Leaving a Comment for a Comment

Okay, so this is my first blog. I warned every one of that when I wrote my first entry. So when comments came in to my e-mail from the blog site, at first I hit reply and answered. But they all bounced back. After a few I figured out that things just didn’t work that way with blogs. But for some reason, it never came to mind that I could post a comment here on my blog in reply to a comment left from someone. Talk about a duh moment. Hehehe

But I’m really proud that I’ve figured that out now. Sometimes in life, we just have to laugh at ourselves. I’m good at making myself laugh. (Smile)

Characters That Pop Out of The Shadows

My first romantic suspense is also a paranormal story; it’s hard for me to write any story without something paranormal showing up in it. While I've been working on this newest manuscript, all of these other paranormal type characters have stepped out of the shadows. Suddenly my three main characters for this story, who were each going to have a book, now have friends who all want their own books, too. I've taken a break from the writing to get to know these new guys and gals. And what fun it is.

I’m getting to write my own rules for these characters, who aren’t your normal everyday people. In the mix there is a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, well a few of each really. And then there are these guys who were genetically altered. I can make them each able to do, or not do, what ever I like. (Smile)

I want to get to know these new and unusual characters well before I write any more for now, since at least a couple of them are going to show up in this first book of the series.

So I’ve been clipping out pictures, filling out character charts, and making my family wonder why I’m talking aloud sometimes, saying things as if I were someone else. I’ve also been walking around mumbling to myself, things like... "That would never work.” or "He would never do that." or “That would be perfect and pull all of the tension and conflict together.” After which I usually run toward the computer or grab the closest thing I can write on and anything I can write with. Honestly though, they should be used to such actions out of me by now. (Smile)

I think these stories should be a whole lot of fun to write! I’m going to be spending the next year, probably longer, with a number of really great characters. I hope I get to share them one day.

Life is Too Short

I’ve heard that a million times, in conversations, in songs, in movies. I haven’t thought a lot about it though. Even though I’ve had health problems for a few years now, and I know death happens. I’ve lost my mother, my father, a brother, all of my grandparents, and more aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends than I can mention. I still figured, mostly, that I had plenty of time left. (I bet we all think this.)

And then a couple of weeks ago, a fellow romance writer who I knew through some on-line groups, died. She didn’t have cancer, she wasn’t old, there wasn’t a terrible car wreck, she simply got the flu, and then things went down hill from there.

I spent some time looking through old messages she had written. They were normal messages. The kinds we send out every day about writers block, falling off the diet wagon, plans for her next book...just totally normal stuff. And then she was gone. It was like someone just erased her away, and her website is there, but she isn’t, and no more messages come from her e-mail address, and when I send a question to one of the groups we belonged to together, she doesn’t reply.

I know her novel is sitting in her computer unfinished. Her notebook of ideas for articles and stories will never be jotted in again...and she’ll never get the chance to finish that novel, or start another piece of writing. What’s done is done, and what’s left undone will stay that way.

Those thoughts made me open my own folder of ideas. I glanced through them, and there are some good ones in there. (Smile) I looked at the MSS I have started, and I realized that I don’t want to leave them unfinished. I like my characters and I want to tell their whole story.

So I’ve decided to work a little harder, maybe write a little faster, and to let some other things slip. Who says there’s anything wrong with a sink full of dirty dishes, and the world won’t fall apart if I don’t judge a contest for a while, there's really nothing wrong with saying no, and I doubt I’ll be missed that much if I suddenly start posting fewer messages on those on-line groups.

I have a great excuse after all; I’ve got stories to tell. (Smile)