I was surfing one day last week, checking out fairy art, looking for dragonfly fairies, which are difficult to find. I happened across Julie Fain Art, and I found Willow!
In a crucial scene in the story, Noah sees Willow fly at her pond, at sunset. If you follow the link on my Fairy Stuff Links, and look for a print called "Fairy at Sunset," you'll see the scene exactly. I've communicated with Julie, and once I find a publisher, this print will become the cover for An Ordinary Fairy.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Louie Miller
Louie is one of my favorite characters in the story, even though he only appears a few times in a supporting role. He's a sweet, lovable person who plays a big role in Noah meeting Willow. A farmer by trade, now retired and living in a house in Hoopeston, he's a member of a coffee club that meets every morning at Henning's Root Beer Stand.
The fun thing about Louie Miller is that he is based on a real person, an old friend name Louie Turner, who is a retired farmer. Some people say you should never do that with a book character, but it's worked out fine. The real Louie thinks it's a hoot that he's in the book. Louie taught me a lot about farming and the farmer's way of life, which was a big influence in imagining Noah's background.
So did I change anything about the real Louie? Well, I made him younger, so he's frozen at age 64 in 2006, which isn't quite accurate. I didn't change his appearance, mannerisms, or speech from the real Louie of age sixty-four. Nor his work ethic or what he believes in. There were only two changes. In the story, Louie's wife's name is Catherine; in real life he's married to Norma. And of course, he lives in Hoopeston, while the real Louie has been a life-long resident of western Indiana, just across the border.
Louie has only a small appearance in the second novel, An American Fairy. In the third book, which is titled A Houseful of Fairies, he plays a very important role.
The fun thing about Louie Miller is that he is based on a real person, an old friend name Louie Turner, who is a retired farmer. Some people say you should never do that with a book character, but it's worked out fine. The real Louie thinks it's a hoot that he's in the book. Louie taught me a lot about farming and the farmer's way of life, which was a big influence in imagining Noah's background.
So did I change anything about the real Louie? Well, I made him younger, so he's frozen at age 64 in 2006, which isn't quite accurate. I didn't change his appearance, mannerisms, or speech from the real Louie of age sixty-four. Nor his work ethic or what he believes in. There were only two changes. In the story, Louie's wife's name is Catherine; in real life he's married to Norma. And of course, he lives in Hoopeston, while the real Louie has been a life-long resident of western Indiana, just across the border.
Louie has only a small appearance in the second novel, An American Fairy. In the third book, which is titled A Houseful of Fairies, he plays a very important role.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)