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Your Turn Now
In the above excerpt from A Deadly Game of Malice, we learn that Holly Armstrong is a survivor, tough, judgmental, and quite given to gossip. She’s also practical and realistic. I simply borrowed some of her backstory from The Broochand embellished upon it for the novella. I did the same for her friend, Flora. The characters became much more than stick or cardboard figures and when they left the story—you’ll need to read the novel to discover how—I hope readers missed them. I know I did.
Think about a longer story you could write that would extend the lives of one or more of your favorite short story characters. In writing A Deadly Game ofMalice, I truly enjoyed working with these elderly characters a second time. And the funny thing? I thought I knew them well but was surprised to learn they still had a few tricks up their sleeves I hadn’t expected.