Love Thy Character

If I want your story I have to love your character. You have to make me care. Otherwise why would I read it?

Visiting old stories...

When you return to your novel after some time, and see it with new eyes, you also realise how much you've learned in the meantime.

The morning is optimistic by afternoon rainclouds...

I'm describing the weather, but it could very well be the writing process on some days. Sometimes you feel so optimistic but end up getting your knickers in a knot and worked up over some perceived blockage.

But I tend also to see problems like this as a kind of brain rage. You've done something to your character which might be out of character and embarking on a 'fork in the road' where you just get bogged and need your road service to come out and refill the tank with logic.

Our little writing group is growing. We are getting some interesting characters and with that the inspiration and motivation, hopefully will be fuelled on a daily basis. We had it before in our former group, and I do miss them all so much...

But new group, new hope, new friends, more nouns and verbs, bigger adjectives and a closer date with creative destiny, ie.,

FAME, FORTUNE, A PENTHOUSE ON FIFTH AVENUE (sigh).

Hugging heaters, Barking Dogs, and Playful Verbs

Rough trots are not very nice. My computer problems set me on a path to a new computer. I'm not good with new computers. It's like walking down the aisle with a complete stranger. I'm supposed to feel comfy with this new little monster in my life and immediately start interacting with ease.

Instead I fainted. What an awful feeling, waking up and finding yourself in a heap. Stress. Just everything piling itself one on top of the other. Normally I can handle it. But this one just culminated in a heap. Banged my hand. Damaged a ring. Bruised, battered and befuddled.

It's cold. I'm hugging the heater tightly. Competing with dog. I get the heater when she's outside barking up the neighbors. So annoying because unless I beat her, my only other option is to join her. And at times my bark is worse than my bite.

Playful verbs. I just made that up. I suppose they are friendly verbs. You have to be in a good mood to have them. Yesterday they were, shopping, eating, laughing.
Today they are aren't all that nice. Today they're all about getting used to this new keyboard. Today they are taking out rubbish to the bin. Today they are looking for my Kindle.

Oh... must tell you about a new find and buy. (Good verbs, well done!)

As you may or may not know, I love Jane Austen. And you may or may not know Borders in Oz is having awful difficulties (I suspect Amazon is the major contributor) and closing down most outlets bar, one or two. So with bargains galore in closing store I was able to purchase a book titled THE CONFESSION OF FITZWILLIAM DARCY - Mary Street. Fully recommended. Follows the novel from his POV very very well.

Normally I hate this type of infringement on the integrity of an author's work, but it works well. She has been faithful to the intentions of the author, and hasn't tried trickery. I enjoyed it so much, I hope it takes it's own little place in history. Obviously Street loves Austen too and didn't want to stretch the friendship.

This has been the coldest Australian month of May in 41 years. I won't tell you that I'm a climate skeptic. I won't remind you that a few decades ago we were told of a coming ice age. I do believe in changing climate. But we've had it since the beginning of time if there is such a thing.

Didn't Galileo strike problems by defying the conventions of opinion of his time?