Saying Goodbye

By Landra Graf

When I start a new story, I naturally get knees deep in my character’s personalities and psyche; every good writer does. What I forget about is the part where I finish the book and have to say goodbye to each of the people I’ve created. Sure we get to catch up in edits and maybe do a few ‘hello’ and ‘goodbyes’ every time I write a blog post, but the experience isn’t the same.

It’s been a year since I received my contract from Decadent, over six months since I published my darling and said those goodbyes. How to fill the void?

I started a new book in which both characters from What You Need play a roll, albeit a secondary one. Yet, I love writing their dialogue and watching other character friends experience their humor and snark. 

For me, being able to say goodbye is important and keeps feelings of guilt and remorse at bay. Goodbyes allow you to tie up loose ends, to share emotions you’ve been locking away and end things on a happy note.

How does the entire sad goodbye’s topic tie into What You Need?

In my story, both Victoria and Royce lose out on saying goodbye the first time around. Victoria loses more than that, but no spoilers here. You’ll have to read the story for more information. Needless to say Madam Eve gives them a chance to air the guilt and correct the errors of the past. It’s not too often in reality we get to do the same.

So my question for readers and writers: Do you find it hard to say goodbye to books or characters you’ve read?

How do you fill the void?

#LandraGraf, #1NS, #1nightstand, #onenightstand, #decadentpub, #MadameEve