By Meri Allen/Shari Randall
Does anyone here follow their horoscope? In the distant, disco-colored past, a favorite cheesy pick up line was “what’s your sign?” Do people ask that anymore?
A few years ago I was visiting my favorite used book shop (The Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut) and stumbled upon a paperback copy of Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs. This book was a massive bestseller (over 100 million copies) and is lots of fun to read, even if you’re someone like me who isn’t completely convinced that the stars determine our personality.
Still, when I dove in, I found the book eye-opening. Why?
An author has to take many facets of personality into consideration when crafting a character. Age? Talents that would make a good sleuth? Personal history? Family? Appearance? I also like to know other things about my characters: I like to imagine their bookshelves, their pets, their favorite colors (The favorite of Riley Rhodes, the main character of my Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, is emerald green), and foods they can’t resist (Riley’s is, naturally, a hot fudge sundae).
As I write, my subconscious – or the character – will tell me things I didn’t know. One thing I didn’t know about Riley was that she was born on Halloween.
This told me something else about her. She was someone who had to share her special day with a holiday. Anyone born on December 25 knows what I’m talking about. Riley would trick or treat with friends on Halloween and then her dad always made sure that her birthday was celebrated November 1 with chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting. No kid wants to miss Halloween.
But this left me wondering. What about Riley’s horoscope? Did this birthdate fit her character? I flipped through Sun Signs.
Surprise! Riley is a Scorpio. My eyes widened when I read this description of Scorpio employees: “which (one) seems to have the most inner confidence, without being obvious about it, the steadiest eyes, the least excuses, and the most poise?”
Yep, that’s Riley.
Some insights that made me raise my eyebrows: Scorpio likes to travel incognito. Oh my goodness and here Riley is, a former asset with the CIA! How did she manage to tell me that?
Scorpios are loyal to friends. This is definitely a characteristic that readers always mention. Riley’s friendship with her best friend Caroline is one of the things I enjoy writing the most.
Some famous Scorpios: Katharine Hepburn, Marie Curie, George Eliot, Indira Gandhi, Theodore Roosevelt, Pablo Picasso, Margaret Mead, Bill Gates, Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio. People who are determined to follow their own path. Fits Riley to a T.
So tell me – what’s your sign? And writers – have you ever determined your character’s birthdate and sun sign?
Meri Allen is the super-secret pen name of Shari Randall, author of the award-winning Lobster Shack Mystery series. She's a Pisces and, like Riley, she cannot resist a hot fudge sundae. You can see what's new with her on Instagram and Facebook at @MeriAllenBooks and @ShariRandallAuthor.
