I'm a Turtle...

Quote for the Day: I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~ Elmore Leonard

What I'm Reading: Teacher's Plans by JoAnn Carter

Picture of the Day:

This is one of the rocks I painted. When I paint a rock, I look at it and envision the creature inside. This one clearly spoke to me. No dallying around. Just..."look, I'm a turtle waiting for you to bring me to life." So I did.

That's what writing is like for me as well. I envision a character in a setting and then I'm magically inside his or her head. I know what mood they're in, what they are thinking, what is troubling them. From there my story becomes clear.

When I read, I don't want to read all the details that detract from the action of the story. I'm one of those "Give me the facts and cut to the chase" kind of readers. I guess I'm like that in real life as well. I told you how my hubby can draw out a story, going off in tangents that have nothing at all to do with the punch line. So, when I'm reading and run into a bunch of words that are meaningless detail or description, I pull my head into my shell. I hated history in school. There were way too many boring dates and things that to me were meaningless. Hmm. Maybe that's why I don't write historicals!

And, since I like fast moving stories that suck me into the pages, maybe that's why I write romantic suspense. My books are full of dialogue and action. They are character driven. I admit it...I'm plot challenged. I can't sit and plot out my story. If I do that, I can't write. I allow my characters to draw me in and lead me through their life. I love it. I never know what's going to happen next. I know the basics, but the exciting things I discover on the journey of writing. And, I do try to leave out the parts that people skip.

The reviews on Amazon for Joshua's Hope all seem to reflect that I've succeeded in my goal. If you haven't yet read Joshua's Hope, hop over to Amazon and read the reviews. Maybe you'll be tempted to find out what happens in the journey of a stepmother who needs to save her son--at any cost. Read Reviews.

Thanks for stopping by!

Write What You Know

I've heard that said by so many people. Write what you know. What does that mean?

As a new writer, I had no idea what to do with that phrase. What did I know? Should I write about knitting, crocheting, ceramics, crafting? Or should I write about raising kids, or working too many hours? How could these things be intriguing to anyone else?

I wrote. I became published. I still wondered about those words.

One day not long ago, I began to understand what those words mean. I've been through a lot in my life. A lot good...a lot bad. I've been hurt and I've hurt others. I've been terrified and I've been happy. I've lost loved ones and seen babies born. I've told lies and reaped the consequences.

Those are things I know. So when my characters get into situations that I've faced at one time in my life, I can close my eyes and remember back to the time it happened to me. I need to pull out the details of that particular situation. It requires meditation and going back into time, experiencing the hurt or the happiness all over again. Where was I when it happened? What was I wearing? What about the other person, if there was someone else there at the time. Once I've captured this, then I can write what my character is experiencing...using what I know.

Use what you know, and write from the heart. Your characters will come to life on the page through your own experiences. It doesn't have to be exact. You just have to know what emotion your character is experiencing and tap back into your memory for a similar emotion you felt.

Good luck! Thanks for stopping by.