Saying Goodbye (to book characters)

One of the hardest parts for me as an author is saying goodbye to characters. Whether they die on the page or the novel comes to an end, I find it sad and sometimes very difficult. Due to this completing a novel always brings about mixed emotions for me especially when the character has been with me for a long time.

My oldest character is my vampire Taku Kokawa. I originally created him in 2005 as another character’s antagonist/occasional lover and have been writing stories about him since then. So that’s 14 years and the majority of my adult life dedicated to one character. And as silly as it might sound, he’s become a part of me. In some shape or form, Taku is as much a part of my day as my family, friends, cat and work colleagues are. He is always there and it will be really strange when there comes a time that this ends.

So needless to say I am partly dreading the day that I finally complete his story. Of course another part of me is going to be proud of my work and achievement, and will not be able to wait to share my finish novel with everyone. But I’m honestly not going to be surprised if I shed a couple of tears over it too!

As I have mentioned, my sequel to Demon’s Blood is currently with my proof-reader, however this is not the final end that I am referring too. There is another novel in the works and the Demon’s Blood universe is ever expanding as new characters appear to shape and change that world. With this in mind I know that Taku will be with me for a few more years yet. I just wanted to touch on a subject that I know affects many authors and readers, and would love to hear stories of your beloved characters and what they mean to you.