What will the reader remember?

Dr. Dawn Field posted a series of questions to ask oneself about your novel. The one that struck me was “What do you want people to remember about this book?” Interesting question, yes? So I started to think about it in relation to the book I’m currently working on. I was stumped. Flat out flummoxed. So I started with other books, some published long ago, and asked that question.

Time and time again, the answer that came to me was “the characters.” Did I make them life-like enough? Are they true to themselves within the confines of the book? Do they ring false at all? I have to say, I like my people, as I call them. They live their own lives within the framework I give them, but they grow organically, and mostly by themselves. If any of them start wandering outside the lines of the story, I have to rein them in. Sometimes I promise them their own book, and make sure they have a new tale to look forward to.

This must have grown out of a childhood spent pretty much alone, playing with dolls who were as alive to me as flesh and blood. We moved quite a bit, and my dolls were my one constant. We had many conversations over the tea set my mother brought me from Hong Kong.

Is there anything you’ve taken from my books that sticks with you and if so, what is it? Would love to know.