Multi-published author, Jen Selinsky, who graciously agreed to be Genesis Selinsky, a pickpocketing urchin who grows up to be an Assistant Librarian in my Holly Jahangiri and other Llannonn stories, is my guest today.

Can you say how your main character first occurred to you and how he or she evolved from that first spark to a full character?

My first novella’s main character, Cynthia Wellsworth (née Blocksworth) came to me when I was sixteen years old. As the novel progressed over the years, Cynthia became stronger and less conventional for a woman living during the late 18th century.

Did you choose your subject, or did your subject choose you?

Very interesting question! I would like to say that I choose most of my subjects for my writing, but it appears that they oftentimes choose me, especially when they leap right into my head!

How do you work?

It seems that a lot of other authors have a certain regime, but I am a different animal. I don’t have a set method, as I work whichever way best fits my writing. If I get stuck on something, I move on to one of my other projects. And, if that fails, I can always rely on the Internet to distract me!

Are you involved with email lists and/or social media? Why or why not?

I am involved heavily on Facebook, less so on Twitter, and am almost non-existent on other sites. (I need to fix that.) Mailing lists are sent to me on other authors’ time, and I also subscribe to a few blogs. I feel that social media gives one a certain advantage when searching for new friends and authors with similar interests. How do you think I am able to build a strong online presence? It all has to do with M&M— (no, not the candy) making friends and marketing.

If you could have an evening with one fictional character, your own or someone else’s, who would it be and why?

That’s a tough one, (especially since I would rather have such an evening with a real person) but I suppose that I would choose Emilie Jones from my book, A Year in the Life of Emilie Jones because she is somewhat my opposite (‘50s housewife and mother). It would be an interesting conversation, especially since our viewpoints would clash on certain social issues, but I suppose that we’d have a few things in common as well.

~*~

Thanks for visiting again, Jen!

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Write a character who is your polar opposite, then find points in common.

MA

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