Wicked Wednesday: Our Characters Celebrating

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Edith/Maddie here. Let’s talk this week about how our protagonists like to celebrate.

We’ve been talking about how we, the Wicked Authors, celebrate. But how about our main characters? When your protag has something exciting happen, how does she – or would she – celebrate? Is there a fictional celebration you’re looking forward to writing?

Sherry: Hmmmm, I don’t think my characters do a lot of celebrating. I need to fix that! They are usually so relieved the murderer has been caught that that in itself is a celebration. However, I’m going to make sure they start popping some sparkling wine with loved ones!

Jessie: Like me, my characters seem to have a fondness for celebrating. Edwina often buys special skeins of yarn or a new hat to mark an occasion. Beryl invites people over for a game of cards and whips up a batch of Gin Fizzes.

Julie: The Garden Squad celebrates by being together. Sometimes, most of the time, it’s with food. But at the end of Wreathing Havoc I have them celebrating by standing in a circle and cheering for each other. I love gatherings and celebrations in cozies–it drives home the warm feelings of the genre.

Liz: I don’t think my characters do enough celebrating either. When they do it’s usually food-related too. Maybe I need to get them having more fun…

Edith/Maddie: Julie, I love that circle of cheering. I had so much writing Robbie Jordan’s wedding at the end of No Grater Crime. Now that was a celebration! But you can’t have a pig roast and dancing in the barn for every small occasion. Robbie and Adele tend to sit around and celebrate with a little Four Roses bourbon, and Mac gathers with the book group and food.

Barb: Many of the Maine Clambake books and novellas end with a gathering, at the Snowden Family Clambake if the story is set in the summer, or at Julia’s mother’s house if it is not. Jane Darrowfield might have a nice dinner with her boyfriend, Harry, and after any adventure she does a complete post mortem with her bridge group.

Readers: How do you think our characters should celebrate? Writers – what do your characters do?

Published by Edith Maxwell

Agatha Award -winning author Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page) and short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries series, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the Cece Barton Mysteries (all from Kensington Publishing). She lives north of Boston in an antique house with her beau and cat Martin, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.

13 Thoughts

  1. I agree that some of the Wickeds’ characters do need to celebrate more. Just being relieved about surviving an(other) encounter with a killer is not enough!
    I think food brings friends and community together, so I am all for celebrating with a nice meal/drink.
    BTW, I know I am a bit biased in my answer since I am a total foodie but I think my suggestion is still valid!

  2. Food and conversation top my list. For example, the heroine and her best friend head to Dolly’s Cafe, where they enjoy pecan roast coffee with a piping-hot cinnamon roll. That’s when and where the secrets and clues flow! Even the Boston terrier celebrates when our heroine comes up with a new dog treat recipe.

  3. Kinda depends on the character and the reason for the celebration to me – might be a low-key meal or a mini vacation or fireworks! But I do agree ANY celebration is a great idea and there needs to be more!

  4. I enjoy endings with a celebration, so yes please more of that kind of ending. It is important to me that a book “wrap up” or provide closure for the plot and characters by book’s end, too. And, Edith ending a book with a wedding is so nice! Julie, having the Garden Squad stand in a circle and cheer for one another did warm my heart…I smile even now thinking back on it. Thank you!

  5. Sally Castle is likely to pop the cork on a bottle of wine – preferably red – and put her feet up. With a friend, of course.

    I don’t know that Jim Duncan celebrates much. He might have a beer at the end of a particular difficult day or case. Hmm.

    Betty is apt to go to a movie – or maybe treat herself to a real cup of coffee at a diner.

  6. I enjoy the happy moments with characters. I was commenting with a friend last night that the beginning of last night’s episode of The Flash was nice because, since the new season wasn’t starting with a cliffhanger, we had time to see the characters happy to getting to see character arcs for the season set up instead of all doom, gloom, and action.

    We need both, obviously, but we need those other moments to get to know the characters other ways.

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