The Settings of Our Lives
This week my regular writing exercises are focused on settings. How and why the landscapes in books are so important to a reader’s story experience. Story settings draw us in, emphasize the mood in scenes, and also give insight to our heroes’…
Forgive
Like most days, I woke this morning thinking about my characters. About their trials, victories, and missteps, and the best course to help them get what they want at the end of their story journey. Blame it on the holidays or the…
The Will Behind The Wants
In my young adult story Spirit Dance the main character, Tana Lyre, knows exactly what she wants. So much so that she has allowed everything else in her life to fall away. She chooses a path to achieve her goal; she picks…
Back In Balance
A week ago, I spent the better part of four days with men. We spent the bulk of the time at an airport, in a hanger, working on an airplane inspection with a few mechanics, the airplane owner, some members of the…
What Do You Want?
In stories, it’s a writer’s job to make the journey for their characters tough. Heroes are meant to struggle; they need to be disappointed and discouraged so that readers can connect with and relate to them. Despite the challenges, the best protagonists…
Masks
In preparation for the bewitching day, I started thinking about how easy it is to see people’s masks on Halloween. Not only are the disguises obvious, but they’re expected, even anticipated. But during our regular days without the theatrical benefit of Halloween,…
Stop or Write On?
Before I became an author, I was a professional jet pilot, and as I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m still amazed at how many piloting skills also apply to writing stories. Take the flight maneuver called a go-around for example. A go-around…
Finding Your Write-O-Rhythm
At the beginning of the summer I decided to do an experiment, knowing that I was scheduled to begin writing my third book in the fall. The purpose of the exercise was to figure out how to maximize creative flow, and…
Celebrate: What Are You Waiting For?
I loved watching the Superbowl. The ads were interesting, and wow, Beyonce and Bruno Mars can dance. (Truth be told, learning how to move like Bruno is on my bucket list––I know, I know, but it’s a wish list.) Sure, I like…
What Are Your Personal Minimums?
Lately, I’ve written a few posts about how being a professional pilot has had a major impact on my day-to-day life. This week I realized another benefit. A major issue came up, and as I was trying to decide whether or not…