Supper Time, Supper Time, Sup Sup Supper Time!

It's supper time! Pretty late, actually. So we're sharing a nice, hot plate of sirloin tips over rice. We need more MEAT to get us through till midnight. If any of you are Vegetarians, or Vegans, you can have rice with your veggie salad. Sorry, but I do love meat. ;-)

I learned a lot about how characters' emotions drive the plot from Sharon Mignerey, a wonderful writer and friend who accompanied me in earning our Master's degrees at Seton Hill University. While I didn't work on Double Crossing at Seton Hill, I sure learned while writing another manuscript that a character's actions will NOT seem real or they will seem idiotic or flat and two-dimensional -- IF YOU DO NOT KNOW their background, motives, values and goals. Sharon will be stopping by around 9:30 p.m. to chat about characters and emotions, I hope. She's a fabulous teacher!

So due to Sharon's diligence, and to another BFF named Sharon who also constantly hammered me about how I didn't understand my characters, I now spend two weeks "discovering" these fictional "people" through sketches (not drawings, but a bit of a scene from their past or current situation with dialogue, to hear how they sound) plus a photo or two (People magazine comes in handy, or Google pictures of silent era actors and actresses, or even old books) and an intense detailed chart.

I found Deb Dixon's Goal, Motivation and Conflict book to be the most helpful in delineating character traits. You want to know their backgrounds (birthday, family, education, social status, marital or other relationships, work, hobbies, interests, etc.) that will affect their values and goals. Augh. Just thinking of all that makes me hungry again. Already?? There's always time for more tea -- in a mug, not a fancy cup, with fishies on it that are perfect for the Goddess Fish Promoters!

And scones for dessert, of course. Pass the lemon curd, raspberry jam and clotted cream.

Having photos on hand help me "visualize" the characters and "see" them walk, talk, sit, etc.,  while writing a particular scene. Here is how I pictured Lily Granville:

Here is Ace Diamond, Texas rogue/cowboy/ex-Confederate cavalryman:

What about Charles and Kate, you might ask? Hmm. I didn't really need to picture them since they're not major characters. But Emil Todaro, the lawyer? Yes, I did have someone in mind.

He seemed "toadish" enough, anyway. This man was actually a very fine actor, but he did have an odd mouth. Sorry, just my opinion! Visualize him in a high tight collar, a three piece suit and a gold watch chain over his paunch. Don't forget the frog-like gait when walking. Emil Todaro, come to life in my wacky brain. ;-D

Aunt Sylvia is another quirky character, a former actress and "black sheep" of the Granville family, who was fun to write. Here's how I pictured her:

If you're a writer, and are having trouble nailing down a character, try visual images. It helps!

Don't forget to comment! Your last chance for getting into the extra prize drawings I'm giving away will be at our "Midnight Snack" actually taking place at 11 p.m. If you buy TODAY, send me your order confirmations for Double Crossing and you will receive a Kindle or Nook cover zipper pull.  Best of luck for the other drawings!  AND THANK YOU for stopping in!

High Tea Time! Mmmm, Mmmm, Good

I love the idea of high tea. Even low tea. LOL Any tea is fine with me. Here's a fancy tea pot -- decaff for me or I'll never get to sleep) with an assortment of goodies. The idea of high tea is not to eat *everything* but to nibble. Have a finger sandwich. Have a piece of See's candy (the best chocolate, this side of the Atlantic, in my opinion.) Enjoy a cookie--but that's my downfall. I would keep reaching for that plate until they were all gone! I can't resist cookies. Mmmm.

In the mood to BUY Double Crossing? Click here to go to Astraea Press! But we're not done with high tea.

Okay, let's get down to business while we much. Mystery vs. Suspense - what's the difference? Well, it does matter. A mystery usually involves an amateur detective who either discovers a dead body (well, that would include Lily Granville, right?) who teams up with an official sleuth (okay, Double Crossing doesn't fit.) Either a policeman (in DC, the police believe her father committed suicide) or a detective or some other official. And the reader usually follows along gathering clues or following red herrings at the same time as the amateur sleuth, which gives them the chance to discover the murderer's identity.

Mysteries are also rarely written in "first person Point of View" -- in DC, Lily is the readers' "eyes" since the events are happening to her. The reader gets "hooked" into her character, her emotions, her perceptions or misconceptions and experiences events right along with her, and sometimes can see things coming before Lily. And while I included a murder in the beginning to start Lily's "adventure west," there's more of a sense of potential danger than a lurking serial killer, ready to pounce. And in a "first person POV" style of story, no one else's point of view is revealed. The reader is as unsure of Charles, Ace and Emil Todaro as Lily is.

Now let's talk about westerns. While Double Crossing isn't a "traditional" western, I made certain the "flavor" of the west is included. The train details, the dusty streets of Cheyenne, the "cowboy" Lily enlists to help, all add to that flavor. I loved watching western TV shows as a kid, like Bonanza (thanks, Dad, for sharing your love of them too!) and Gunsmoke, High Chaparral, Wild Wild West and Maverick. I loved John Wayne movies (thanks again, Dad!) and was especially inspired by True Grit, released in 1969. I read the Charles Portis' book in college, and let the premise of a young girl's father being murdered simmer for years.

I started/stopped/resumed and finished writing Double Crossing in 2007. Revised it again completely in 2010, and here it is, for sale. I hope you enjoy my version of "True Grit" on a train!

My good friend Jacquie Rogers, who lives in Idaho and writes western romances, will be stopping by... she's a fount of information about mules, horses, cowboys, costume, etc. and her writing is SO FUNNY! I crack up while reading. Join me for Supper at 8 p.m. and we'll discuss characters and emotions. See you then!

And don't forget to comment! Post your email address to reserve a spot on my newsletter mailing list for a prize giveaway! Send me the order confirmation number if you buy Double Crossing today, and you'll get that cute Kindle or Nook zipper pull! Or put it on your cat or dog's collar instead! Thanks for stopping by!