CREATING CHARACTERS

I took a lot of care constructing the main character for my detective series. Foremost, I wanted a person who had a complicated background as well as someone who had personal obstacles to overcome. Also, he had to be someone who people might underestimate, a quality that he would use to his advantage.

Taking a shower one morning, the idea of Butch Larson (Fix to his friends) came fully formed in my mind’s eye. He was 4’4” and had dwarfism.

My first step was to learn all I could about the different forms of dwarfism (there are over 400). Each form has its own challenges. After much study, I decided Achondroplasia Dwarfism fit the image I had for Fix. The most common form of dwarfism, Achondroplasia Dwarfism affects bone growth, leading to shortened limbs, but an average sized torso and head.

My next step was to contact members of the Dwarfism community. The. first thing I learned is that the community is large, active, and amazing. After contacting author, advocate, and former LPA (Little Persons of America) Vice President, Angela Muir Van Etten, I was put in contact with two wonderful women who have Achondroplasia Dwarfism and who were willing to be my Beta and sensitivity readers. Through them, Fix became a complete and realistic hero.

Currently, my literary agent is shopping Fix’s first novel, “Toads, Twins, and Tenacity” to several Big Five publishers and their imprints. We’re getting some positive feedback and I’m hoping 2026 will be Fix’s year. I know of two Beta readers that have their fingers crossed.