7/15/2023 0 Comments Invisible emmie main charactersErin Hamilton was recently offered the opportunity to ask Terri a few questions about her characters! Baltzer+Bray, 2017, 192 pp.Tyler, Brianna, Jaime, Izzy and Emmie are all characters in Terri Libenson’s graphic novels, published in the UK by HarperCollins.In a previous interview, you mentioned using “voice” when cartooning.How do you ensure the character’s voice comes through the illustrations and story? I just keep in mind the character’s general likes, dislikes, and overall personality. I can usually tell if a character does something not “on brand” just by gut feeling. For example, Emmie is more people-pleasing and timid, so her reaction to a situation wouldn’t be aggressive (unless pushed too far, of course!). Whereas Bri is more sarcastic and reactionary, so a more aggressive response may be her go-to. Each of the books is told from a different character’s perspective- was this planned as a series to cover each character or did it develop over time? Are there challenges with a series of books using the same characters but featuring a new voice?.As a shy kid, Emmie is more inclined to be hunched over and turn inward, whereas a more outgoing character like Jaime may strut with confidence. This wasn’t planned until I wrote my second book (POSITIVELY IZZY). After INVISIBLE EMMIE, I thought Emmie’s story was done…at least for the time being (although I brought her back for TRULY TYLER). Brianna, Emmie’s best friend, was a great choice. She was already well-developed and the perfect protagonist for a story about being thrown into the spotlight – something I do again later in BECOMING BRIANNA (poor Bri). I love rotating characters within the Lakefront Middle School universe. It keeps my writing fresh and challenging, and I think it holds readers’ interest. Kids often write to me, asking “who’s next?”. For main characters whose personalities hadn’t previously been developed, I had to start from scratch (like Jaime and Maya, who had only been known as talkative “Gossip Girls”. So it’s often a struggle as I begin writing for them. Your talent is evident and obvious but I wonder whether your style has changed or evolved over the years?.I try to make a list of their traits, hobbies, background, and quirks. Practice makes perfect…or at least it changes the style until it becomes what it’s really meant to be (that’s how I look at it). Graphic Novels and comics are having a revival at the moment with teachers and educators promoting them to all ages and with publishers answering the call for more.I wrote and illustrated it for fourteen years, and I barely recognize the writing and art in its early days! This was most evident, though, when I used to work on a daily comic strip, The Pajama Diaries. I think they have wide appeal because they are a feast for all the senses. The back-and-forth play between writing and art adds another layer of interest. Also, for anyone who’s drawn to visual humor (like I was when I was a kid), graphic or illustrated novels are a wonderful bridge to all kinds of books.
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