Whenever I meet or hear from someone who has enjoyed reading one of my novels, I find myself quite blown away. Each time, I feel so privileged that words I agonised over a few years back now still touch people’s hearts and hopefully even impact their lives as well.
Recently I met someone who had just finished reading my novel ‘Laura’. Her mind was obviously still full of the characters and storyline, so our conversation went something like this:
‘I found your book so encouraging, Jo-Anne. I absolutely loved your character Laura – but I loved her brother Jamie too.’
‘That’s great – so did I!’ I smile, delighted.
‘I think you could write a sequel and explore Jamie’s journey. Margaret was doing the best she could – and I can understand why Ken acted like he did. Then there was Elisabeth – now who was her partner? What was his name again?’
[A moment’s silence before my new friend thankfully remembers it herself.]
‘ Oh that’s right – Paul. And Ian and Greg – well, they were just there, but I really loved Jamie.’
I have had such conversations before – conversations in which I valiantly try to remember who on earth this or that character actually is! I endeavour to hide my confusion and embarrassment, however. After all, how can I own up to forgetting someone I myself have created and fleshed out and journeyed with for months? Yes, there are the more notable ones I loved and will always remember, but am I currently writing my sixth novel – which means I have created a cast of well over a hundred characters at this point in time. I simply can’t store all their names in my head – and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m getting older!
Some say novelists act like gods, in that they are in a position to create whatever characters they like to populate their own little fictitious worlds. That may be the case – but they are nothing like the God I know. I forget my less memorable characters at least, but I’m so glad God doesn’t forget us, however memorable or otherwise we are! God says straight out in Isaiah 49:15: ‘I will not forget you!’ And Psalm 139 tells me that God knows everything about me – when I get up, when I go out, even what I’m thinking and what I’m about to say. I may forget those I have ‘created’ and what they did and said – but God knows me intimately and will never forget me. And I’m so glad of that.
How about you?