Character or Character - real life or fictional - where is the line drawn?

When it comes to people, authors study character, look for characters, and combine what they see into new characters. Sometimes. Sometimes a character pops into your life full blown, perhaps only a memory of an earlier time created him or her--and maybe you embellished what was real and what was not. But if a person/character resonates with you, certainly your readers will "feel" that special knowing you impart to them.

I knew such a character, not personally but from afar. She became the focus of Death by Candlelight and

Candlelight and Shadows, two mystery novels. She was nothing but a girl walking across a weedy field between an apartment building, railroad tracks and a street where stores were. Tall moccasin boots and long rich brown hair, a  fringed leather jacket and blue jeans. She fascinated me. I had to know her. So what did I do?  I interviewed her and she came alive so that I could tell her story. Actually, the interview was me talking to the character in my head - the answers felt real. That's all it takes sometimes for an author to create a person that her cover artist can find the essence of and translate to the page for both author and reader.




 

There are other characters: Piano Man (he was a man in a panel of wood-grain paneling in a rented home. I saw his picture there, I saw it as an advertisement for an artist course....I knew I had to find out more about him--Ghost Music of Vaudeville brought him to the page and to life. I hope readers will feel how special he is.

I could go on, but you get the idea. You can create composites of several people - or just go with your imagination, let them tell you who they are.

Now for more on this same subject visit Ginger Simpson at her blog - and follow along on a discovery of where our characters come from. Ginger Simpson http://cowboykisses.blogspot.com

And if you missed any, here are the other blogs where you will find more authors sharing with you, please stop by and visit them too.
Thanks for visiting - happy reading!




Lynn Crain -- www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com.
Connie Vines   -- http://connievines.blogspot.com
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Billie A. Williams http://printedwords.blogspot.com
Ginger Simpson http://cowboykisses.blogspot.com
Margaret Tanner http://wattleglen-margarettannersblog.blogspot.com.au/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Rita Karnopp http://mizging.blogspot.com
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/
 

Writer's What? Ain't No Such Thing? Help Has Arrived! #rndrbn0713

If you are a writer you've probably faced a point where characters rebel, or story plot just floats into the ether and seems to not want to stay on the page. Some would call this condition "writers block". I admit there are stalls when you are writing, usually it's because you are trying to force a character to do something totally out of character for that particular player in your story, but occasionally it's because your well has run dry, your creative well that is. So, how do you keep this from happening?

When I first started writing I picked up a book by Julia Cameron titled The Artist's Way – Julia wrote about creative people in general, writers in particular. Her words resonated with me. Write every day was her mantra. Take artist's days was part of her advice. What are artist days I wondered? They are used to refill your creative well. Just as anything you draw from regularly, like a well of drinking water, it needs to be replenished somehow…So how would you replenish your Artist Well – Your Creativity Well? 

She suggested that you take an hour or a part of a day and take yourself on a journey of discovery. That journey can be a walk in the park, a browse through a local farmer's market or store, but yourself. Alone with yourself you can hear what you think, you can appreciate the fine texture of a blade of grass or an antique vase you examine. You don't need to buy anything, you don't need to do anything but observe – with your total self. Think of the place you visit as a well of refreshing sunlight or water or whatever it is that makes you feel refreshed. Use your five senses to experience what you are doing, where you are going, how you get there, what's there when you get there, your trip home even. An hour or two, a half day, a whole day if that's what you need will replenish that creative well you have been draining for a week, yes she suggests this is a weekly thing you do with yourself. Try it!  It works wonders for your writing.

Another thing she suggests is writing 3 pages a day in your journal – stream of consciousness first thing in the morning, by hand – pen to page. It is amazing what you might discover some days. Other days it might just be clearing the chaff, dumping the garbage from your mind, but every once in awhile you'll uncover a gem buried deep in your mind. And even if you don't your writing practice will serve you well, practice is after all what the greats do whether they are gymnasts, composers, tri-athletes, or novelists. Practice makes perfect, as they say. Try it, you may discover a new zest in your writing when you sit down to write that very next chapter.

Write like your hair is on fire – write like the wind – just write.

To continue on with our little journey here visit the next blog – Beverly Bateman shares some insights and lively thoughts at http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/  Please hop on over and visit her. Please feel free to share this on facebook, twitter, google + or wherever you hang out.

April Shauers Bloodhounds New Release

Reading to Understand Writing Or Writing To Understand Reading

"They" say read what you want to write. I read everything from cereal boxes to candy wrappers, soup cans

to horror stories. I read romance, comedy, screenplays and thrillers. Any genre you can name, I read, so that I can write –my favorite—the mystery.

Need conflict, read Debby McComber; need suspense try Tess Gerritsen; need to multiply fear and suspense, read Stephen King. If your description lacks pizzazz, give yourself a shot of Jude Devereaux. There is no better source for comic relief or ribald-in-your-face-story-magic than Janet Evanovich.

Looking for basics of writing a compelling mystery, I might read Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie, the classics will never let you down.  That said, nothing is ever more mind bending and wide-open, full of mystery and intrigue than non-fiction. Even a good cookbook can cook-up a mystery of best seller proportions. Or maybe your choice is a cat, dog, or horse…I'm sure you can name a few of your own favorites.

I read to understand the world, but I write to understand myself and create a place for others to discover what it is they believe. And that, my friend, is a mystery worth solving.

Check out the next blog post in this hop: Ginger Simpson at her blog
  http://mizging.blogspot.com

"They" say read what you want to write. I read everything from cereal boxes to candy wrappers, soup cans

to horror stories. I read romance, comedy, screenplays and thrillers. Any genre you can name, I read, so that I can write –my favorite—the mystery.

Need conflict, read Debby McComber; need suspense try Tess Gerritsen; need to multiply fear and suspense, read Stephen King. If your description lacks pizzazz, give yourself a shot of Jude Devereaux. There is no better source for comic relief or ribald-in-your-face-story-magic than Janet Evanovich.

Looking for basics of writing a compelling mystery, I might read Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie, the classics will never let you down.  That said, nothing is ever more mind bending and wide-open, full of mystery and intrigue than non-fiction. Even a good cookbook can cook-up a mystery of best seller proportions. Or maybe your choice is a cat, dog, or horse…I'm sure you can name a few of your own favorites.

I read to understand the world, but I write to understand myself and create a place for others to discover what it is they believe. And that, my friend, is a mystery worth solving.

Check out the next blog post in this hop: Ginger Simpson at her blog
  http://mizging.blogspot.com

Pinterest - What is it? How Do I Use it?

Karen Leland has the answers for you - who is Karen Leland and why should I read what she has to say?

Karen Leland is the bestselling author of 8 business books including the recently released Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Pinterest For Business, which can be purchased at http://bit.ly/Amazonbook. She is the president of Sterling Marketing Group, where she works with small businesses and Fortune 500 on building stronger personal and team brands. She writes the Modern Marketing Blog at www.karenleland.com.

Pinterest is a social bookmarking site that allows users to create a visual, online pinboard with images they

love organized around topics of their choice by category. It’s the fastest growing social media site in history, the third-largest network after Facebook and Twitter and has over 25 million members and 10 million unique visitors a month. 

The most recent studies indicate that nearly 20 percent of women using the Internet are on Pinterest, 72 percent of Pinterest users are female, and 66 percent of those are age 35 or older, and the average amount of time visitors spend surfing the Pinterest site is an hour.

Karen Leland, author of the new book “Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business,” has created a comprehensive and easy-to-use guide to hitting the road running and quickly making Pinterest into a valuable source of prospects, promotion and profits. 

“Great business brands are about telling compelling, congruent stories, and Pinterest is at its core about storytelling in pictures,” says Leland. “Pinterest has tapped into this visceral lover of visuals, and no small business, entrepreneur or corporation can afford to miss the boat on bringing what they offer beyond words and into images.”

About Ultimate Pinterest Guide for Business

“The Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business” is designed to help businesses use Pinterest to its maximum potential. The book provides both beginning users and seasoned veterans with the ability to find their specific area of interest “at a glance.” It uses step-by-step how-to, sidebars, examples, case studies, expert interviews and tip sheets to show how, from setup to strategy, to use Pinterest for promotional, branding and marketing objectives. 

The book explores the ins and outs of signing up and getting started on Pinterest and how to create boards that get noticed, drive traffic and convert fans into customers. Special chapters are devoted to creating a strong community and enthusiastic following through high-engagement activities, contests, social media outreach and smart pinning strategies.

In addition the book outlines specific marketing applications to small businesses, from architecture firms to theater companies.  

About Karen Leland

Karen Leland is the best-selling author of nine business books and the President of Sterling Marketing Group, where she works with entrepreneurs, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies around the globe on building stronger personal and business brands. Her clients have included AT&T, American Express, Marriott Hotels, Apple Computer and Johnson & Johnson, among others.  

She is a regular speaker for business groups and has spoken for the Young Presidents’ Organization, American Management Association and Direct Marketing Association, among others. Karen is a frequent guest of the media and has been interviewed on “The Today Show,” CNN, CNBC and “Oprah.”

She writes a regular branding and marketing column for Entrepreneur.com and has been published in Woman’s Day, Self, The Los Angeles Times and others. Her latest book is “Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business.”

A Muse, Me

Who is this Muse, a mystery, a mystery writer or you?

He was tall and gaunt; a bag of air tied in the middle with a shoe string, or was that a memo clip? He stared at me and me at him. My voice was frozen in his eyes. I could not utter a sound.

A long thin hand with gnarled knuckles reached out to me. "Muse," he said.

My mind questioned. My voice could not.

"My name—Muse."

I nodded and still his grip would not release my voice. How could someone's eyes hold you speechless, his did?

"You want to know why I'm here. You summoned me. To put it bluntly you cursed me and implored 'how dare I leave you without warning—without story.' Think dear child~~Are you the only writer? Do you have exclusive rights to the muse?"

With that he brushed by me and floated about the room. No foot falls of noise, no noise at all. Apparition I tried to convince myself. I have not awakened. I dream still. That's all it is. He is not real. He is not here. I dream a fitful nightmarish dream.

He sits upon the counter now, legs dangling, playful-like. He's thumbing through the dictionary. "They're all here, and here," he pulled a banner with the alphabet on it from his pocket and unfurled it over his head. "At a loss for words? Pick one, or three." He tossed the heavy dictionary at me.

"Leave, scat, shoo." The words came easily without the dictionary's aide.

"No, read, at random. Three words. I'm serious, now!" he demanded.

"Button, dregs, prepare," I said running through the pages with my fingers.

"You know the rule of threes don't you?"

I shook my head. What did he want with me and rules, rules are for fools I once heard and I believed it.

"Everything, everything always in threes. There is no other way. Take your three words and begin. Just write. There must be beginning, middle and end—say three.

There must be characters, plot, scene,--say three.

There must be place, protagonist, antagonist, say three. He continued to bombard me with lists of three. "Haven't you heard even deaths come in threes?"

I shuddered as I scribbled on the tablet he had given me. As I wrote the ink dried and disappeared. A sinking feeling began in the pit of my stomach and hauled my heart down with it as fear began to paralyze even my breathing. A horrible dream, a nightmare, my thoughts were out of control.

I filled three pages quickly with no problem at all. But, the pages were blank now when I looked back.

"Remember, three pages a day. That's all you need to write. In a year, 365 days later, you will have written 1, 095 pages that could be three books. See how simple, how many pages do you have now?" he questioned.

I looked down at the blank note pad. None, your pen is no good. I tried to say but only the thought floated through the room.

He whipped the pages from my hands and held them over a lighted candle. I thought he was about to burn them, the words I had written suddenly became visible over the heat.

"Ingredients," he said. "Thoughts, words, and execution/action. Action, reaction, effect. Pick the words, slurry them around with the ink, heat them up. You've cooked up a story. One, two, three. It had nothing to do with me. You only thought you needed the muse, the muse was inside of you not out there."

He bounced across the room. The sound of him was a merry tinkling as if he were adorned with bells. As he opened the door he turned. "You are your own muse.  Listen to yourself and remember the rule of threes."

"Wait!" My voice came back, surprising me. He vanished as though he never was. But, I, I found my voice again. "Thank you muse." I said and bells tinkled somewhere not far off.

Then I had to lie down with a wet cloth on my face, to contemplate the muse and dictionaries and alphabets and rules of three.