Destination: A Witch in Venice

A Witch in Venice story begins immediately after the conclusion of Italian Masquerade. It's New Year's Day 2006 in Venice. Neal and Sara, after dating secretly for months, are longer hiding their relationship. But their status still may not be obvious. Sara works in London and their opportunities to meet will be severely restricted.

The Dante Connection

Despite Mozzie's alias of Dante Haversham, in canon he wasn't linked to the fourteenth-century Italian poet. The alias appeared to be a spur-of-the-moment decision when he was surprised by Peter's unexpected presence in Neal's loft. I much prefer Penna's account. In Caffrey Conversation, Peter dubs Mozzie with the nickname because he worries Neal's unknown comrade will lead him astray. Mozzie approved of the nickname, pointing out that Dante could lead Neal to paradise, and adopted it as one of his aliases.

Ideas from Writing Retreat 2018

Several of the ideas in the first chapter of Italian Masquerade were born during a writing retreat in 2018. Penna and I traveled to Las Vegas that year. She remembered the city with fondness from previous trips. She'd been inspired by her experiences to have Neal and Henry work in Las Vegas during their time on the road. The account is found in Caffrey Disclosure.

Backdrop to Italian Masquerade

Italian Masquerade is the final story in the Caffrey Conversation cycle for 2005. It begins in mid-December and finishes on New Year's Eve. It is also the conclusion of the Clueless con. In the prequel, Cloister of Secrets, Neal and Sara revealed to Peter, El, Travis, and Neal's friends at Columbia University that they've been dating in secret. To make the unveiling a memorable event for Henry, Neal has drawn on his teammates and college friends for the final phase—Operation Checkmate.

Library Acquisition: Rue Saint-Martin

Rue Saint-Martin is the fifth story in Tales from the Library, a series based on The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. Much of the action takes place in a previously unvisited alternate world—Paris in the year 1793. In our world, the Reign of Terror had Paris by the throat in 1793, but that's not necessarily the case in other realities.

The Veterans of Caffrey Conversation

Veterans Day is on November 11, and to celebrate we'd like to shine the spotlight on the veterans in our series. In canon, Clinton Jones, who served in the Navy, was the only team member known to be a vet. In addition, several episodes featured the military. Penna greatly expanded the number of veterans in Caffrey Conversation. Neal's uncle David, Angela's father, was killed during active service with the Air Force in Afghanistan. Neal's godfather is Colonel Trent Lombard, also with the Air Force. Trent was featured in Caffrey Envoy. Neal's grandfather Edmund served in the Army. He met his future wife Irene when she was on tour with the USO. Penna also introduced us to George Knightley, a Navy buddy of Jones who lost the lower part of one leg while on active duty. George first appeared in Caffrey Flashback.

Halloween Magic

Who can resist the magic of Halloween? Certainly not me, as Neal can personally attest. So far Halloween has been featured in two of my Caffrey Conversation stories. In 2004, Neal and Peter were put through the wringer in Azathoth's haunted house (The Woman in Blue). The next year, Mozzie and Sara joined them for a ghostly Halloween complete with tangerine slime (Columbia Ghost Story). Arkham Neal celebrated Halloween in The Crypt when he was treated to the trifecta of Arkham's nasty creatures—nightgaunts, ghasts, and zoogs.

Character Redemption Arcs

It's possible that I have a mild addiction to writing character redemption arcs. Often I want to redeem my villains. It takes me by surprise when they don't want to be redeemed. Robert Winslow, for instance, in "Caffrey Flashback" and "Caffrey Disclosure" insisted that he was not going to change.

Happy Anniversary to White Collar

Ten years ago, on October 23, 2009, White Collar premiered in the United States. The pilot is in many respects my favorite episode. It set the stage for the close friendship between Neal and Peter while demonstrating the charm, wit, and urbane sophistication which would be trademarks of the series. Over the past six years that we've been writing Caffrey Conversation, Penna and I have referenced many of the scenes from the pilot. Here are some of our favorites.

Happy Fic-versary!

The term "bookversary" has been popping up for the anniversary of book publications. Is ficversary a word yet? If so, it's time to use it in honor of Silbrith publishing "Complications" -- her first ever fanfic -- on October 23, 2014.

An introvert at a writing conference

Recently a writers group hosted a writing conference at a local hotel, and several of the workshops were relevant to my science fiction novel. Feeling very bold, I decided to attend. Now I've recovered sufficiently to describe the experience.

Vault Acquisition: Sands of Abydos

Sands of Abydos is the seventh acquisition of the library vault at Miskatonic University. It is the sequel to Time Crystals in the Arkham Files series. The first chapter begins on December 26, 1975, twelve days after the conclusion of Time Crystals.

Six-Crossed Knot: Backdrop to Illusion's Voice

Illusion's Voice is the eighth story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The story opens on October 31, 1599. On this day nine years ago, Diana and Matthew timewalked into the world of Elizabethan England. Jack is currently 16 years old.

The Mozart Connection

White Collar has an eclectic soundtrack of pop, rock, and classical music. The wide-ranging repertoire suits the personality of Neal Caffrey, a Renaissance man of diverse tastes. Among the canon list of featured composers, Mozart is particularly significant.

Writing Woes: Guilt

Like many writers, I have a tendency to procrastinate. Taking breaks from my writing hasn't been all bad. The extra time to rethink my story has resulted in improvements that I'm proud of. However, I thought I'd be done with my novel by now, and the more I procrastinate, the more that procrastination has become linked with something else: guilt.

A Win-Win-Win Situation

In Night Music, the demon Crowley obsesses about a threat to his well-being. He's convinced that Winston-Winslow, a private investigation firm usually abbreviated to Win-Win, is actually a front for the Men of Letters and that Henry Winslow is a cousin of the Winchester brothers. I'm flattered when readers ask if I'd planned Crowley's Win-Win-Win nightmare from the beginning. I wish I could say I was that farsighted but it was a case of sheer serendipity. The more I thought about it, though, the less convinced I became. Could supernatural forces have played a role? In my search to discover the truth, I decided to interview the creative genius behind the Caffrey Conversation AU, the one and only Penna Nomen.

Catspaws and Muddled Lyrics

We've all had them—the typos, the malaprops, the unintended innuendos which make us blush and want to crawl into a hole or convenient oven. No matter how often we reread our stories, the little demons manage to sneak in. They're treacherous fiends with the ability to be invisible to the writer but glaringly obvious to the reader. If you're extremely lucky, you have a writing partner like Penna to help ferret them out.

Happily Independent After

Recently I read a sample of a romance novel, and had an unexpected realization: I didn't want to read about the heroine falling in love with the hero. In fact, I didn't want to read about the hero at all.

Destination: Night Music

Night Music is set in 2005, shortly after Thanksgiving. Neal has returned to New York after having spent the holiday in France with Sara. See Cloister of Secrets for details.

Attack of the Plot Bunnies

A theme has emerged the last couple of days on the Twitter accounts I follow: plot bunnies leading innocent authors astray. Has anyone studied the habits of plot bunnies? Are they breeding this time of year? A particularly tenacious plot bunny jumped into my life this weekend, too.

Library Acquisition: Olmstead Manor

Olmstead Manor is the fourth story in Tales from the Library, a series based on The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. As Irene and Kai continue their hunt for Count Lecerf, a rogue Fae, Kai is forced to disclose an incident from his past which could impact his and Irene's relationship.

Cloister of Secrets Sandbox

Mozzie likes to remind us that every con has an expiration date. That holds true for even the lighthearted ones. As of November 2005, the Clueless con has lasted for 5 months of Neal's life. That translates into 11 stories and over 600,000 words. In this story, the con begins to unravel in earnest.

Rare Manuscripts in Caffrey Conversation

Illuminated manuscripts have a natural appeal to Neal Caffrey. They're artistically significant. Their rarity makes them valuable treasures. In other words, they're catnip for the artistic thief. In canon, manuscripts figured in several episodes. Neal alluded to his forgery of the Papyrus Seven Scrolls in a discussion with Raquel. In the episode "Vital Signs" he let slip he'd used Carrier Pigeons in his theft of the Antioch Manuscripts. Then there was the forgery of the Vinland map, a Faulkner manuscript . . . it's a long list.

The Balance of Loss and Hope

A week ago a multi-published author did me the great honor of reading the first chapters of my novel, and spent an hour talking to me about what I've written. As we discussed the direction I have in mind, she steered the conversation to the concept of risks and loss. What does the main character stand to lose? What is he willing to sacrifice?

Caffrey Conversation Series: Cloister of Secrets

Cloister of Secrets takes place in November 2005, a few days after the final scene in Columbia Ghost Story. Neal has been working for close to two years at White Collar. He's also enrolled in the graduate program at Columbia University where he's pursuing a doctorate in art history and a master's in visual arts. At Columbia, Neal's best friends are Richard Carlisle and Aidan Phillips.

Six-Crossed Knot: Backdrop to Golden Bubble

Golden Bubble is the seventh story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. It is now two years after Diana and Matthew's departure. Jack is ten years old. In the summer of 1593, the plague is ravaging London. Approximately one-eighth of London's population will eventually succumb to the outbreak.

Time Crystals Sandbox

Time Crystals wasn't initially meant to be. Arkham Files was designed to be a four-story arc, concluding with Cinereous Skies where Neal learns the truth about his hybrid nature. But I've learned that plans can often go awry when writing meta works. The characters in Caffrey Conversation rose in revolt. How could I abandon the stories when Rolf and Klaus are still a force to be reckoned with? And then there are all the romantic conspiracies that have yet to be resolved. Mozzie sent me a document highlighting comments from readers who were asking about Neal's childhood. So here we are, with the sixth story now completed. Times Crystals is at the intersection of two arcs. By going back in time, Neal and his friends lay the framework for what will happen in the future.

A journey through fandoms

The recent announcement that a version of Jane Austen's Sanditon will air on PBS next year had me pondering my journey through fandoms. Because White Collar is the first fandom I published any stories for, I'm sure I've given the impression that it was the first fandom I participated in. In reality, I've progressed through many fandoms and fannish activities before I worked up the nerve to participate in a public forum. Let's stroll down memory lane.

The Animals of Arkham Files

In Arkham Files, the characters from Caffrey Conversation acquire new skills. Neal is a linguistics scholar, Peter an archaeologist, Mozzie an astrophysicist, and Elizabeth a neurologist. But people aren't are only characters in our series as Penna pointed out in her post, The Animals of Caffrey Conversation. Animals feature prominently in my Arkham Files stories and they too have enhanced abilities.

Genji and Fanfics

Penna recently sent me a link to a fascinating article called There's fanfic at The Met and it's all because of The Tale of Genji. The article discusses an exhibit that was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated. On display were various literary works, art, and clothing that were inspired by the book. The Met didn't use the word fanfics in the exhibition title but they could have. The authors and creators of the exhibited items all have something in common—a love of the original work, an attribute shared by fanfic and fanart creators everywhere.

Green Fiction

Perhaps there's another a term for it, but I haven't run across it yet. Until I find an official name for it, I'm describing my work-in-progress novel as "Green" fiction. I don't think utopian is quite the right word for it, although it's definitely not dystopian. So, what do I mean by green?

Worldbuilding: Tirelia

Tirelia is the third exoplanet to join the Arkham Files universe. Like Celaeno and Merope, its roots can be traced to the Cthulhu Mythos. H.P. Lovecraft created a world called the Dreamlands that could be accessed through one's dreams. In Arkham Files, that dream has become a physical world. I christened it Tirelia.

Dichotomies in our stories

I remember a lot of dichotomies from my childhood. We moved often, making me the "new kid" trying to find my place among kids who had grown up together. Other distinctions introduced in school were the the kids with good grades versus the kids with lower grades. There were the kids who took Spanish to meet the language requirements versus the kids who took French. There were athletes versus nerds, and so forth. I understood the dichotomies, but didn't embrace them. In fact, some of my favorite stories are about proving such dichotomies to be false.

Arkham's Odd Couple

Fathers have been much on my mind recently, and not just because Father's Day will be next weekend. In Time Crystals, Neal's father was Zophar, but Neal didn't realize it. The Meropian was only an occasional visitor to the household. The only family members Neal thought he had were his mother and her father, and both of them were dead by the time the story begins. When Peter and Mozzie enter Neal's life, he quickly latches onto them to fill the void.

Group projects and our characters

How many times did my teachers say that group projects were good for us, because we'd need to work in groups as adults? Too many. At least that's how it felt from late elementary school through high school. I was always glad to see those group projects end. As a grown up, things are different, both professionally and in my writing.

Mozzie the Road Warrior

A few months ago, Penna wrote a post about The Cars in Caffrey Conversation. Her focus was on Neal and Peter. In this post, I'd like to shine the spotlight on Mozzie's connection to cars.

When characters get out of hand

I'm back from the writers retreat. I'm full of ideas for my novel. I wrote part of a new scene yesterday that involved a fair amount of world building. I'm totally focused. Except...

Last night the Caffrey Conversation AU characters popped up. You've been reading a lot of Jane Austen-inspired books recently, they say.

Henry: A Man for All Series

Those of you who are familiar with Henry Winslow would say that his inclusion in Arkham Files was inevitable. Neal's cousin is the most popular of all the Caffrey Conversation original characters. Penna introduced him in the very first story of the series, Caffrey Conversation. From that mysterious beginning when it was hard to know if he was a real person or simply an alias, Henry's role has steadily increased in importance. Readers have been lavish in their praise of Penna's creation. One compliment, among many, which Henry especially loved was that he seemed such a natural addition the reader had difficulty remembering he wasn't a canon character.

Memorial Day thoughts

Somewhat to my surprise, we haven't written a post featuring Memorial Day. I suspect the reason is that this weekend falls close to my mother's birthday. The onslaught of memories and the focus on loss often hits me hard. And yet, exploring that grief has been important to me in the Caffrey Conversation series.

Writing retreat: 2019

Less than a week ago we wrapped up our third annual writers' retreat. When I first got back home, I struggled with how to summarize the event. It took a few days to gain the perspective to see that a theme had in fact developed. And that theme was: Endings.

Vault Acquistion: Time Crystals

Time Crystals is the latest acquisition to the library vault at Miskatonic University. It is the sequel to Lion's Lair in the Arkham Files series. At the beginning of the story, the winter holidays are fast approaching in Arkham, Massachusetts. Peter is laying the groundwork for a field expedition to Egypt which is scheduled to take place later in the month, but it may have to be postponed if the toxin in Neal's body can't be neutralized.

Columbia Ghost Story Sandbox

Columbia Ghost Story is now a wrap. I posted the last chapter this morning. Arriving at that final page is a bittersweet experience for a story that has been on the drawing board for close to four years. Before moving on to another story, I hit the pause button to leaf through the scrapbook.

Columbia Ghost Story: Vengeful Spirits

Oblivion is a scary place. The underworld kingdom is home to vampires and witches who have been killed on Earth, but the most terrifying residents of all are vengeful spirits. Once mortal, they are now consumed by an insatiable desire for revenge. In Columbia Ghost Story, Thanatos sends one back to the upper world. It's the first step in his own plan to exact revenge on Astrena.

Day jobs and side projects

It's almost the one-year anniversary of starting my current job. I remember commiserating last year with what Neal was going through in White Collar's first season, as he adjusted to the oddities of working for a government agency. Now I'm reflecting on what this job has meant to my writing, and what Neal's job meant to his side gigs.

Neal's Inner Child

If ever Neal could be excused to have an inner child moment, it's after the conclusion of my previous story, The Musicians. During that tale, he'd been subjected to psychological manipulation, abducted, and drugged into a state of schizophrenia for a week. When he was cleared to return to work, he was on restricted duty for three weeks. Neal could easily argue giving free rein to his inner child was excellent therapy not only for him but for Peter. It was a sign that he was back to normal.

Shaken, Not Stirred

For the speakeasy party in Columbia Ghost Story, Neal reprises a James Bond costume he wore in an Arkham Files story while Sara dresses as Emma Peel from The Avengers. Although they have a moment wishing they'd been disguised as d'Artagnan and Constance, James Bond has a much stronger connection to Caffrey Conversation.

Putting it into practice

In March I wrote a few posts about including more diversity in our stories, and specifically mentioned a goal of being able to pass the Bechdel test more often. Then I turned my focus back to my novel, where the two main characters are an eighteen-year-old boy (Zach) and his father (Mitch). With most scenes in the POV of one of those characters, or at least featuring them, it was a challenge to pass the Bechdel test even though I have a host of marvelous female characters.

Destination: Columbia Ghost Story

Columbia Ghost Story begins a few days after the conclusion of The Musicians. As Halloween approaches, the team makes plans to celebrate the successful completion of a case with a costume party. It is not intended to be a Halloween party, but Mozzie makes a discovery in the tunnels under Columbia University that may change their minds.

Celebrating Writing Accomplishments

Posting a story online is exciting and scary. There's a sense of accomplishment at having completed a story -- or even a chapter -- that's ready for the world. There's also the fear of how it will be received. Will people like it? Will they read it? What if it falls into the hands of trolls?

One of the ways Silbrith and I ease those fears is with our posting rituals.

Playing with plotter and pantser styles of writing

In my mid-teens, my mother introduced me to the power of making lists and crossing things off as done. I embraced the concept wholeheartedly, and I guess it's no surprise that when I started writing longer stories, I created outlines consisting of several pages of plot points. It was a few years later that I learned the terms "plotter" and "pantser." A plotter figures out the whole plot before writing anything. A pantser goes by the seat of their pants and doesn't plan anything. Obviously, I was a plotter.

Or was I?

Library Acquisition: Thrushfield Hall

Thrushfield Hall is the third story in Tales from the Library, a series based on The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. In the previous story, The Red Chamber, Irene and Kai had their first face-to-face encounter with Count Lecerf, a Fae who appears to have claimed the alternate world where Irene is Librarian-in-Residence as his private playground. This doesn't sit well with Lord Silver, who likes to think he is the leader of the London Fae population. Silver has been known to pass Irene an occasional nugget of useful information when it suits his self-interest.

Children in Caffrey Conversation

Do you remember the White Collar episodes featuring children? Neal connected with them more easily. Peter often looked distinctly uncomfortable at first, and then eventually made a connection of his own.

Introducing children into stories helps us see a softer side of our characters. Scenes with little kids can be an acquired taste, both as a writer and as a reader. I like to think that it's an area where Silbrith and I have both grown, and now we want to celebrate the kids who stole our hearts.

Six-Crossed Knot: Backdrop to Adrift

Adrift is the sixth story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The story takes place in August of 1591, roughly two months after Diana and Matthew returned to the twenty-first century.

Klaus at the Crossroads

When I think of master art thief Klaus Mansfeld as The Musicians comes to an end, the song "Where Do We Go from Here?" from the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire-Slayer begins playing in my head. At the end of the story, Klaus is led away in handcuffs after having spent the past several days in intense soul-searching. Ever since The Woman in Blue, Klaus has been driven by the desire to have Neal become a member of his crew once more. But this past week he decided the price he was forcing Neal to pay was too high. As police stormed the castle, he was attempting to help Neal escape.

Not another story about straight white men - Part 3

This week we're highlighting the LGBTQ characters in our stories, and reflecting on where we want to go next to improve representation in our stories.

Let's start with our canon couple: Diana and Christie.

When an Asset Becomes a Vulnerability

One of Henry's most admirable traits is his sense of responsibility when it comes to Neal. His selfless devotion has caused him to make numerous sacrifices. Henry switched universities and put his own career on hold in order to spend time with Neal. When Neal was recruited by the FBI, Henry made it his business to ensure that Peter was up to Henry's exacting standards. Although Henry lived in a different city, he continued to keep a close eye on Neal. In the spring of 2004, Henry took a leave from absence at his company to help Neal through an emotional crisis (Caffrey Flashback). Whether it's Adler or the Mansfelds, Henry's ready to suit up and go into battle at a moment's notice. Now that he lives in New York, Henry can keep even closer tabs.

Not another story about straight white men - Part 2

Last week I said I'd highlight our female and LGBTQ characters this week. Having taken a breath and thought about it, I've decided to split those into multiple posts. This week, following on the heels of International Women's Day, we'll celebrate some of the women in our fanfic. Then next week we can make LGBTQ the sole focus and give that topic the attention it deserves.

So, to kick off this post, have you heard of the Bechdel test?

Sara and Mozzie: An Evolving Friendship

In The Musicians, Sara and Mozzie's friendship takes a gigantic leap forward. Mozzie's change of attitude is the most dramatic difference. Initially, Mozzie viewed Sara with suspicion. He, as well as many readers, couldn't understand why she'd want to date Bryan McKenzie rather than Neal. Since then, her stock has been on a gradual upward trajectory, leading to the current warm relations. Elizabeth and Henry need to take the lion's share of the credit for turning the situation around.

Not another story about straight white men - Part 1

In a prior post I said that when I published my first fanfic, I'd been reading several articles about the need for more inclusiveness in fanfic. At the time I was both eager to feature diverse characters and fearful of getting it wrong. During the latest round of the AO3 Chocolate Box exchange, I noticed that once again, many of the prompts that jumped out at me as "I can write that" were from fandoms for TV shows or movies featuring straight, white, male main characters.

In addition to convincing me to request and offer in more diverse fandoms next year, the experience also led me to reflect on how the Caffrey Conversation AU has grown, with an increasingly more diverse cast. I'd like to celebrate those characters.

Klaus Mansfeld: A Rude Awakening

When the White Collar team encouraged Diana to write Arkham Files, the intention was to influence Azathoth's behavior. Neal and Peter had already been abducted by him and a repeat performance was a constant threat. Several months after Diana published the first story, they discovered that Rolf's brother Klaus was alive. In the next story, Diana introduced a character to represent Neal's former mentor and master art thief. Klaus called himself the Leopard, so Diana chose a saber-toothed leopard named Sornoth to represent him. When Diana portrayed Sornoth as an unthinking killing machine, her goal was to mock Klaus for what he had become since joining Ydrus.

Treats from the Chocolate Box

At last, the Chocolate Box exchange authors have been revealed, and I can share the stories I've written for this year's event.

Caravaggio in Caffrey Conversation

In canon, the artist Neal is most closely associated with is Raphael. In my stories, Caravaggio runs a close second. The Italian Baroque master is known for his dramatic use of chiaroscuro, a technique that contrasts light and dark. Chiaroscuro could be seen as a metaphor for the tension between Neal's former life and his new career at the Bureau.

I like spoilers

I confess. I like spoilers.

Shedding Skins

This week I started writing a new story for my series Tales from the Library (The Invisible Library fandom). One of the main characters is a shapeshifter. Kai appears human, but he's a dragon—complete with scales, horns, tail, and wings. He can shed his human appearance at will, and is even able to sustain a transitional stage where his eyes turn red and his skin develops a fern-like pattern hinting of scales. Sometimes the transformation occurs involuntarily. For instance, given sufficient provocation, he can become so angry his dragon characteristics involuntarily rise to the surface. Thinking about Kai's nature, I was reminded of Neal, Peter, and Henry's situation in The Musicians. They're also shedding their skins, but for them, the transformation is a mental one.

Caffrey Conversation's Travis Miller

Travis Miller, White Collar's tech expert, was first welcomed into the Caffrey Conversation family in Complications. My purpose in creating Travis was not just to add a resident geek but also to increase the team's diversity by including someone who isn't a by-the-book Bureau agent. His role has gradually expanded until now he's like one of those nifty USB hubs which can connect to a multitude of devices.

The Animals of Caffrey Conversation

For one of the stories I'm writing for the AO3 Chocolate Box exchange, I plan to include a scene set at a zoo. When I mentioned that to Silbrith, her response reminded me of how often we've included animals in the Caffrey Conversation AU. I invite you along as I reminisce about the animals we've featured so far.

Unsuccessfully avoiding research

Silbrith is the Research Queen in our writing duo. She looks into locations, art, legends, foods, animals, and even the birds and the bees. That's not a euphemism. She researches literal birds and bees -- as shown in her subplot about honeybees. If you'd asked me five years ago, I'd have told you that doing research was low on my list of priorities. My goals were centered around getting into practice writing stories. I wanted to gain confidence and to hone my skills. I even wanted to share knowledge I already had with my readers. For instance, I wanted to shine a light on what grieving is like, and I thought I could provide insight into the bureaucracy of White Collar based on my own professional experience.

I absolutely was not in this for the research.

Prelude to The Musicians

My new Caffrey Conversation story The Musicians takes place in October 2005 after the events in Night Howls on the Hudson and Harlequin's Shadow.

Capturing a character's voice

This year for the AO3 Chocolate Box exchange I'm writing in a fandom that's new to me, and that means I'm obsessing about getting the characters' "voice" right. It takes me back to the days I started writing the Caffrey Conversation stories, and how I tried to make my version of the characters sound recognizable.

Six-Crossed Knot: Backdrop to Unpathed Waters

Unpathed Waters is the fifth story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The story is set in the early summer of 1591. Diana and Matthew will soon return to the 21st century, leaving their Elizabethan friends behind. During my previous fic, Shadow's Dream, Diana and Matthew alluded to their upcoming departure. Now it's only a week away.

Identifying with Neal Caffrey

Until recently I thought the only time I could identify with Neal Caffrey was when I changed jobs. Joining a new team, learning new vocabularies and processes -- these brought me back to the pilot episode of White Collar and to the first stories of the Caffrey Conversation AU. Otherwise, what could I possibly have in common with a slick con artist like Neal?

More than I thought.

Messages to Azathoth: Appearances Can Deceive

In Caffrey Conversation, Neal is all too familiar with psychological manipulation. Rolf Mansfeld used advanced virtual reality technology in an attempt to brainwash him. Rolf knows that the White Collar team is aware Neal was subjected to the procedure, but he believes they are unaware of what memories were planted in his subconscious. In Lion's Lair, the White Collar team employs some mind control techniques of their own.

The Cars of Caffrey Conversation

In the White Collar television series, Peter and Neal often had conversations in Peter's car. The writers used that setting to isolate the main characters from the rest of the world, giving them opportunities to say things they might not mention in front of others. The pilot had memorable car scenes, including Neal hot wiring a vehicle in his prison escape, Neal pretending to be a valet to steal a car, and a conversation in Peter's car where they discuss his lack of ideas for an anniversary gift for Elizabeth. So when I wrote the first story in the Caffrey Conversation series and wanted to capture the feel of the show, I used cars.

Messages to Azathoth: Secret Codes

In an earlier post, I'd written about the appeal that Renaissance philosopher Heinrich Agrippa has for Rolf Mansfeld, aka Azathoth. In my post Azathoth, Meet Agrippa, I discussed Agrippa's interest in the occult. In Lion's Lair, another shared interest is spotlighted—codes.