Hey, same! I meant it when I said I had to work hard to try to love Fred, as my character. The best we can do is to understand why someone has the motivations they do to perform acts that are morally questionable. Understanding does not excuse those acts, of course, but understanding and fellow feeling can remind us that the person we’re dealing with is human.
I miss these characters, too. I spent a lot of time with them, to be sure. But as soon as I had the final shape of the story in mind – knew exactly where it would end, what would happen with Fran and Wendy, what would happen to Baker-Taylor’s – I was at peace with reaching the finish line and letting the story go. These characters went as far as they could in a novel that is, well, over four hundred pages. R&E is a big book! As soon as I wrote the Birdie scene, near the book’s end, I knew I was done. The arc of the story clicked into place. I knew the remainder of my work was going to be fine-tuning the story that was already there.
I’m working on a new project, and it feels good.