Creating Character

This is a really cool post by Alexandra Sokoloff. Character is a tricky thing, and I don't go about creating character analytically. Character for me emerges as I'm writing as as I see how the characters react to their situations and surroundings.

But it is definitely worth taking a closer look at character for the good of your overall story. Approaching the creation of the people who populate your book in a clear, purposeful way can open doors in terms of insight into the motivation and purpose of your characters. It's important to know why they react in certain and specific ways.

Also, it is important to stay true and consistent to your characters. Everyone may act a little out of character now and then, but the people in your stories have their own personalities and backgrounds which cause them to think and act in the ways they do.

You may not use all the background and experiences you know about your characters in your story, but you'd best know them well for yourself. Sometimes hinting at something has more of an impact on a reader than telling them everything.

Check out the post. Excellent stuff.

Nostalgia - Pics of me and My Sis

Retro Video

Ooooooh yeah!

Plyo and Genre

Plyometrics kicked my butt last night and I LOVE it. I sooooo love it. I think I'm addicted to the P90X cardio work outs. I like the strength training too, I'm just not as good at it.

Friday! YAY!

Figured out something important about the current work in progress. It's a horror/thriller. Not a mystery. There may be some elements of mystery but it doesn't have a mystery that needs to be solved. I keep getting blocked because I'm so used to writing and plotting mysteries, and this book has a completely different structure to it. So I'm trying to navigate it and it's a bit slow going.

But I'll get it.

Studying here and there on how to write good horror. It's a skill. Any genre you write takes skill, because they all have their own structure. You can have cross genre books, which are awesome, but the main structure needs to be there.

Okay, gotta git!

This and That

Been pretty sparse on real content on this blog lately. P90X is taking up pretty much all my spare time and energy, but I'm working on Dead for Good in my head. I'm working scenes and characters, and getting seriously creeped out, which is a good thing. Means that the book is actually taking hold again, and that's a great feeling, even if it is a bit disturbing. I'm already disturbed anyway.

Spring is finally coming around. I'm sneezing my head off and enjoying the sunshine. Only real trouble is that I don't know how to dress in this. It could be cold in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and by the time I leave work I'm shivering again. I dress my little guy in layers for this reason.

Speaking of him, he blew a kiss to a robin this morning. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

Sipping coffee and trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind. I think allergies are making me feel sluggish, and the sudden weather changes aren't helping either.

So back to work for me.

This should work

The video didn't work when I tried to post it yesterday. So I'm trying again.

The Killing

AMC has wowed me again. First they knocked my socks off with The Walking Dead, and now with The Killing. Want to view the first two episodes? You can do so here right now :) Or, if it doesn't work you can view it on AMCs site here.