Join me today in distracting author Anat Eliraz as she awaits a verdict on Jewels of Smoky Quartz from the blog The Fantasy Inn.  Eliraz is a fellow contestant in #SPFBO7.

When I asked her about secondary characters who tried to have more of a role her novel, she provided me with this creative response.

“I could tell her…”
“Don’t dare!” I glared at his face as a mischievous smile spread across it.
“Then give me a better part” he leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg lazily over the other.
“But you were supposed to be just a minor character!” I said between gritted teeth.
“Too bad… It’s your call.” His blue eyes following my every move.
“Okay!” I raised my hands in surrender.
“I knew I could talk sense into you!”  He smiled. He was handsome when he smiled, but not quite my type.
Without another word, he rose and moved to the door. Letting himself out, he closed the pages of ‘Jewels of Smoky Quartz’ behind him.
I let out a long sigh. Once the pages settled down, a giggle escaped me. It quickly turned into a hearty laughter.
“Two can play this game!” I said, mostly to myself, as I sat in front of the computer and started typing.

Lord Kiran was supposed to be just a side character. Someone the two main characters meet on their way. He was supposed to help them out a bit, give them a clue- but that was all.
As a panster, I don’t write the story from start to finish. I write scenes. The more I wrote, the more Lord Kiran demanded a larger part in the plot. He can be very persuasive at times…
I was reluctant at first, but once I decided to stop fighting him (Aikido training, after all!), I suddenly understood he could be more useful than I first anticipated.
Not only did he earn a larger part in the story- both in helping the plot progress and raising the tension in personal relationships, but he will further develop in the next book!
Sometimes characters have a mind of their own. From my experience- you should listen to them!