Friday's Writing Style - From Liz Matis

1. How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific process?

I have a general sense of my main characters. I’ve tried character charts
but other than listing physical traits they end up blank. I learn about my
characters as the book progresses. For my heroes there is always some celebrity that I’m in love with at the moment that serves as my muse. Russ Rowland in Love By Design is based on Josh Holloway from the TV series, Lost. The hair, the build, the sexiness, and the attitude are inspired by the character Sawyer.

2. Do your characters come before the plot? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

I would say I have more of a premise than plot at the beginning. For
instance the premise Love By Design came from my love of HGTV(though you wouldn’t know it by the décor of my house). I immediately thought
Sex in the City meets Trading Spaces.

3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?

In Love By Design it was very general as in they live happily ever
after. But in my November release Playing For Keeps I knew the ending. With both books I wrote the final chapter when writer’s block hit midway through and that inspired me write to the end.

4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?

Both Love By Design and Playing For Keeps are set in New York. Not that my books are seeped in setting – it’s probably a weakness in my writing - though as a reader I tend to skip over descriptions of setting.

5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?

Both.