Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Madness of a Romance Writer

Yesterday afternoon I was doing a bit of research on the net, and came across a piece on a Roman amphitheatre which was constructed in South Wales around AD80. Hummm, I thought idly, that's a bit late for my time period, but interesting nevertheless.

I kept reading, as you do, and the next sentence casually hopped forward a couple of hundred years, describing how everything fell into ruin after the Legion abandoned Wales and moved further north.

This most ridiculous pain stabbed through my heart, and I actually thought, Ohmygod, Maximus and Carys would have died and been buried and forgotten by then.

Yep. I sat there, reading this article, getting all choked up that my hero and heroine were now dead.

I was so distressed, in fact, I went and told my two daughters and husband who proceeded to gape at me as if I'd lost my mind. Then they looked at each other and did the eyeball thing (tell me you know all about the Eyeball Thing?!)

But I'm not mad am I? Because our heroes and heroines are real people, aren't they?!

9 comments:

Helen Hardt said...

LOL, you're not mad.

I get choked up every time I finish a book because I have to leave my h/h behind. But then I start a new one and fall in love with a new hero, so it's all good.

And yes, I'm familiar with the eyeroll thing...I live with a husband and two sons ;).

Cari Quinn said...

In my opinion, Christina, if *we* don't consider our h/h "real" than our readers won't be invested enough to care. So I totally understand your feelings! And I've dealt with my share of eye rolls, too. :)

Kaye Manro said...

No it's not mad. I'll tell you what is mad-- as I read your post I started thinking-- OMG, my 12th century h/h are also dead. Now that's mad! I completely understand how you feel. And the eyerolls? Well, I get that too.

Christina Phillips said...

Helen, yes I always get a bit choked when I've finished a book because I hate saying goodbye to my h/h. But I've never done anything like this before! I thought afterwards that was probably because I've never written an historical before!!

Cari, you're absolutely right. In fact I'm half convinced all our characters *are* real people and exist in some kind of parallel universe!

LOL Kaye! Whoops I'm sorry about that. But it is nice to know I'm not the only one who has those kind of thoughts!!

April Vine said...

Take it from the sanest person on earth, YOU ARE NOT MAD!!!

Christina Phillips said...

Hehehe, April, I'll take your word for it!!!

Eleni Konstantine said...

You're not mad at all Christina. We invest so much into our characters and heck, I get choked up when writing emotional scenes, so they are real to us. Non-writers just don't get it. :)

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Oh my Christina, What a sad fact. They are dead. I'm shaking my head here.
Our characters are so real, don't expect family to know what's happening in your head. :) I think they are the last to understand.

And what an interesting piece of history. I love history.

Suz :)

Christina Phillips said...

Eleni, that's very true!! Thank goodness for writer friends!!

Thanks, Suz. I love this period of history. It's fascinating. I could research for ever!!!