Creating a fictional antagonist can be a lot of fun, a bad man or woman who terrorizes others in the story. In real life as well as novels, villains are often “hurt people” who hurt other people. Because PORCH MUSIC has so many women characters, I wanted one of the story’s troublemakers to be a woman, too. In the book, Maggie is known as the prettiest woman in Bradford County.
Have you ever known a beautiful woman who wrestled with inner demons? I had a classmate who was drop-dead gorgeous, part Native-American. She caused heads to turn and jaws to drop, just by walking into a room. But her beauty was only external. I do not know what was tormenting her, but she could become cruel. Brutal. Scary. She was my inspiration for Maggie. Wherever she is, I hope she has worked through her emotional pain.