My Characters

Margaret Anne Murphy

This is going to start  with Maggie. She and her family were totally my concept. Now that's  important, because when you write fan fiction not all the characters are  yours. That means, no matter how clever you think you interpretation  is, you can't take credit for everything.

Maggie was different,  she and her family were totally my concept. So I had a freedom with her  and the other Murphys that I wasn't getting from the others. Since I  hadn't decided on their "cannon" behaviors and personal habits.

With that being said,  all the Murphy's occupations and vague family reputation, were of  course, designed to help them all fit better into my chosen fanfic.  Maggie's age, heritage, religion, and hometown were likewise chosen to  make her fit better into the Boondock Saints story line. Maggie spoke to  me almost immediately and soon took on a life of her own.

Now most of my original  concepts of Maggie were based on credibility. To me this is a big part  of any story. So, Maggie being Irish and Catholic made some things  really obvious right off the bat. First of all, she'd have a big family.  There would be at least four children. So that was the start of  Maggie's four brothers. Each of the them helped assist the overall plot  too I also wanted her to be the only girl to make sure she wasn't a  wimp. So her being the youngest agreed with her necessary age.

As the story progressed  and Maggie developed, my research into Boston and Southie taught me more  about her. Before long I learned what parochial  school she would've  likely attended, (South Boston Catholic Academy). I found the name and  location of the Catholic Church she'd attend, (Gate of Heaven on East  4th St.) Also, what style of house she'd most likely own if she lived  there and how big it would be. (Southie is full of Victorians for Maggie  I chose the Second Empire style.) All of this made it much easier to  get into her head. Her voice was getting more clear all the time.

Then there was Anne, I  came upon her by doing my "homework". Anne was a character in the  Boondock Saints graphic novel. I used Anne to build a bridge between  Maggie and Noah. So I made Anne Maggie's Maternal aunt. Anne  was killed when she was young. So Maggie's mother would logically give  her only daughter her lost sister's name. To be honest, these little  details are really what makes her breathe for me.

By the time I'd finished  Actions Not Words Maggie was a well developed person to me. It was a  big relief to be finished with the story, but at the same time I missed  her. It was almost a kind of postpartum depression. A strange analogy  you might say. Still, I felt like Maggie had come from from my mind just  like my daughter had come from my body. They also both came from me and  are loved by me.