Yesterday morning, I sat here, staring at the posting page for my blog, trying to think of something to write about. Obviously, as nothing was posted, I drew a blank.I wanted to write about something related to the craft, and while the body and spirit were willing, the brain refused to cooperate. There's a definite lack of motivation affecting my life today, as the most ambitious thing I've done all day is mop the kitchen floor and move a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, and start a new load. It's the first week of school and my body is rebelling the necessity to be up and somewhat functional at 6 in the morning so I can get the boys up and somewhat functional and out the door.
One of my favorite things to do, while I'm looking for motivation, is read the news...Actual news, editorials, etc, and while at one site, I found a clip from the show Designing Women that really resonated with me. Yes, it has to do with politics, and I couldn't tell you what year this episode aired, but it's timeless. View it HERE http://front.moveon.org/pop-quiz-which-designing-woman-stole-the-words-right-out-of-our-mouths/">HERE>. I always loved this show, loved the intelligent, witty, talented characters and the women who portrayed these characters. My kids wanted to know what I was watching when I applauded (yes, I really did) at the end, in response to the ending comments that included, "...I pray...that people with power will get good sense and that people with good sense will get power..."
As I said, I liked all the characters in this show, including the secondaries who walked on a few times a season...All so well written, well portrayed, well rounded...in short, just very believable, likable, easy to identify with, women I'd like to have as friends. I've probably blogged about characters/characterization before---it's a subject near and dear because I'm a character-driven writer. Yes, I think that characters are more important to the plot, because without the right characters to people the story, the plot fizzles. I enjoy telling the story through the characters, rather than through the use of plot devices (although, those do come in handy and are useful).
Recently, a friend asked on one of the writing threads I frequent, for tips on writing deep POV. I suggested, "Write it like it's happening to you." That's what I do with my stories...I can be in each character's head, because they're in mine, and I think that makes them more believable, rounded, fully fleshed characters. I want to create living, breathing PEOPLE, and as we are all different and unique in our own rights, so should the characters...people...we create be.
What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers. ~Logan Pearsall Smith, "All Trivia," Afterthoughts, 1931
The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. ~Norbert Platt
Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O'Brien
Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
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