All Blog Posts Tagged 'motivation' (10)

Lessons I Have Learned from Bacardi

“But why is the Rum gone?”

Or so said Johnny Depp in one of his pirate movies. I’m certain, for his character in any event, the rum was his muse or at a minimum his motivation.

However, the Bacardi I‘m talking about is not actually a distilled spirit, but you could call this Bacardi a muse. Of sorts.

Bacardi is one of my Australian Shepherds. He’s also very supportive of my writing; however, I feel his support has more to do with the fact…

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Added by sean on March 16, 2011 at 8:34am — No Comments

Whan that Aprille with her shoures sweete...

April in the D. April in Paris. Pieces of April.

Whatever your impressions of the month, it seems to inspire folks. My goal is to finish my WIP before Malice Domestic, which is at the end of April. Somehow, in springtime, all things seem possible.

Added by Peg Herring on April 12, 2010 at 10:46pm — No Comments

Looking at the Stars

Wilbur Daniel Steele wrote a short story about a pastor who visits an observatory, looks through a telescope, and loses his faith when he realizes how large the universe really is. That's kind of what visiting a chain bookstore can do for an author.

I know the stats on books published, but when I walk the aisles and see the number of authors in my genre and then the number of genres total, look at the number of books each author has to offer, and when I consider that most of them… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 29, 2009 at 8:11pm — No Comments

Lousy Weather

You can't go out and rake those leaves with the wind blowing.
You can't finish sorting the stuff in the garage into give-away, throw-away and put-away piles with the rain and the damp.
You can't go for a walk. Well, you could, but you'd be wet and miserable in five minutes.

You might as well write something.

Added by Peg Herring on November 6, 2009 at 10:22pm — No Comments

Launching an Investigation

I tried watching LIE TO ME last night and found it disappointing on a number of levels. One that sticks in my mind this morning is the protag's lack of any real reason to begin an investigation. I know, TV shows have to get into the action quickly, and we're supposed to believe that this man has an instinct for such things. I will let it go.

In my own work, however, I try for a higher standard. I ask myself, "Are my protags justified?" in each step of the mystery. In the first place,… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 2, 2009 at 9:54pm — 6 Comments

Here's to a new year.

Happy 2009 everyone! I hope the new year holds something good for all. I took a two week vacation from writing anything at all except Christmas cards. I have to get back to it and I need to gather some motivation other than friendly kicks in the but from friends and family. It is how ever hard to kick one's own butt. I finally did some last night. I have to retype it onto computer as it is in long hand. Wish me luck.

Added by karen vaughan on January 8, 2009 at 4:17am — No Comments

Characters Who Keep Getting Bigger

If books are like our children, so are the characters in them, and it seems like there's always one in my stories who needs attention. He demands that he become more than I intended him to be. A guy I needed for just one turn in the plot won't leave after his hour on the stage has been strutted and fretted away. In MACBETH'S NIECE it was Banaugh, who started out as Tessa's escort to Macbeth's castle and ended up staying through the whole book, providing all kinds of help for her and finding… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 18, 2008 at 10:08pm — No Comments

You Created Him, Now Deal with Him

I've seen it lots of times. An author creates a character who is startlingly unique: lovable but odd enough to make readers want to know all about him. But how does his uniqueness work within the story, how does it make the story go?

Unique character traits have to move the plot along or they're worse than wasted, they're showing off. But as your English teacher taught you all those years ago, the world an author creates has to have rules, and the rules have to make sense to the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 14, 2008 at 10:05pm — No Comments

A Character's Motivation Is Not "Because I Said So"

It's my book, and the people in it have to do as I say, right? Well, not necessarily. Sometimes they simply refuse to act the way you want them to. And of course, it's your own fault.

You create characters, but every one of them is a conglomerate of "real people" traits. Therefore, they take on a sort of reality and have to act within the personality that you ascribed to them. They have to have pre-existing reasons to act the way they do, and as the author, you have to provide the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on August 26, 2008 at 11:18pm — No Comments

A View To Die For

Returned from London this morning after a reception held in Penguin Publishers office yesterday evening. Their offices are in the Strand and in what used to be the Shell building. The function room has a balcony overlooking the Thames and it was a scorching hot sunny evening with a view to die for. It looked out onto the London Eye, with the River curving its way past the Houses of Parliament on one side and up to St Paul's on the other. I only wish I'd had my camera. I could have stayed on the… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on July 3, 2008 at 4:11am — No Comments