All the Lies - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,45

to take the characters. I have introduced them and they've gotten together, but now I'm stuck.”

“I don't know how to help you get out of that predicament except to say that your characters have to want something. Unlike people who go through life generally bouncing around like balls in a pinball machine, with few clearly delineated goals, characters don't have the luxury to do that.”

I swirl the little glass spoon in my see-through teacup and stare at the rip in my jeans.

“Initially, your characters’ main goal was to get together, with one another, wasn't it?”

“Yes, I guess.”

“There are other things going on. If it's a romance, then you had to bring the two of them together. There had to be a spark. There had to be a fight. There had to be some intimacy.”

I nod.

“Now? That's the spot that you're stuck at, right?”

My eyes get wide.

I can't believe that he has pinpointed the exact stopping point in a novel that he has never read or even heard of until this moment.

“So, how do I get out of that situation?”

“You have to create some tension. They've gotten together and now they need a reason to stay together. They need tension. You could break them up or add some drama to their lives. Somebody who is against them, somebody trying to push them apart. Maybe it's something external like his mother, her mother, or money. Maybe it's internal like he isn't ready for a relationship or she is not ready to be exclusive. You could throw in some misunderstandings with an ex-girlfriend, but I would caution you to use those lightly. You can't have too many misunderstandings, unless of course you are writing a comedy. Is it a comedy?”

I think back on my angst ridden, long-suffering heroine and the secretly sensitive, alpha guy that brings her to her knees.

“No,” I say. “My story is definitely not a romantic comedy.”

“You have to think about what's driving the story. What problems do they have and how can you amplify those problems? The biggest issue that first-time writers have, I did as well, is that the main characters tend to be perfect and flat. The best stories are those where you take a flawed character with certain motivations and goals then you throw everything you can at them. They have to go through a lot, as many obstacles as possible in order to get what they want. I think that's what my readers like best about my books.”

“That's what I like about your books.”

He shrugs and says, “You really don't have to lie. Not everybody likes fantasy romance and that's totally fine with me. My parents haven't even read them.”

“Wow, plot twist,” I say.

He laughs.

“Wait, are you serious? Your parents haven't read your books?”

“Nope. That's okay, they’re not for everyone.”

“Still, I thought that they would at least be interested in your work.”

“You don't know my parents.”

“You're so successful. How could they not…”

The thought is just shocking to me. Despite my parents’ objections to my line of work, I know that they read every single article that I write and always praise me for them.

“My parents never wanted me to be a writer. They thought that it was a waste of time. I have an okay relationship with them, but it exists outside of my work. If you end up writing and polishing fiction, you'll find out that your readers exist on the Internet and out there in the world. They will likely not be found in your family. If your family members do read your book, then they will only be doing it as a favor, and that's not the sort of favor that you want.”

I shake my head, some aspects of who Liam is are finally becoming clear. Yet with every question that I ask and get an answer to, five more sprout up.

“So, no one in your family has ever read your books?”

He shakes his head and starts, “Not that I know of. I use that pen name for a reason. When I was first getting started, I wasn't sure where this was all going to go. Frankly, I was embarrassed by the fact that I was pursuing this line of work, but the more authors that I met, the more that I found out about it, how interested the readers are, and how voracious their book buying is, the more excited I got about pursuing this line of work. Publishing houses will have you believe that there’s something amateurish about what we