by: Dana | June 15, 2015 at 04:45 AM