I usually do have my characters fleshed out to some degree before I start writing. Sometimes it’s just getting the basic personality down. For instance, I knew the mc for my recent novel would be strong, feisty and short-tempered (though I didn’t realize just how headstrong she would turn out to be!) and that the mc for my current novel would be sweet and gentle, with the gift of touching others emotionally and drawing out the best in them. It was just as much fun creating the men in their lives. My feisty mc got paired with a cool, calm and very collected man who was even more stubborn than she, while my lovely sweet gal is thrust into the life—and arms—of a hot-tempered, hot-blooded male. Such fun!
So yes, I do know my characters (sometimes quite well, sometimes not very well) and they always grow as the story progresses. And sometimes they give me headaches…
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