Friday's How She Does It featuring Cait Jarrod

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

 I don’t. As the story develops, the character evolves. I write the rough draft then go back and develop the characters.

2. Do your characters come before the plot?

 No. The plot comes first.

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

 No. I’ll write a skeleton outline…sometimes, but my fingers lead the way to the end. What I think might happen could change midstream.

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

 I’ve done both. In Kidnapped Hearts, I used places I had visited. For Entangled Love, I used the setting in California that I’d vacationed, but found house plans on line for the characters’ homes.

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

Mostly online.

6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

 I’m a draft writer. I like to get the ideas out first, let it sit for a bit, then go back and add depth. Sometimes, I revise a few times before I’m content with the outcome. The characters for the most part develop in the route to the end. I never know what kind of curve ball they’ll throw me.