Rescues

Posted by Jorrie Spencer, 07/16/08 04:00 PM

A long time ago (almost seven years) on a planet far, far away (actually Martha’s Vineyard) a I read a short story in a science fiction and fantasy anthology. It was no romance. The ending was bitter and sad. But I found the story quite powerful.

So powerful that the main character stayed with me. And then, after a while, I wanted to “rescue” her.

What this actually means is that the story inspired me to such an extent that I wanted to write another, much longer story, where my she-werewolf had a happy ending. I like my HEAs but I also like to venture outside those kind of endings from time to time while reading. And occasionally I wish some character I’ve read about got their happy ending when they didn’t.

Of course, by the time I rewrite, I have a different character, a different world, and different rules in that world.

So I thought about my she-werewolf. I found she had a brother and that I needed to write her brother’s story first. The Strength of the Pack was born, in which Seth fears for his sister’s safety. Then a year later, I wrote The Strength of the Wolf, in which Veronica gets her happy ending, after quite a few trials and tribulations. At that point, I hadn’t read a lot of female werewolves and I really enjoyed writing one who was matched with a “normal” human.

I haven’t rescued anyone since then, perhaps in part because I’ve been reading lots of romances and happy or at least satisfying endings. (Though I have been writing. All sorts of things inspire me.) But there is a character in Dorothy Dunnett’s stunning six-book series, The Lymond Chronicles. Never has a character haunted me so long and so strongly. He broke my heart, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to save him.

So, does anyone else “rescue” characters?

Jorrie Spencer

Category: | 07/16/08 04:00 PM
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Comments: [4]

  1. 1 MJ

    I’ve rewritten the ending of a book that I loved to give the h/h a HEA. I never did anything with it, just gave myself peace of mind ;)

    Then one day at lunch a teacher talked to us about a case her cop husband had worked on, aout a 10 year old boy who’d never been to school because he’d been delivering drugs for this mother his whole life. She told us details about this little kid’s life that made me wonder what kind of man he’d be. I had to write a story to rescue him. I just finished the revisions, so hopefully someday everyone will see this little kid’s HEA…even though who knows what really happened to the child.

    Comment by MJ · Jul 16, 05:06 PM
  2. 2 Jorrie Spencer

    With the Dunnett character above, I’ve daydreamed his happy ending. But honestly, I couldn’t write that because it’s too close to the book, and I find I can’t write fanfiction, even for myself. Though I sure understand the impetus for it.

    Sad about the child, though. I hope people do see your fictional HEA.

    Comment by Jorrie Spencer · Jul 16, 06:26 PM
  3. 3 Magess

    I don’t, but I wish I could. The most heartbreaking character I’ve read is Mildmay from Sarah Monette’s Melusine (not for the faint of heart). Because all he is is sacrifice. And self-loathing, despite every wonderful quality he has.

    I can’t save him. But I really really want her to so I can feel okay about everything that he went through.

    Comment by Magess · Jul 18, 08:01 PM
  4. 4 Jorrie Spencer

    I’ve heard a lot about this series by Monette and many people seem to love Mildmay.

    It’s a wonderful thing, for a writer to make you feel so strongly. But it’s also really hard when you want the character to land somewhere that has some safety and some hope. (Not that I know how it ends up for Mildmay. I haven’t read them.)

    Comment by Jorrie Spencer · Jul 18, 08:25 PM

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