#WordWeavers 27/2: Which of your characters do you find especially interesting? Why?

All who have a background story. And the more hidden that story is at first, the more interesting the character. It's hard to choose, but I believe Leander of #AlsterDiamonds takes the pick, poor tortured soul.

#PennedPossibilities 943 — Can you think of any real-life people who share traits with the characters in your WIP? How do these similarities affect your perception of the characters?

I steal certain traits and mix them up. I do this especially with antagonists. Both Dietrich from #FridaOfHamelin & Conrad from #AlsterDiamonds react in certain situations as I have seen real people react. I try to understand their motifs and then use this. It doesn't make them villains, but I don't really like 'em

#WritersCoffeeClub 2 Nov: What makes character growth believable to you?

Either it's a slow change or something truly pivotal happens. In any case, a complete turn is unbelievable - some roots must have been there before, some hints what this character is capable of.

I hope I pulled this off with Noel who grows from a self-absorbed teen into a leader (slowly) or Leander to whom a few truly traumatic things happen.

#OfElvesAndWolves
#AlsterDiamonds

#WritersCoffeeClub 23 July: Share a description you're proud of.

Am I proud of this one? Hm.

It's Sophie's first brush with the poor alley quarters of Hamburg.

#AlsterDiamonds

#PennedPossibilities 722 — Which one of your characters surprised you the most with the decisions they made?

Thought about this for a while, and I believe it's Sophie. She is much more eager to please her family than I believed her to be.
I had planned her more rebellious. But that didn't fit the Biedermeier period, and I don't like transplanting modern characters into historical times.
She did rebel in the end, though. Couldn't quite kill that 😆
#AlsterDiamonds

Edit: I hate autocorrect

#WordWeavers 25.May Do you prefer writing wealthy, middle class, or indigent characters?

Whatever fits the story.
Cyn in #ChasingWildDreams was once homeless and still carries that with him.
Niklas in #TheMindOnFire was poor but got adopted by a rich baron.
Katja in #OdysseyToThePromisedLand is in between starving but turns out to be not so poor after all.
And Sophie's family in #AlsterDiamonds is rich, but she's confronted with the alley quarters of Hamburg.

Whatever fits.

#WritersCoffeeClub Jan 11. Do you write or imagine a backstory for your secondary characters, or do they pop into existence as required?

Depends on the characters and on how much time I spend with the story. There's always stuff I know about the more important ones, but don't put it because it's irrelevant for the plot.
For smaller ones - no, not really. I don't know much about Dr. Kempe from #AlsterDiamonds, for instance.
But I do have a backstory for Hagen of #GabrielZurmuehlen

#WordWeavers Jan 6. When was the last time you wrote a character facing a difficult choice? Have they made the right decision?

Gabriel is faced with several choices, but the last time I wrote a character making a truly disastrous one was Leander in #AlsterDiamonds.
He never should have touched Konstanze.

#PennedPossibilities 547 — What inspired you to write your current WIP?

The previous book, #AlsterDiamonds. I wanted to explore a more ruthless MC.

However, as my beta just told me, I fear I lack the ability to write true psychopaths. They always turn out nice and too likable.
Alas.

#GabrielZurmuehlen