By Becky Martinez

This may sound like a nutty thing to do, but I’ve never been conventional—in fact I pride myself on that.  I’ve not only been inventing my own worlds in my books; I’ve been hanging out in my spare time with my characters. I’ll admit off the top that it’s difficult for me to write a romantic hero without absolutely falling in love with him on some scale.  He might make me furious, he might make me nuts, he always appeals to me physically, and he always leaves me for that other woman—the heroine—but I can’t help it.  He only becomes real in my mind when I find myself falling in love with the guy.

How do I manage this? Well, there are a number of ways, but mainly I like to hang out with the guy.  Some times I go out with him and he becomes real to me as I’m sitting across the table from him, sipping champagne or a big frosty mug of beer. Or maybe he’s the type who prefers coffee or even herbal tea. At some point I have to imagine what it would be like to share a meal, an evening, a fun outing, a weekend or a vacation with the man who is larger than life in my work. Sometimes I go to work with him and we’re partners or I’m competing with him. No matter what, I need to know what goes on in that sexy skull before I can get him to commit to share the pages of my books.
          

So what am I trying to say?  It takes a lot to get to know your characters, and in order to get that man—or woman—across to your readers you need to know him or her. What I’m talking about here doesn’t necessarily have to go onto the pages of your book. You simply need to spend that time with your character to get to know what makes them tick, in order to make them more human and to get your readers to feel as strongly about them as you do.

While I might be falling in love with that man, I like to consider my heroines as my best friend, my sister, my mother or daughter.  In the same sense, they might make me want to strangle them one minute or lecture the next, but I want to feel that when they need me, I will be there for them.

How do I get to that point with my characters?  Like I said, I hang out with them.  I go for a gossipy lunch with my heroine and I always let her choose the spot.  Does she want a rundown hamburger spot? Are we dining in some posh location with the beach beyond the wide expanse of windows?  Or are we in her favorite ethnic spot on a crowded boulevard after a morning of eclectic shopping?

I’ve heard it said that dining scenes have no place in an active novel, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hang out long enough to get to know who these people are.  Sometimes I spend a weekend with them.  I go for white water rafting trips and ask if my hero is just along for the ride or if he is leading the expedition. Wow, I can see him in his tight fitting spandex already.

Maybe my heroine is leading the mountain biking expedition and she’s the one who knows how to start the campfires and set up the tent.  I’m not a camping fan, but I go along anyway and marvel at all she knows and how easily she does everything.

Going back to that hero--there’s nothing like looking across that table from him and imagining what she sees when she looks into his eyes, lit by the candle light. I might banter with him as she would or try to get him to talk if he is the strong silent type.  I can look at how he dresses or I might even play buddy and take him on a shopping expedition.  Is he being dragged into the top men’s shops, or does he know the sales clerks by name and know all he needs to do is call and they will know what he wants.  Or maybe he’s content to visit the bargain racks at the local discount store.  I can tell from my date with him what he might be like.  And since I know my sister like my friend, I know what she’ll like about him and what will set her on edge.

Sometimes I question him – not like an interview necessarily—but by hanging out with him, I know what he likes what he doesn’t like and what his buttons are. That way I can tell my friend, my sister, my heroine and she can push them all she wants.

 As for my heroine buddy, I do the same with her. I like to see where she shops, whether she likes to cook.  Do I have to pick up after her, or is she on top of everything.  Once I know all these things about her and after I go out on my dates with my hero, I’m ready to start putting them down on paper.

I used to think it was a crazy idea -- hanging out with my characters. Then one day at a writing conference, I heard bestselling author, Robert Crais, tell us that he enjoys hanging out with his characters. With wonderful characters like Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, I don't blame him!