Audrey was a very different character when I first wrote her.
She was living with two cats and having an affair with a married man. Interestingly, she had a wise friend called Leah, who became Leisha in the later novel. But the story I wanted to tell needed to change focus. I felt, as a fledgling writer, I was leaning too heavily on the married man cliche, and I wanted her to be tough in unexpected ways. And her cats got in the way of her stripped-to-bare-basics life, so I took them out.
In my books I like to write the gamut of family of origin – from good, loving, helpful parents through strict and demanding parents, and onto negligent damaging parents.That last category figures deeply in the characters Audrey in this book, and Kat in The Feminist EarthMother PartyGirl. I like delving into the background of my characters because parents are so formative in who we are. And so I send these characters with difficult childhoods, like Audrey and Kat, into their adult stories, finding their way through the darkness and grief with strength, resourcefulness and persistence.
I like that Audrey and Kat are quite different. While Audrey is serious in her financial determination to look after herself, Kat throws caution to the wind and lives an irreverent lifestyle on almost nothing. But because I enjoy seeing my characters happy, they find their way through, regardless of their decisions.
Leisha is the centre of Because Life, but Audrey is its backbone. She fills in the gaps wherever needed, supporting and encouraging her friends, always kind and understanding and compassionate, always knowing what to say. Her own persistence and resourcefulness through adversity enables her friends to follow their heart, too.
Over Christmas and New Year I’ll be taking a break from posting, but there is still plenty of content here to read. When I return, we’ll be meeting Penny, the third of the original friendship group in Because Life.
I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Leisha and Audrey. And that you have a happy break!
Joni Page 