We’re In This Together: Celebrating Writers Who Persevere

Today I am happy to be part of Writers Persevere!, an event that authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are running for the next few days to celebrate the release of their newest book, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma. This book looks at the difficult experiences embedded in our character’s backstory which will shape their motivation and behavior afterward.

By the way, I wouldn’t be sharing this with you if I didn’t already use other tools Angela and Becca have designed. Their unique thesauruses for writers (like The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, and The Negative Trait Thesaurus) have helped me overcome  blockages and elevate my own writing. I can’t wait to put this new one to good use.

A Story’s Moment of Grace

Stories often begin to lose steam near the middle. The Lead character has worked through, around, and over obstacles for almost half the story, having made little progress. We start to worry that readers will grow impatient. We become tempted to add extra scenes solely to ratchet up tension. Big mistake. There’s another way to energize the middles of your stories.

Character in Characters

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Those words define what we mean by character. They are words that remind us of  the difference between a leader and a con-man. For writers like me, these words are a guide to crafting characters who inspire readers through stories. Characters with character are more important today, than ever before.

(Part 2) How writing is like practicing Jungian psychology … or …

It’s not writer’s block. Two characters are arguing in my head and I’m waiting for them to finish.

There are three characters in the scene, only two are arguing. 

How writing is like practicing Jungian psychology … or …

It’s not writer’s block. Two characters are arguing in my head and I’m waiting for them to finish.  

Why Couldn’t McGyver Be a Girl?

Female protagonists often take on one of three equally unsatisfying personalities – WonderWoman, Nerd or Clueless. Why don’t we see more girl McGyvers?

McGyver wasn’t an action hero – he was an overcomer. But he wasn’t a geek, just resourceful. And he was neither a fool, nor a brainiac. Aren’t there girls who fit the same mold?

Making a female McGyver – that’s what I tried to achieve with Sarah Sue Morgan, the protagonist in LINCOLN’S DIARY – a novel. If you’ve read it, let me know if I came close.

Earmarks of a Psychopath

One of my characters in Ripples is a psychopath. A retired CEO from a major financial services company. 

More Reader Feedback

Is it shameless self-promotion when you repeat what readers say?

Here’s what one reader said:

What a bold theme ! It takes nerve to write something like this and make readers swear it is the truth. The pace is right as is the structure. The prose is tight and the dialogues realistic.

And if that’s not enough, watch Emily’s reaction.

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Black Swan–Inner & Outer Demons

Black Swan–Inner & Outer Demons.

Great illustration of how to show a chatacter’s inner conflicts. I’ll tell you how I used it once I release Ripples – a novel

Strange Addictions & Habits–Do They All Have to Have Meaning?

Strange Addictions & Habits–Do They All Have to Have Meaning?.

Kristen is one of my favorite bloggers. And the comments on this one are great, too.