Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly, where we give you insight into our process, motivation, and inspiration as writers. This week, I asked my fellow RWW members to interview a character from one of their novels or works-in-progress.

Did you catch the lovely Leslie Hachtel‘s entry? If not, don’t forget to check it out.

Since Calum Me Maybe is on its way to you soon, I decided to sit down with my hero, Duff, and pick his brain. Always an interesting undertaking. He may have enjoyed a dram or two during our chat, so…consider yourself warned. Also, you may need a glossary. 😉

Duff smilingXio: Thanks for sitting down with me, Duff, I know that you just got back from…where were you?

Duff: Argentina.

Xio: Oh, nice! I’ve always wanted to go there.

Duff: Aye, you should. Lovely place.

Xio: It’s on my bucket list.

Duff: Yer what, now?

Xio: My bucket list. You know, my list of things to do before I kick the bucket.

Duff: (chuckles) Americans.

Xio: Don’t start. Okay let’s get to the five questions. First one is, what’s your favourite word?

Duff: Shit.

Xio: Really?

Duff: No, I mean shit…I havta think of a favourite word. [laughs] Er…damn, that’s not easy. [long pause] I think it might be hello.

Xio: Hmm, that’s an interesting one. Why hello?

Duff: I s’pose it’s because it’s the beginning of something. All sorts of things can follow a hello.

Xio: Hello, I love you, won’t you tell me your name?

Duff: Hello darkness, my old friend. [sings] Hello…is it me you’re lookin’ for?

Xio: Haha! Nice voice, you have there.

Duff: Och? Cheers.

Xio: Okay, next question. What is your fondest childhood memory?Duff thinking

Duff: [silent for quite some time]

Xio: Is that a tough one?

Duff: Well, it’s no’ an easy one.

Xio: You don’t have to answer, if…

Duff: No, s’okay. Jest…well, there was this one time. I was a wee mannie then. About five, y’ken. My mum decided to plant flowers beneath the front window. I wanted to help, so she taught me how to turn the soil. Showed me how deep to dig and how to plant the seedlings. She used her bare hands. When I asked her why, she said it was because she wanted to feel the earth. We spent much of the afternoon plantin’ and chattin’ about flowers – and worms [laughs] – and how things grew, with sun and water. She sang while we worked.

Xio: That’s a really sweet memory.

Duff: [clears his throat] Aye. What’s the next question?

Xio: Um…what one thing in your past do you wish you could do differently?

Duff: Michty me, these are a bit loaded, eh?

Xio: Sorry!

Duff: S’alright. Sure, there are a lot of things I wish I had done differently.

Xio: You don’t have to bare your soul here, this is supposed to be fun.

Duff: I wish I’d kept my first camera. It was an old, knackered 35mm. Had dings and dents and sticky widgets, but I developed my eye with it.

Xio: No idea where it is?

Duff: None. Though, I should ask me Gran. She might know.

Xio: Ginny seems like the type to hold onto things like that.

Duff: You’ve met ‘er? [winks] Yah, me Gran loves to pull out little bits of history, now and again. She grand that way.

Yummy...Xio: Indeed, ehehe. Here’s an easy one – Vanilla or Chocolate?

Duff: That’s no’ easy! [He grabs an apple from his knapsack, pulls out a small switchblade, and begins cutting into it.]

Xio: Did the question make you hungry?

Duff: It reminded me. [laughs] Vanilla or chocolate? Are those my only two choices?

Xio: You’re free to volunteer another option.

Duff: [He’s chewing while he thinks. I’m in no hurry. Watching him eat is…a thing.] I s’pose I’d havta say vanilla.

Xio: I would have lost a bet. I swore you were a chocolate person.

Duff: I like chocolate too, but vanilla reminds me of my er…well, Lovie uses some shampoo or lotion that smells of vanilla.

Xio: Ahh, of course. I was wondering when we’d get to her.

Duff: Lovie? [He’s blushing now, by the way.] Yeah…well…

Xio: Say no more, ehehe. Final question: if you could have lunch with one famous person (alive or not) who would it be and why?

Duff: Well…you. [He’s giving me this killer smile.]

Xio: Huh? I’m not famous.

Duff: No, well not yet. [I’m blushing now.] But this is the longest talk we’ve had. I know very little about ye.

Xio: Oh, Duff. You cheeky boy. Aside from me [I can’t stop grinning!] who would you want to sit down with?

Duff: Van Gogh.

Xio: Oh, nice one!

Duff: Assuming I could speak Dutch, or he could speak English, I would ask him to describe the world as he saw it. Maybe teach me to see it through his eyes.

Xio: There was a lot of darkness in him. A lot of pain that he drew from.

Duff: Aye. I know. [claps his hands together] Now! You. Stand up, we’re taking your photograph.

Xio: No! I look awful! Let me take one of you…why is your shirt off?Duff can't stay dressed

Duff: I like the freedom, and I don’t get to do it much when I’m on location.

Xio: Hey, I’m not complaining. Stand over there.

Duff: Did ye get the shot?

Xio: Um…what?

Duff: The shot? Did ye…

Xio: Oh! Yeah! Yeah…yeah.

Duff: Great. Now you.

 

Ahem. Well, that’s it for me this week. Head on over to Fiona Riplee‘s and see how her interview went. Til next time! 😉