Category: Writing

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Whose Character Development Is It Anyway?

Reading fiction is about a lot more than just entertainment. And writing fiction is about a lot more than just story. It’s about putting imaginary people in imaginary situations and letting them figure out how to deal. Which really means that it’s you figuring it out while inhabiting the character. It’s not an easy thing to do, and more often than not you’ll default to your own gut reaction, and then you catch yourself. Wait a minute – this character would never do that. So you start over and come up with a different solution. Sometimes it takes many iterations Read More …

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Labor Day

The history of Labor Day is no doubt interesting and well worth reading up on. Honestly, though, it’s not the first thing that comes to my mind on this particular day. I’ve always liked this day as a bridge between the ease of summer and a season of harder, more focused work. A day of reflection and renewal, and a day of re-commitment to my goals and values. “Labor” is a word with many connotations. On the downside, it carries a whiff of the unwanted, like “chore”, just harder. The proverbial salt mines come to mind. And, yes, writing can Read More …

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Writing Process

Whenever I read or listen to author interviews, one of the things that fascinates me most is their writing process. How do they get from idea to “The End”? And where do their ideas start? Premise For some authors, plot comes first. They’re interested in what happens. They’re the ones who ask “what if?”. What if time travel was real? What if a horse walked into a bar? As you can see from my… uh… shining examples, this isn’t my forte. For other authors, theme is the point of entry. They take a contemporary issue like climate change or racism Read More …

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Publishing into the Void

It’s one of those dark, dreary days when your mood’s already low. You’re writing, because that’s what you do. And yet you can’t help but ask yourself why you keep doing it. Why do you put in the hours, day after day, year after year? It’s one thing to spend all that time on writing the stories that you can’t NOT write, either because the characters you’ve created fascinate you, or you’re intrigued by the plot you’re weaving, or because it’s your burning desire to help or teach others wisdom through the power of your writing. What about the writing, Read More …

LK LohanLeave a comment

Better Living through Characters

I’ve been immersed in my story world for such a long time now that in some ways it feels more real than the real world. The characters, though, aren’t old friends. Well, some of them are. Others, though, are a part of me. Or, rather, parts of them are parts of me. Some of their traits and attitudes and idiosyncrasies are lifted from my own experience. And this is where it gets interesting: At the intersection of fiction and life. Your own gut reaction to any situation you put your characters in tells a story about your own… well… character, Read More …