A Deep Dive Into Crafting Believable Characters and Balancing Sci-Fi With Romance
Melody Kepler shares her journey in blending romance with sci-fi, creating authentic characters, and navigating the challenges of writing complex relationships.
Melody Kepler is a captivating romance writer whose love for space intertwines beautifully with the emotional depth of her stories. In her debut novel, Extension, she blends science fiction with romance, creating a tale that explores both the vastness of space and the intimate connections between characters. Kepler’s unique perspective, shaped by a passion for psychology and space exploration, brings her characters to life with authenticity and complexity. In this interview, she delves into her creative process, the challenges of balancing sci-fi and romance, and the emotional resonance that drives her writing. With a growing reputation in the genre, Kepler’s insights offer invaluable advice for aspiring authors seeking to craft meaningful and believable characters.
Kepler’s writing effortlessly combines emotional depth with the expansive wonders of space, creating a truly immersive reading experience.
What inspired you to blend romance with science fiction in your debut novel, “Extension”?
I grew up watching science fiction films with my Dad. I’ve always held a big interest in science, the process, and technology. When I started writing Extension, it wasn’t intended to be a romance, but the dialogue of the characters took their own spin and made it one. I’ve often found my initial inspiration for a story takes on a completely different direction after I figure out my character quirks.
“When I started writing Extension, it wasn’t intended to be a romance, but the dialogue of the characters took their own spin and made it one.” – Melody Kepler
How does your background in psychology influence the development of your characters?
I studied a bit of psychology in high school but nothing further as far as institutions go. But I do read a lot about psychology simply for the sake of understanding why myself, and the people around me do the things they do. This migrates over into characters effectively. I can evaluate what’s happening and if character actions match what is happening to them. It also helps with developing appropriate trauma in their past to make sure their reactions coincide appropriately.
Could you share the creative process behind crafting the complex relationship between Ayathesti and Tiamet in “Extension”?
Music. It’s the main driver of my creativity. I have separate playlists of music that I listen to when I’m writing each characters perspective chapters so that their voice comes through easier. I’m able to put myself into their emotional states so their dynamic flows in a real way.
What challenges did you face while writing a science fiction series that also explores deep emotional connections?
Knowing how much of each aspect to include. Do sci-fi readers like emotions? I’m not sure. I do. Do romance readers like sci-fi? I don’t know. But I do. The biggest struggle was finding the balance between the two so that each is present and effective without taking over the other.
How do you balance the technical aspects of space exploration with the emotional depth of your characters’ journeys?
By giving enough context about the technical aspects that a basic reader could understand without going in depth with an info dump. This allows for the science feel and leaves it open for emotional interpretation. Imagery is great to work with her and describing how looking at space makes me feel translates into character reactions easily.
What role does your love for space play in shaping the settings and themes of your stories?
It provides a comfort. Not all my stories are related to space, in fact I’m working on a dark fantasy trilogy right now that should be out in the next year. But even though there’s no space exploration, when I feel the pacing needs to have a slow, deep moment I usually look at the sky and it helps to ground me. It’s a calming experience invoking hope for the future and contentment with things as they are. All of these get incorporated into my stories.
As a mother and writer, how do you manage your time between family life and your writing career?
My stories are often in the forefront of my mind while I’m doing all my daily requirements. I have two older children and an infant. Plotting and planning happens throughout all hours of the day, but writing happens when everyone else is taken care of and into bed. It takes some extra time to get books written with only a few hours each day to do it in, but because the time is limited, I utilize it more efficiently than I would if I had all day free to work on projects.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to create authentic and emotionally resonant characters?
Try to put yourself in their situation. If the things that happened to, or said to, your characters happened to you, what would your reaction be? If your character is the opposite of you, do you think they would react the same way? It really helps to learn about different personality types and understand what makes you tick, so you can understand what makes others tick. Keep some notes on how your character reacts with certain things so you can check against it later for continuity. Are they quick to anger, or do they always smooth the conflict with a joke? Think of people you know with similar traits as your characters and think of how they would react. This can help with making them seem more real.
