Characters Have Feelings, Too

Now that you all have read Linda's and Carol's book (don't tell them if you haven't and write a review on Amazon.com anyway ), I feel free to comment on my experience as one of the main characters.

If we go with a VRBO rating, I would give it 4 stars out of 5. Yes, I would do it again; it was quiet and clean; it was honest; I would do it again and recommend starring in a book to my friends and family. Yes, yes, yes. However, and this is why I'm not giving my experience as a protagonist 5 stars .....

Very importantly, I've noticed that the authors get all the attention and we - the characters who made it all happen - are relegated to the shelf. It would be nothing without us. All their Google docs would amount to zero.

Maybe they talk about us, but they never talk to us - I feel invisible; it hurts.

Linda and Carol have been yakking about the book at bookstores, book groups, fancy schmancy retirement homes, and I'm left at home writing this blog. At another time, I'll ask Maddy to comment on her experience of starring in a novel, but I know that I speak for many fictional characters when I say that readers don't take us seriously. We get no respect.

For almost 300 pages, I had agency. I moved that damn book along, and Maddy and I lived our best selves (a phrase that I don't hate yet, but I suspect contempt is on the horizon). Now, the authors talk about their experiences and their piddly conflicts AND people give them wine and snacks (good snacks, not trail mix) while Maddy and I are right next to them in the closed book, and no one has addressed one question or comment to us. No respect, invisible, ghosted, hurt.

All the clever things I said, well, the authors get credit for that, or people say "It's Linda on steroids." What about me? Me? When Maddy provides her warm insights, what do people say? "Carol worked in mental health for many years; she is very knowledgeable." What about Maddy?

All you readers, going forward, I hope you will be more considerate of those of us on the printed page. If I knew how to start a movement, it would be #charactersfeelings. Imagine all the characters who would join us????