Character Name Contest

Hey Everyone,

I have four characters in my new WiP, so far. The first is Emmaleigh Forrester, age 21. I have a 19yo girl, a 23yo young man and a 27yo young man. They live in Denver. Please submit your name suggestions here and the winner will be awarded a copy of Stoning the Crows (when it comes out) or the current un-named WiP.

Here is an exerpt, likely the back cover, of the current WiP:

          Very rarely is the perfect crime committed. Given the time and the resources, investigators find…things. Evidence. That which is missing often tells stories in its absence. That which remains conspires with truth to reveal all. Time and resources, however, strain against the system until they become strangers to those who hunt the wolf. Without a solid lead, in time, the case is filed away, unsolved. It resides there in the file cabinet, silently mourning its victims…while their killer rests his head upon his pillow. 

Keep a fire extinguisher close by...

I'm in the editing process.  Need I say more?  I just read Kristen Lamb's blog about how to tear apart that baby you call your WIP when it needs it.  Yeah.  This is the most nail-biting part of the process.  And I've already chewed the poor dears down to nubs.  So, keep a fire extinguisher handy...just in case I spontaneously combust in the middle of the editing adventure.

New website...

is almost done - will post a link shortly.  :-)

COVER ARRRRRT!

Hey, the cover art is DONE!!!

New Website is almost here..

Well, that sounds sort of like I'm having a baby...  I suppose, in a way, I am.  Putting up the website is the birth of my marketing.  Facebook has been a good place to network, and Twitter....well, I don't feel much like a bird, but maybe that's because I don't tweet that often.  Blogging has been hit and miss, as you can see, but that's because my life is inSANE.  Which is why I'm posting this at almost 1:00am. 

Either way, the site is nearly complete.  All that awaits is the loading of pictures...Prepare the drum for the drum roll...

Cover Art, et al...

I've been working with an old friend on the cover art for Stoning the Crows.  I'm amazed at what she can do.  As soon as I have something to show you, I will post it.  Somehow, she has captured the essence of my story in a single picture, with layer upon layer of images.  I can't wait to see her finished product.

In the mean time, my son's girlfriend, not even graduated from high school has drawn some sketches that caught my eye.  I don't know if this is common - I haven't seem anything like this - but I'm having her draw scenes from the novel and inserting them at the appropriate places.  I just got one from her depicting the scene in which the under cover unit is first introduced.  Create Space didn't seem to think this too unusual and the young man I spoke with told me exactly how to submit it with these inserts.  Her artwork is somewhat anime, and much of what I've seen looks like a graphic novel.  If you visit my facebook page at Lisa Frank Sinnock, you'll see some of her work in my photos.

Wendy is also working with her daughter on a video trailer for Crows.  One thing at a time...  I'm like a dog with a bone.

I have one last scene I'm working on.  It was something I carried in my imagination, like an afterthought.  After writing it, I feel certain that it belongs, but now I have to juggle scenes to make sure it fits in the right spots.  It's sort of like doing a puzzle with the same image on both sides.  You have to find the right side and then the right piece and then the right angle.  But this is the last little bit.  Once Alicia and Wendy are done with the art work....wow.  It's ready to submit.

My main reader is now sending me chapters to read for him.  But that's a subject for another post.

Writing is a journey...

...and the journey is your destination.

I have completed Stoning the Crows.  I'm running through the last edit before I send it to the team of editors.  The cover art may be complete by this coming Tuesday.  I'll need to wait a bit for the graphic inserts to be completed.  Maybe a couple of weeks.  My son's girlfriend is drawing anime inserts for certain scenes.  She is very good.  The cover art is amazing - I can't wait to share. 

There is a certain sense of accomplishment that rides this last wave.  But I do believe that the joy is in the journey.  I can hardly wait to accomplish the next one. 

My next project is called "The Sheepdog Journal" and is likely nearly ready to publish.  I just need to change any references to location or people so that the cops I've ridden with will not have their safety jeopardized.  Or their jobs...but enough about that.

At the end of this journey begins another one...

Maneuvering through writer's block

It's been a long time since I posted - I appreciate any readers who have remained with me during my long absence.  It was not because of writer's block that I've been gone - it was just life.  I got a job, am still home schooling, taking care of my elderly mother, etc, etc.  I know, I know, everyone has a life.  Mine just sort of fell into a black hole for a bit.  I did not stop writing, but it's hard to be creative when you're in a hurry.  I'm actually at Chapter 19, for those of you who are following my progress.  I'm excited!  The entire novel takes place, mostly, in about one week, and I'm on Friday!  This project is nearing completion.  There is a sense of purpose, of having accomplished what I set out to do...almost, anyway.  I still have to tie in the lose ends, and leave some hanging.  I think, perhaps, that this is the hardest part of the writing.  While I've been doing all of this, I'm also reading for a friend.  And wouldn't you know it, he got BAD writer's block right about the time I started staring at my computer, wondering where my story was going.

So I've been thinking about writer's block.  What is it that makes us 'lose our way' or 'forget why we came into this room' while writing our novels?  And when we get there, how do we navigate out of it?

I would love to hear from the rest of you what thoughts you have and what things you've tried.  For me, I've tried a few things that seem to work and I'll share them here.

The first one is a bit time consuming.  I did this at the beginning, when I only had a few chapters to read.  But now I have over 50,000 words so this method is...cumbersome.  I would go back and read the entire story, not allowing myself time for editing, but just racing through the story.  Then, when I reached the part I was trying to write, my brain would kick in and carry on with more.  Perhaps I could still do this, by using my story board?

Which brings me to the next thing - story boards.  I bought those thin strips of cork board, in a metal frame, about 4 feet long.  I put each chapter and major scene on an index card, color coded by character groups and sub plots.  (I would love to have one like Castle has, but you know, I'm not a best selling author, yet, ha!)

Day dream.  I know, if people walk in on me, it's a little awkward, so I lock my door and slip into one of my characters.  Yep, it's weird, but hey, it works. 

Take a walk.  Or a long drive.  This seems to be my most effective helper.  I take my digital recorder with me and let the sunshine and fresh air stir up my mind. 

So...any input from the rest of you?  What do you do to jump start your story line?

Marketing...

Wow...someone offered to help me market my book...and it's someone I know and trust.  :-)  How can you beat that??

Reading and Being Read

Perhaps I am just tenacious.  But for a long time, I would have people read my work and then they would give me negative feedback.  Either I'm a glutton for punishment, or...well, yeah, I think that's it.  I've said before in my blogs that you can't learn to write well if you are not writing...and it's the same if you are not reading.  So I kept at it, feeling like maybe I just really sucked at writing...but I couldn't stop.  I HAD to write.  I would wake up in the middle of night, fly out of bed and tap my toe impatiently while the computer took too long to load all of my settings.

My current WIP (Work in Progress) was actually begun over ten years ago.  I wrote out of my imagination, lacking depth (I wonder what that says about me...?) and changed it over and over...oh, at least a thousand times or so.  I could fill a room with all the stuff I've thrown out from this particular novel. 

Today, a friend taught me how to do a water color painting.  I sketched a drawing of what I wanted to paint.  Then I chose a background color, and a brush.  When I was done with the background, the sketch was all but obscured by the pretty lavender color blotted all over my paper.  Huh.  My friend helped me set up for the colors to use on my sketch...and I panicked.  What if it's not good?  She said "Don't worry, this is practice!"  I swallowed the lump in my throat and watched her show me how to 'play' with the colors on scratch paper.  My jaw dropped at the simplicity with which she created not only a beautiful color but a beautiful representation of a flower petal.  Little by little, I painted, let it dry and painted over the top, until my project was complete.  Layer upon layer...  I had one more moment of panic...I wanted to just paint the picture, one time, have it turn out awesome and be done.  That's not how it's done.  There is blending of paint, choosing of brushes for different affects, adding of highlights, letting it dry...

This is SO much like writing a novel.  I felt the impact of what I'd learned from a simple painting of Black-eyed Susans.  So what if it has taken me over ten years to cultivate the story I'm dreaming up!  Layer upon layer, a story of substance has emerged.  And now, as I'm sharing my work with others, I'm getting feedback that is...a kick in the pants.  The best review I've gotten so far?  "This is a story that needs to be told."  And "I think you've found your niche."  Due to my persistence in asking for feedback, I am now privy to other people's writing as well - and that, too, is a kick in the pants.  Am I tenacious?  Yes.  A glutton for punishment?  Yep.  Going to publish this novel?  Uh huh.  And soon.

If I can figure out how to get a picture of my painting onto my computer, I will post it.  It turned out pretty good.  :-)

Things I've Learned About Writing

Writing Tips I Learned From My Writing Coach and Others




1. Post a sign on your computer that says: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch

2. Show. Don’t tell. Use of a fair amount of dialogue will help you do this.

3. Don’t write for more than 4 hours a day – you’ll lose your focus.

4. Just write. You can’t learn to write if you don’t write.

5. Books sell because they sell.

6. Write about what you know.

7. Vary your sentence openers.

a. Subject openers

b. Prepositional openers

c. Ly openers (Lately,…)

d. Ing openers (Fuming…)

e. Clausal openers (When, While, Because, etc.)

f. VSS – Very short sentences (5 words or less)

g. –ed openers (Galvanized…)

8. Don’t use too many prodigious words – you’ll lose people. :P

9. Finish what you start.

10. Edit your printed work by turning it upside down to read it.

11. Accuracy can make or break your story.

12. Read a LOT.

13. Read the Classics.

14. Avoid overuse of pronouns.

15. Vary your vocabulary.

16. Take paper and pen with you EVERYwhere.

17. Or use a digital recorder (but take it with you EVERYwhere).

18. Copy your work to a thumb drive, disc, or other file saving medium. Copy it more than once. Email it to yourself AND a friend. Print it. DON’T let your compute crash with your only copy.

19. Roll-play your characters’ actions. (Ex: fight scene)

20. Write descriptively. But don’t over-write it.

21. Write at the same time every day. The consistency helps your creativity.

22. Write in active voice, avoid passive voice.

23. Eat well. Seriously. :-)

24. Keep all of your old stuff – you never know.

25. Blog, follow blogs, review books and comment. It’s how you get your name out there.

I got interviewed!

Interview by Elizabeth Bennet

Not for lack of desire...

I write in small spurts. C'mon, I have 5 children at home still, one who is in the Marines, and one who just gave me a grandchild. My mother thinks that her mother is still alive and that she needs to go see her. She also can't figure out who my husband is - she thinks she worked with him. Fortunately, she lives about 40 minutes from me, so I can go see her. The point being, life is exceedingly full at the moment. Over the next 6 years, I will be graduating 4 children, with 1 more to go...

But I dream in technicolor...my characters from Stoning the Crows walk through my dreams and tell me things about themselves that I did not know. I am driven to write and often sacrifice sleep to do so. My most recent endeavor, and I suspect that other writers can identify with this, is to pull out some of the excess in my story. I have about 40,000 words in the novel. I have been told to 'slow down,' so I'm working now on trying to accomplish this feat - maybe a little less coffee?? Several characters are receding in the rewrite. One is becoming a ghost. Well, not a real ghost. But I like the sound of that for my undercover cop. These others...well, I like them. So I'll keep their stories and perhaps write them into sequels. I have at least one sequel in the works. Why not 2?

My favorite endeavor, at the moment, is little interludes from the future with my 'ghost.' He's being investigated. So he's answering questions for an interrogator who holds him in, um, low regard. He looks like a crook. But he'll come out smelling like roses. Is it a perfume to cover up the bad smell? Or is he really the good guy? Is what appears to be unethical really only the lesser of two evils? As I untwist his logic in this interview, I, too, will find out the answer to these questions.

I am on the edge of my seat...

What pulls your strings?

Last week, our pastor spoke about underlying fears and how they control our thoughts and our actions. I started thinking about my characters...what underlying 'things' are pulling their strings. Everyone has something. Is it fear? Is it uncertainty? (which is in the category of fear...) Is it greed? Or how about a sense of need - do they just need to feel loved? Accepted? Are they driven to succeed? Or they lacking in any drive whatsoever, and therefore sliding into whatever venue happens to be available?

There are those who make things happen, and there are those who watch things happen and there are those who wonder WHAT happened...

As the characters are somewhat an extension of myself (yikes!) these are stimulating subjects to ponder. Some of my characters are what I wish I was. Others are what I wish I wasn't. Some are very foreign to me...or are they? I would never steal or drug someone for the purpose of taking advantage. What are his strings? And who pulls them?

Currently, however, I'm working with my under cover cop...who is, perhaps, not a cop at all...

When do you know?

I told my husband the other day that I thought maybe I could publish by the end of this year. He asked me an interesting question: "How (when) do you know when you're finished?" He's watched me write, rewrite, research and rewrite again. For someone who's not a writer, this process might seem a little tedious or even questionable. For the writer, however, we understand that on-going process of development, and of finding the true path of a character, and of creating situations for that character to 'find himself.' Without this process, there could be no good development.

But his question has stuck with me. Indeed, I wonder, how will I know that I've finished this story? I have a plot (even though it changes as it grows) and I have all the characters I want or would ever need for this story. I have a conclusion.

This past month I have written less but perhaps thought more about the underlying principles about which I'm writing. I've asked myself questions and played out the scenarios to find the answers. There is a 'feeling,' if you will, of completeness in answering those questions. Is my ultimate struggle concluded? Do my characters act according to their nature and character? What changes have taken place and by what internal or external catalyst? My antagonist in this story is nebulous. And I've decided that it really IS nebulous and that it's ok. I don't need a particular character for the antagonist - the bad guy can be a trend in society or a belief system that tears people down. Hm.

So, back to the original question - when do you know the story is completed? It's sort of like asking, 'how do you know you're in love?' You just know. Seriously. And this knowledge comes from within you, not from the critics or editors, who only work with the external result. The internal cause is yours alone. And you know, the story is not complete, until it...just is.

"It Sells Because It Sells"

I have a friend who has published a book. Sans marketing, it sort of hit the market like a rotten plum. It really did not sell, and he lamented that he did not have the time to toot his own horn. He has told me on many occasions, as he mentored me in writing novels, that 'books sell because they sell.' So as I'm writing, I'm thinking through this marking 'thing.' There is a lot to be said about having a little help in this area. I'm not so sure I know the right people, although those who follow me here and those I follow are good sources of information and contact. Some (most) of you are excellent bloggers, and have truly found your niche here in blogland. People read what you write - they are interested. This will prove an open door in the market. Interviews are an excellent means of getting your name out there. Book reviews also help a great deal. Getting good, or even not-so-good reviews of your work from other authors is excellent. And having good cover art is, I'm certain, something worth paying for. But the self-publisher is, in reality, quite on their own.

I am currently spending most of my time teaching, guiding and grading my home schoolers. (One more week...) Reading books has sort of 'left the building,' so to speak. I have not read a good book in some time, though I'm trying to finish a Dekker novel that I keep falling asleep over - not because it's boring, mind you. It's just that I'm pushing and pushed to the limit. It is simply that season of life for me, and will remain so, to a certain degree, for the next ten to twelve years. Hm.

But I am still driven to complete this novel that I am laboring over. I dream about it. I jot notes in the middle of walks, or pull the car over to write down something that was just said or something that came to mind. I talk to my characters in the shower. (!!) I seriously need a tape recorder. I share clips with others to get their input. And all the while, I wonder if I have something to say that others will want to read. And how will they know, if my published work is not at eye level?

This is really what marketing is all about, from what I gather - putting your book at eye level. You know how they put the candy in the check-out isle at the grocery store...and they put the toys on the shelves that the little kids can see. My above-mentioned friend is also of the opinion that having your book appear in the local grocery store is an achievement worth its weight in gold. Why? Because it puts your book at eye level. EVERYONE goes to the grocery store. But still and all, books sell because they sell.

But finally, it is the writer who writes for the joy of it, and not for the sell, who achieves the cherished goal.

Live now

Easter Sunday brought home to me a message that God has, perhaps, been sweetly whispering in my ear for a number of years... Live now! Don't wait until the kids are grown, until school is finished for the year, until the house is in order, until, until, until...

I got to thinking about the power of good books in my life. You know, the ones that you keep or buy again if you misplace them. The kind that hang on and you find yourself either quoting or referring to the story line over and over...and when you remember them, you get that far away look in your eyes and that beatific little smile.

Well, life caught up to me over the last few weeks and I stopped blogging. Just couldn't seem to get here. My 18yo son qualified for the USMC and is now scheduled to swear in on August 10th and get kicked out to boot camp. Suddenly, that family photo session I've been putting off is somehow SO important and time is marching past. Hmmm. Live now! Don't wait. And as the country song says, "Don't blink." Yeah.

The tragic part is that many of us get to latter years and wonder what we have to show for it. We look back and can check off the list of things we did, but what is that, a grocery list? I'm a quiet person, who likes to live behind the curtain, pointing so that others know where to go, and smiling encouragement to those headed out on the stage. Writing allows me to do that. I can nod, point and smile, unseen, behind the computer keys, a vessel in God's Hands.

Listen to that Voice in your ear...live now! Write, play, hug, touch...this is how we become good writers.

What remains...

Memories link, one to another, and form the playing field upon which we walk. Think about your last ten years…You don’t remember every detail. Some memories waft through your mind, sparked by a current circumstance or something someone said, or even a scent. A certain berry bush has a distinct smell that takes me way back to daycare, when I was very small. Every time I smell it, I’m suddenly only three feet tall. Music is the same. It takes us places, like the sci fi portal into another dimension. It’s odd, the things that remain in the memory. Some seem so disconnected, yet there they are. Every memory finds its way into the present because it is connected somehow. Without the connection, it is lost.

Now think of all the books you’ve read. What is it that has remained of those books? Do you remember the words that were spoken? The witty little phrases? Maybe. Do you remember how the book felt in your hands? Or the image on the cover? Well, I suppose that one might remain long, especially if you are a visual learner. Some stories remain because they touch us, where we live. We can relate. We feel them. But we don’t remember the exact words…in fact, in some cases, we don’t even remember the title of the book. What we remember is how we felt, while walking in the character’s shoes, or how they looked while we watched them from within the story. We remember how we felt when they said something to us or reacted and we wanted to stop them or slap them or hug them. We are relational creatures. If a character touches our lives, our hearts, our minds, they will remain. As writers, we have the opportunity to reach into the lives of people we’ve never met and touch them, where they live, to leave an impression that will link with their memories and remain a part of them. How cool is that?

Point of View

My writing coach told me to try different things in my writing, as often as I can. It adds variety and depth to your stories. It is kind of fun to experiment. Scenes that are not written omnisciently, I find, are actually a little more engaging, sometimes. Write the scene, perhaps, from the point of view of the baby who is sitting on a lady’s lap. Or maybe from the dog’s POV, as he is lying on the carpet – you know, sideways and from the floor. Or soar in from the sky, over the rooftops, through the branches of the tree, under the overhang of the porch and into the lap of the old woman who is rocking on her old country porch. Or what about this…? How about writing the story or scene from the viewpoint of an autistic child? Or a blind man? Or the crazy squirrel who is hanging on the screen door, panicked and wild eyed? I know, I know, you’re supposed to keep the same POV throughout the story. I ask, ‘Says who?’ Break the rules little now and then. Writing is an expression of your soul. And it is intensely fun to let it out occasionally to speak its mind.

My favorite experiment, so far, with this type of skewed viewpoint is a very short clip that has to do with the death of a martyr. The reader is brought in through a raindrop that falls gently over the leaves of a low plant. From there, the scene takes place around the hems and boots of the people watching the young girl get burned at the stake. You move forward until you’re face to face with the girl…and the demon who taunts her. Then, in the last breath, you explode into the sky and view the scene from the sparks that ride on the night wind. Great fun! Go ahead, express yourself!

The Art of Asking Questions

In writing fiction, one has a tremendous opportunity to address the deep questions that we have – questions about life, about death, about love and about who we are at the deepest levels, when everything else is stripped away. Is man basically good? Or is he basically evil? Is there, perhaps, the potential for both within us? What does it take to push a man over the edge? And how does a ‘good’ person come to a place where he unravels? How does another man hold the line against all odds and still remain standing when the world around him crumbles? What makes a hero?

The good authors that I have read have presented engaging stories, with real and memorable characters who must deal with circumstances that come at them in their daily lives, and evaluate their own response to those circumstances. Who are they, really? And what does their response show about what they truly believe? When push comes to shove, what are they made of? What are WE made of? What would WE do, if in their shoes?

The art of asking questions through the observation of another’s life is very much like brush strokes on canvass. Line upon line, stroke upon stroke of the artist’s brush, the author leads us down hallways and around corners until the moment of truth is suddenly before us and we gape at the character in dismay or we applaud and whistle in approval. We experience these moments. We take away with us the memory of what they told us about ourselves. And this, I find, takes place, even if we disagree with the author.

Fiction is an entertainment medium. But the deeper purpose is seen in the art of asking questions.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott: A Review

A friend of mine bought me tickets to go see Ms. Lamott when she was in town. I had no idea what I was getting, as I had never, I am ashamed to admit, read any of her books.

I think now, after reading Bird by Bird, that this is the most valuable writer’s aid that I could have happened upon. The book, itself, is masterfully written, and includes humor that catches the reader by surprise, and poignant little stories and lessons that cause you to stop and pick your chin up off the table. Her earthy delivery hits right home because it is real. She tells you what you knew, deep down, but hadn’t fully understood yet.

The art of writing is woven together in her witty style until you have a tapestry of instruction laid out before you, clearly seen and easily digestible – if you like to eat tapestry, that is. Trust me; you’ll want to eat this one!

Is Every Man Capable of Ultimate Evil?

Thr3e, by Ted Dekker

Thr3e was my first excursion into the mind of Ted Dekker. This book takes a look at evil in the heart of man. Is every man capable of ultimate evil? And is that evil already there, living within us, or does it come from some outside source? Left to ourselves, would we do only good?

Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. We can all identify things we’ve said that are ultimately evil. Things that hurt others, because we intended to cause hurt. This is evil, is it not? And does it not come from within first, where it was conceived in the heart and mind?

Noah Webster’s Dictionary of the American Language, published in 1828, (www.FACE.net) defines evil as the causing of an injury. Hm. I always thought of evil as something demonic. Something NOT close to my heart. This definition brings it a little closer to home. Try reading the book of Genesis with this definition in mind…

If you pay attention to the messages being delivered in our current day media, and in our schools, perhaps even in some of our churches, you will hear that ‘we are basically good.’ We also often hear that we are merely a ‘product of our society.’ I’ll just step out on a limb here and say that this sounds suspiciously like it is giving us permission to blame others for how we turned out. Its underlying belief says that we are good. All we need is a good environment. Good circumstance. Do I really want to teach my children that it’s ok to ‘go off’ when things go badly for them? This is the ultimate conclusion from such teaching. It is, truly, blaming the devil, because he made me do it.

If, on the other hand, my heart is filled with evil and must be governed by an unshifting principle that defines right and wrong, then I must answer for my actions. And I must consider to whom I must answer. How is it that we seem to often instinctively know the difference between good and evil? And if I find evil within me, what do I do with it? Dekker does a good job of looking at these questions from thr3e distinct angles, ‘the good, the evil, and the person caught in between.’ He does this through the life of a young man who is being stalked by a killer. Shiver.

Catch the movie, too. It’s nearly scene-for-scene with the book.

Writing is scary

Writing is scary. It puts you out there, bares your soul before the reading world. It reveals your beliefs, your hurts, your temptations. It shows everyone your weaknesses, your hopes deferred and your failures. It opens you up to severe criticism. The exposure is profound.

Yet, in the nakedness, the writer also just might find him or herself. In the writing, the deep reality of self might be revealed in a way that nothing else can. It is a sort of self-portrait, a looking glass into the alternate universe from which you came. And it shows who you wish to be, if only you could.

All of us, in this life, reveal only what we must and hold dear that which is tortured, or uncertain, or afraid. We put our best foot forward, and wear a mask to disguise the part of us that easily unravels.

Writing is scary. You can unravel along with your character. You can takes risks and be afraid. You can triumph where you thought you never would. You can lose that which you hold dear and feel the tear rend your heart…and still live.

In writing you can become who you are…and it is okay. So you ask yourself…how can I NOT write? Perhaps in the writing, you can learn to unmask and live like you’ve never lived before.

The Adventure of Writing

Books have the ability to take you away from today, to make you cry, to make you laugh. In books, you can fall in love for the first time, or even again. You can fly, or run like the wind, become royalty or a homeless wanderer. Life can be experienced from a different angle, and you can see truth that couldn't be seen from the perch in your current circumstance. Stories bring home things we only knew deep inside and help us recognize our own image in the mirror of a character with whom we identify.

Writing stories is like spinning yarn, or crocheting a blanket. Stitch upon stitch, the vision unfolds until finally we can see it all, and in seeing it all, we are completed. Even the writer could not see it until the last stitch fell into place.

I've heard it said that good writers merely follow their characters through the story. The characters come to life and lead the writer through their choices, their mistakes and their triumphs and their realizations. This is good writing. I have a long way to go, but this is how I want to write. I want my readers to fall apart in the betrayal, right along with the character, and to feel the release when forgiveness is granted, to taste the fear when monsters loom.

There is a certain power in the written word that the author relishes. When I told my coach that I cried while reading one of his co-authored books, he said "well, then, I've achieved a good thing." To have the reader identify...this is the adventure of writing.