A Study in Character

My 4 1/2 year old niece - we call her Little T - recently reminded me of an important writing lesson.

While at her pre-school, she wanted me to pick out which crayoned self-portrait hanging on the wall was hers. So, like a good aunt, I studied the information on each page and focused on all the girls who had this on their paper:

My hair is: BLACK

My eyes are: BROWN 

It still took me three tries to guess the right one. But when I did, I couldn't help but smile at the rest of what was written there:

My favorite color is: PINK

My favorite activity is: WRESTLING

It's those unexpected and unique aspects that we need to develop in our characters and also, hopefully, in ourselves. 

So, whenever I'm concerned that my characters - or I! - might be flat or boring, I'll think back to my niece - perky pigtails, sparkly t-shirt, cute little face scrunched up in a one-eyed squint and a sneer full of baby teeth that would make even the meanest pirate shudder. 

Little T is already a character in her own right. 

Motivational Monday

IF YOU'RE LUCKY, YOU DO THE KIND OF WORK THAT

SPARKS YOUR CREATIVITY AND MAKES YOU WANT TO

MEET ITS CHALLENGES.

FOR ME, THAT WORK IS WRITING: 

ALTHOUGH I FIND IT HELLISHLY HARD, 

IT'S THE FIRST THING I TURN TO WHEN I NEED TO 

EXPRESS MYSELF OR UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.

I LOVE ITS VERY DIFFICULTY.

(Martha Beck)

It's that last sentence that strikes home for me. I can complain and moan and groan with the best of them - this story stinks, that character is boring, the plot is full of holes, blah blah blah. 

And yet....I keep going. I keep working. I keep learning. I change the story's point of view. I give that dull character a nasty little secret. I fill in those giant plot craters with heaping lumps of logic and mounds of motivation. I do what I can to make the work....work.

I love what I do. Sure, it's easier to love my work when it's clean and pretty and smiling and cuddly. It's a lot harder to love it when it's grumpy and pouting and grungy and smells really bad. But that's when it needs me the most. And that's when I need it, too.  

I hope you all have something in your lives that you love and that challenges you. And if you don't, why not try to find it? It's out there. It might be covered in mud or stink of fish, but when you're done wrestling it to the ground and hosing it off, you'll see its beauty and its potential. You'll see it's just what you need. Don't give up!

Notes and News - Writing and Otherwise

Lazy days of summer? Who said that?! I don't know about you all, but things have not slowed down for me. And yet I still find time to putz around on the Net. Sigh.

Ah, but my putzing is to your advantage! Here's a quick round-up of some items I thought you all might be interested in... 

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Camp is in session! Camp NaNo, that is! This July, I'm heading back into the woods, armed with only my horror manuscript and some chocolate, and I will not return until the draft is complete! Or until I run out of chocolate...so, about July 2nd or so. 

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The CBS miniseries of Stephen King's Under the Dome starts Monday, June 24th. I can't wait! Here's a preview: 

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If you enjoy a good short story, you won't want to miss A List in Honor of Short Story Month 2013, compiled by Flash Fiction Chronicles. It contains links to over 150 stories, all suggested by readers as some of their personal favorites. (Hmm, number 100 seems vaguely familiar....)

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As a writer and a fan of Pixar movies, I just loved this - 22 Storytelling Tips for Writers from a Pixar Storyboard Artist. 

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On Sunday, June 23rd, Nik Wallenda will walk across the Grand Canyon - no net, no harness. My heart's in my throat just thinking about it! My husband went to one of Nik's local (FL) training sessions - here are some pics: 

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Planning on going to Camp NaNo this July? Will you check out any of those short stories? Are you a Pixar fan? Will you watch Under the Dome and/or Wallenda's walk? I'll be watching both!    

Year of Yes - February to May

Way back in October, I decided I was going to start saying "yes" more - to new things, to different opportunities, etc. It's my Year of Yes - check out the original post here - and the goal is to do 40 different things. Different for me, anyway. A lot of people might look at these things - see my first Yes update - and think "big whoop" but for me, any step outside of my comfort zone - no matter how small! - is progress. 

I've noticed, too, that the older I get, the more I find myself saying "no" to potentially fun and/or interesting things, usually with an excuse along the lines of it's too much trouble, too much hassle, blah blah. I am too young to be an old fuddy duddy!

So, here are some of my Yes moments from the last few months:

* After agonizing over whether I might be considered pushy or unprofessional, I finally took a deep breath and emailed a literary agent I've been in contact with about one of my recently published stories. Turns out, she read it and loved it! 

* Every once in awhile, my husband and I forgo our usual Thai takeout and get ourselves gussied up and go out to dinner. We went to Emeril's in Orlando and had one of the best dinners we've ever had. We went with the Tasting Menu - which included items we've never had but were willing to try! - including the Wine Pairings. I drank more wine that evening that I have over the course of the last few years. 

* My husband and I had our picture taken with sea lions at the local aquarium. We're considering making it our Christmas card this year.... 

* The development where we live has a great pool...one I haven't been to for awhile. I've been too embarrassed to go because I am so uncomfortable with how I look in my bathing suit. One day - and I don't really know why it was that day in particular - I decided enough was enough. I pulled on my suit, put on my suntan lotion and I went down to the pool. I swam and I floated and I looked up at the blue sky with the palm tree leaves reaching across it like green fingers. I was happy. 

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How about you all? Have you done anything different over the last few months? Are you planning on it? Taking a class you've always wanted to try? Going somewhere different? Saying "no" to something when you usually say "yes"?  Because that counts, too!

Motivational Monday

IF I HAVE TO SPEND TIME IN PURGATORY

BEFORE GOING TO ONE PLACE OR THE OTHER, 

I GUESS I'LL BE ALL RIGHT

AS LONG AS THERE'S A LENDING LIBRARY.

(Stephen King)

And chocolate. Please let there be chocolate...or cheese. 

I'm not picky.

Sunny Days....

New blogger buddy, Jai over at And Then..., gave me a Sunshine Award. Thanks, Jai! This is very appropriate for summer in Florida, and I am well prepared with sunscreen and a hat and...okay, let's be real - I'm inside with the a/c on, a book on my lap and Powerberries in a bowl nearby.

Here are my answers to the Award's questions - 

What inspired you to start blogging? I knew I needed an online presence for my writing and, while I liked my website, it wasn't really interactive. I wanted to start blogging, but I was waiting for inspiration regarding the angle and theme.  

How did you come up with the name of your blog? That was all the tortoises' doing.

What is your favorite blog to read? That's like asking which tortoise is my favorite! 

Tell us about your dream job? Other than writer? Okay, maybe Official Chocolate Taster or Official Cheese Taster. Professional Beachcomber. Vice President of Tortoises. (I could never be President - that title is shared by both the Larrys.) 

Is your glass half-full or half-empty? Depends on what's in it.

If you could go anywhere for a week's vacation, where would you go? I'd like to visit the West Coast - Oregon, Washington - since I've never been there.  

What food can you positively not eat? I'm not allergic to anything that I know of, but I had a bad experience with canned fruit cocktail when I was a kid so I stay away from that on principle. 

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? I'd go with milk chocolate...covered in dark chocolate.

How much time do you spend blogging? More than I probably should.

Do you watch TV, and if so, what are you favorite shows? If you've spent any time around here lately, then you know how I feel about The Walking Dead and that I am going through TWD withdrawal until October. I also like Top Chef and Project Runway. I've been watching Law and Order: SVU since it started (although I still miss Christopher Meloni.) For comedy, I'm into The Big Bang Theory and The Middle. And I can never go wrong with old episodes of Seinfeld, Frasier, The King of Queens and The Golden Girls. 

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A number of you have already received this award, so I'm not going to pass it on, but I'd love to hear your answers to any or all of the questions in the comments.

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I'm taking a bit of a blogging break, but I'll be back around to visit all of your blogs soon!

Motivational Monday

...MAYBE THE WORLD WAS BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE MAGIC IN IT. AND IF THERE WAS MAGIC - EVEN BAD MAGIC, AND ZACH KNEW IT WAS MORE LIKELY THAT THERE WAS BAD MAGIC THAN ANY GOOD KIND - THEN MAYBE NOT EVERYONE HAD TO HAVE A STORY LIKE HIS FATHER'S, A STORY LIKE ALL THE ADULTS HE KNEW TOLD, ONE ABOUT GROWING UP AND GROWING BITTER...

ANYTHING WAS BETTER THAN NO MAGIC AT ALL.

(Holly Black, Doll Bones)

I fought growing up as hard as I could. I didn't want to lose my dolls and my imaginary play and my Saturday afternoons of eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drinking chocolate milk and watching Scooby Doo. I didn't want to let go of the magic I so truly believed in.

The magic I still believe in...and still hold onto. 

Sure, it's different. I'm an adult now. (Sort of.) My magic is a little darker. (Although, to be honest, a lot of my imaginary games back then were a bit twisted anyway.) My dreams - and nightmares - are vivid and weird and leave me gasping for breath but also reaching for a pen and paper so I can capture as much as I can before real world issues intrude.

I own a wand from Harry Potter World. A caught baseball from a spring training game sits on a shelf. A mini Lego sea monster guards some signed books. The other day, my husband and I played the "What if...?" game as we ran errands, creating a person and a situation out of midair. If that's not magic, then I don't know what is.

Give yourself permission to believe in magic, to believe in it again, if you've stopped for some reason. Remind someone else that it's out there waiting. Show it to them. 

And now if you'll excuse me, I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat, chocolate milk to drink, and a Walking Dead marathon to watch. (See, I told you I grew up.) 

Recommended Reading - May

Well, May was a very good month for books!

The three Standouts below are either Young Adult or Middle Grade novels. Now, before those of you who don't read YA or MG stop reading, please just don't! These three books have such wonderful crossover appeal that I bet you'll find something to like in at least one of them.     

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Books Read in May:  8

Total Books Read in 2013:  34

Standouts

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch - YA - This book is one of my favorite books of 2013. It is equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, and its complex story of love is heartrending and joyous. You will root for sisters Carey and Jenessa, and also for the people who come to love them. Carey is a true heroine, a contemporary Katniss Everdeen. This story will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

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Doll Bones by Holly Black - MG - This was the first novel I'd read by this author but it won't be my last. On one level, this is a quest story with a creep factor kids will love. On another, it's about the bittersweet ache of growing up and believing you have to leave behind certain things, like playing and imagination. And, while to some degree, this is true, you don't have to abandon them totally. This is a sweet and spooky story with a cast of lovable and complex characters.

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In the After by Demitria Lunetta - YA - I was hooked right from the novel's creepy, suspenseful start. Nice twists keep the tension high throughout. It's got great characters, and the relationship between Amy and "Baby" add a deeper layer to this survival/dystopian story. It sort of reminds me of the TV show, The Walking Dead...but without the zombies. (You'll just have to read the book to understand that weird comparison!)

I received an ARC of this through a Harper Collins giveaway.
The novel will be available June 25, 2013.    

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Did you read anything this month that blew you away? Do you regularly read YA and/or MG? Have you read any of these or do you plan to?

Motivational Monday

THE HIGHER WE SOAR,

THE SMALLER WE APPEAR

TO THOSE WHO CANNOT FLY.

(Friedrick Nietzsche)

I was one of those kids who did well in school. I got A's and 100%'s. But I wasn't cocky about it -  I usually put the paper away in my folder as fast as I could before the teasing started. And I got teased. A lot.

My mother said the other kids were jealous. I didn't buy that for one minute. Not then.

And I'm not saying I buy it now. Not totally anyway. But when we watch others achieving goals or going after dreams or traveling places we'd like to go, it's easy to be jealous. We make excuses for how they did it - they got lucky, they know so-and-so. We put down their dreams, we don't ask questions, we show no interest. And when we do that, it's often because we're afraid. We're afraid that person will soar so high, we'll never see them again and we'll be left alone, feet planted firmly on the ground, our own unchased dreams, our own unfulfilled lives, rooting us in place.

And although that makes a lot of sense - and gives me a different perspective on some situations and people in my own life - it's not an excuse. Because you know what? We don't have to be jealous or petty or a downer. We can decide whether we drag back the person trying to soar or we boost them higher with our cheers and well wishes and prayers. 

So, let's decide. As hard as it might be for us, let's support those in our lives who are trying to soar. And - this might even be more difficult to do - let's try to understand those who are afraid to let us fly.