Thursday, May 5, 2016

What I Learned from a First Kiss by Alison Henderson

Not my first kiss. That kiss taught me thirteen-year-old boys have no idea what they’re doing. I hope that boy has learned a thing of two in the intervening decades, but that’s another story. Or maybe not.

No, I’m talking about the hero and heroine in my current WIP, Boiling Point. As I’ve complained before, these two have given me fits from the beginning. My heroine has been breezy and confident on the surface, hiding only her qualms about her qualifications for her current job. She had refused to divulge, even to me, her romantic history. All I could do was keep writing and hope she would spill the beans when the time came.

My hero was even worse. I knew his sister thought he was a putz when it came to knowing what women want, but how many sisters are truly familiar with their brothers’ intimate relationships? I knew he was scarred by an undercover police operation gone wrong, but that’s all. Nothing about any former wives or lovers. And he’s so reticent, I feared he would never tell me.

All that changed with their first kiss.

When he took her in his arms and their lips touched for the first time, I expected the usual fireworks but no real surprises. Wrong! My heroine caught me completely off-guard. Her first reaction wasn’t lust; it was surprise and relief. She had expected fear and panic, a sense of suffocation. I had no idea where that came from. Suddenly, as I continued to write, she shared her secret with me. She had been assaulted in the past—not raped, but physically overwhelmed and terrified. It explained so much—her previous choice of a military career, her use of witty sarcasm as a weapon, and especially her determination to hide it from me.

An even more amazing revelation occurred when I switched to the hero’s point of view in the next scene. I had been worrying about the source of conflict between these two. They were both working toward the same objective. As soon as they revealed this to each other, what was left to keep them apart? Finally, the hero told me. In his former job as a detective, he’d been involved a clandestine relationship with his female partner. At a critical moment during the pursuit of a drug dealer, he’d failed to shoot out of worry for the safety of his partner, and an innocent civilian had been killed. The resulting guilt had led to their break-up, and his leaving the force. He swore never to let emotion affect his work again. He hasn’t told the heroine yet, but at least I know!

I’ve never had characters keep secrets from me like this before. I’ve also never had them bare their souls so suddenly. And all because of one little kiss.

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com

17 comments:

Liz Flaherty said...

I gotta say, Alison, I could use a kiss like that in my WIP, because I'm not moving very fast!

Jannine Gallant said...

What terrific fleshed out characters that kiss gave you! Congrats on the breakthrough!

Margo Hoornstra said...

That is absolutely amazing, Alison. Congratulations. Isn't it great what happens when you stay with it?

Vonnie Davis, Author said...

I love it when our characters trust us enough to speak to us and, yes, to take over the story by going off on their own tangent. Even though we may be screaming at the computer screen, "No! No, don't say that. You'll cause a mess in the whole story that I'll have to work long and hard to correct." But you know they're going to say it anyway. And it makes the story richer...your nerves, not so much. Wow! What a kiss!

Brenda Whiteside said...

This is what makes writing so much fun. For those who don't write, this is crazy. But from one crazy author to another, it makes perfect sense!

Alison Henderson said...

Liz, the revelation was a big help. I just wish it had come sooner!

Alison Henderson said...

Jannine, it really was a breakthrough AND a big surprise!

Alison Henderson said...

Margo, I'd been waiting for that spark for 50K words. LOL

Alison Henderson said...

Vonnie, these were two of the most reticent characters I've ever created. I'm glad they finally spoke up!

Alison Henderson said...

Brenda, that flash of revelation is definitely the high point of writing!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it great when you know what your characters have done, their histories, and where, exactly, they're going. I hate those little buggers who don't tell you a thing. Good luck with the book, Alison--here's to more surprises!

Rolynn Anderson said...

Yup, there's the patient therapist in every good writer. Good for you for helping these two find each other as well as work through their issues. They owe you gratitude and a big check :-)

Alison Henderson said...

Andi, I usually know my characters pretty well before I start, but these two gave me fits!

Alison Henderson said...

Rolynn, they definitely owe me a debt of gratitude, but I've learned not to hold my breath for a big check. LOL

Alicia Dean said...

Wow, it's great that all of that fell into place with a kiss. :) I'm sure it will be an awesome read!

Leah St. James said...

Great post, Alison! It's so true (and fascinating) how characters that we create...uh, I mean, characters who make themselves known to us...can keep so many secrets! This, to me, is a big part of the joy of writing.

Diane Burton said...

I'm so glad those characters are talking to you, Alison. Here's hoping they clue you in on the rest of their secrets. :)