Marcy, the witch, was a character that just demanded to be written. When I first started planning—the tiny bit of planning I, the giant pantser, actually do—she didn’t even exist. The little red-haired witch came into existence when I realized I needed something that could justify or even cause a certain amount of hilarity—to use the term the late Rennison used—in my plot. She was supposed to be a very minor character who showed up in the story when needed and vanished into the background afterward. Well, Marcy wouldn’t have any of that. In a strange twist of fate—maybe she is indeed a witch—Marcy ended up being the one character everybody who has read the story loves.
Did I know she was going to be seriously quirky and surprisingly insightful in her own eccentric way? I had no inkling until she was! I had just finished writing Lavender Fields, my NaNoWriMo project, when I started thinking about what my next novel was going to be. I had several stories in mind but Marcy’s won in the end. I have to admit that I am quite a bit intimidated about writing the little witch’s love story. Not because I don’t want to but because she is by far the most popular character I have written so far. She actually has groupies! What if I write a truly boring story that clashes with her colorful, interesting personality? What if can’t recreate that spunk, that spark she showed as a sidekick in Loved You Always?
I have started writing her story and I am still pretty nervous about it. I keep reading and rereading what I wrote. I have already rewritten the first scene three times. I want her love interest to be worthy of her and I want to give her the happy ending she deserves. A few days ago, after agonizing over the story for days, Marcy finally broke through the mire of my anxieties. Her quick wit and slight lack of filter shone through. I am now excited about her story and where it’s going. But don’t ask me where exactly. Remember? Pantser Queen is doing the writing.
Read Loved You Always
Author Natalina Reis 