Writers Corner: Good to the Last Page - A Crash Course in Finishing your Novel or Narrative Nonfiction

On April 25th, I was honored by the opportunity to share about constructing a book in general, and finishing it in particular, at my very favorite place in Memphis - the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Between the art (lovely!) the grounds (peaceful!) and the programming (fascinating!) it has brought so much joy to my life, so it was lovely to get to participate in one of their weekly lunchtime lectures ("Munch and Learn," every Wednesday at noon).

Anywho, I got to pare down quite a lot of fiction theory into an afternoon chat and was asked (rightfully so) to post the slides on my website. Theoretically, the video should be available at some point? I will follow up on that. In the meantime, let me walk you through what we covered...

It's Been a Minute

Hey all.

I'm just gonna say it.

I'm terrible at written multi-tasking. Either I'm writing a book or I'm writing blogs, or maybe I'm not even writing at all at which point I'm just bad at the doing of writing, and this has turned into a long sentence.

You may notice that, in fact, the last blog posted was very nearly six months ago. And...I never meant it to be that long. But the thing with blogging is that the longer you're away the harder it is to go back.

Also, things were busy. We experienced our first holiday season in the south, and we spent time with friends and I got sick (again) and I made all of our Christmas gifts and we spent more time with friends. Everyone asks why we moved here, what we were thinking, and you know what? The Mid-south is America's best kept secret. We've moved around a lot over the years, and I feel more settled and at home here than I ever did in the Portland area. Also, I can find parking places. It's a win-win.

After the holidays, life was a blur of visiting family, another round of viruses, and becoming members of our church. Things were settling out a little bit, and I was looking forward to catching up on the writing and blogging and newslettering.

And then Danny's father passed away unexpectedly, and that threw everything, all of us, for a loop. We traveled back to Oregon and spent two weeks there, and since our return Danny's had work trips to Alabama, I got to see Darlingside with my dear friend Ginny in Nashville, and then Danny and I drove to North Carolina and back to attend a sweet cousin's wedding reception.

That was...weekend before last? To complete that whirlwind, I got to speak at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, which was great but also kinda prepared at the last minute (see previous paragraph). The notes for that will be in the following post, if you're interested.

Also, there will be a newsletter forthcoming I KNOW, BUT I MEAN IT THIS TIME. So if you'd like that in your inbox and haven't subscribed, make sure to do that!

What else? I am still working on a new book. Yes, it is going very slowly. Yes, I hope to pick up the pace. Yes, I like it very much and if you liked Jane of Austin, I think you'll like it too.

I've been reading A Lady in the Smoke and have been enjoying that very much. I also reread The Peach Keeper (which I have to say I enjoyed better as a reread) and have The Music Shop in my TBR pile with Robin Gunn's Woodlands as well for peak nostalgia.

What's kept you busy? What's in your book pile? Share in the comments below!

Jane Austen Week: Day 3 - Q&A with Teri Wilson

Welcome to Day 3 of Jane Austen Week! To recap briefly, on Day 1 I shared the recipe for chamomile and lavender scones, as well as the link to the All Things Jane Giveaway. On Day 2, I got  chat Jane Austen and time travel with author Kathleen A. Flynn.

Today, I'm thrilled to be hosting Teri Wilson, author of Unleashing Mr. Darcy!

Teri came onto my radar via an elderly neighbor from our Vancouver, Washington neighborhood. I'd been gardening and doing yard work with my mom in the front yard and had Shiloh and puppy Sylvie tethered near the front door. The neighborhood's bank of mailboxes was just to the left of our house, and I met most of my neighbors over there. That day a sweet, elderly lady from two doors down introduced herself and, after a fashion, remarked on Shiloh and Sylvie.

"They look just like the dogs from that movie, that Hallmark movie," she said. "The Mr. Darcy movie."

As you can imagine, my ears perked up. Cavaliers? Mr. Darcy?

I did some creative Googling later and discovered that Unleashing Mr. Darcy was indeed a Hallmark Original Movie - which would be re-airing in a couple weeks - and was based on a book by Teri Wilson.

Who has two cavaliers.

Jane Austen Week: Day 2 - Q&A with Kathleen A. Flynn

Welcome to Jane Austen Week, Day 2!

One of the many pleasures of being a writer is getting to meet other writers. I haven't had the pleasure of getting to meet author Kathleen A. Flynn in person, but I was a third of the way through her debut novel, The Jane Austen Project, when I was in the planning stages of Jane Austen Week.

With its mix of Jane Austen, time travel, and philosophical speculation, it landed squarely in my reading sweet spot. In a nutshell, time travelers Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane are sent to 1815 to recover Jane Austen's letters to her sister Cassandra, as well as a previously undiscovered completed manuscript. But their objective becomes messy as they become involved with Jane's social circle and begin to notice small changes in the historical timeline. And after a while, Rachel – a doctor – begins to wrestle with the mysterious illness that ultimately takes Jane's life.

Intrigued? So was I! After all, Jane Austen Week is all about the 200th Anniversary of Jane's passing; a celebration of her life's work. And because the plot of The Jane Austen Project centers very much on Jane's life, the looming reality of her death, and what might have happened if history had unfolded differently, I'm thrilled Kathleen could participate!

Love Be the Loudest: A Q&A with Singer-Songwriter Ginny Owens

So! Last September, before we moved out to Memphis, my good friend Rachel Lulich organized a concert at her church in Lake Oswego, and flew the award-winning singer-songwriter Ginny Owens out to perform.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Ginny live - do. She does a fantastic set, engagingly sharing the songs she's written over her 18-year-long career. I recognized songs I'd heard and enjoyed in college, songs that had a different resonance for me now.

We chatted after the show, and I had the chance to invite her to come and share here about her work, her process, and her latest album. I've interviewed lots of book-writers, so it was really fun to hear from someone with a different creative and professional pursuit!

Hillary Manton Lodge: Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview! Let’s start with your newest album, Love Be the Loudest. It’s your eleventh album, and it's got a decidedly more pop-sound to it than your previous releases. What inspired that shift?

Writers' Round Table: What We Listen to, and Why

Welcome to the first ever Writers' Round Table on this blog! I'm super excited about this post, and it's a feature I'll definitely want to do again.

It all started when I settled in to starting Jane of Austin and began scrounging about for new music before getting to work. That action sent me on a mental rabbit trail about writing and music and the interaction between the two.

And if it's a big deal, I knew it would be for other writers, too. So to chat about it today I've got a crackerjack group of super talented storytellers who know their way around a playlist! So settle in with a cup of tea - you might just find your next favorite song!

Summer Breeze

Does it feel like this summer is breezing by for you? It feels like it to me!

First, I'm working my way through book three of the Two Blue Doors series, Together at the Table. Not unlike it's predecessors, it's wiggly and squirmy and has thoughts. Yes, I do realize I described Shiloh as a puppy (really, Shiloh now).

Writer's Corner - Writing a Synopsis: a three-step process to getting it done

If you hate synopses, you know who you are. The word gives you the shudders. When you have to write one, you whinge about it on social media.

I get it. I do. But there are two reasons why being able to write one easily will really benefit you.

First - synopses are a reality of the publishing industry. If you're pitching a book to an agent, to an editor, they all want to see a synopsis. And with good reason, obviously - it's faster to read a synopsis than an entire book.

And second, a synopsis is a very useful tool for getting from beginning to end. A lot can happen in 85,000-95,000 words, and it can be easy to lose your way. A synopsis is a road map, a planning tool to work out plot kinks before you're in 60,000 words and realize you've lost your way.

Writing a synopsis can be difficult for many fiction writers. It's basically the opposite of writing a book. But if you break it down into three steps and shift you're writing perspective, it's very, very approachable.

1. Make a timeline. I take a sheet of 11x17" paper and create a timeline with three-act structure in mind. It's okay for this to be messy, with thought bubbles connected to the timeline with long pencil marks.

And do use a pencil, because this is a rough, rough stage.

2. Make a bulleted list of plot points. This is simple - in a document, transcribe the plot points on the paper, filling in any blank spots. This is just a list. For your personal use, you could probably just stop here. But for a proposal synopsis, the next stop is to connect everything together.

3. Write the synopsis. Stay with me on this one.

          Tip 1. Tell, don't Show. For instance, if you're writing a book you'd say -

"Penelope held the potted rosebush in the crook of her arm, stroking a soft bloom with her fingertips. Her heart squeezed. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The house had been in the family for generations. It had survived war, flood, and a pernicious case of mold.

But it couldn't survive her brother's financial decisions. After three hundred years, the legacy ended with a bad investment made by Bernie Seymour-Weston.

The furniture had sold, the artwork too. All she had left of the house was a cutting from her great-grandmother's rosebush."

And in a synopsis, you'd say -

"After her brother loses the family estate, Penelope has nothing but a rosebush to her name."

          Tip 2: Lean into the verbs and keep the sentences simple. Protagonist does this, later protagonist goes there. Protagonist feels hurt, protagonist decides to become a garden consultant. A week later, Protagonist travels to Upper Winbaugh to an estate willing to hire her - and so on.

          Tip 3: Look at is as a series of actions and reactions. In the Writer's Block blog, I talk about how a book is a series of chemical reactions. So look at the synopsis as a way to write out the actions and the subsequent reactions.

          Tip 4: Don't overthink it. If there's ever a time to not self-edit, it's synopsis writing. Take a deep breath and dive in, relaxing into the style.

          Tip 5: Practice. When I was pitching the Two Blue Doors series, I had 25 or so versions of the proposal - that's how many times I wrote and rewrote and pitched and re-pitched the concept. And after that? Tossing out a synopsis feels much more natural. So even if it still feels tricky, keep at it. It's the writing equivalent of riding a bike.

          Tip 6: Make it a reference point. Think of this document as a handy cheat sheet, not only for plot but also for names and places. As you develop your story, character and place names can change. Going through your synopsis and putting the names in bold (just the first time, you don't necessarily have to do it throughout) makes it easy to go back and remind yourself what your character's assistant's name is the name of the fictional cafe where she used to work. 

Those are my tips. What do you think? What synopsis tips work for you?

Writer's Corner: The Hands-On Approach to Beating Writer's Block

Let’s talk writer’s block today.

To really break down writer’s block, you’d need a book’s worth of space – because what we call writer’s block is kinda like Biblical references to leprosy – it’s a catch-all term for, rather than a skin disease, the problem of not being able to write effectively.

But the tricky thing is that writer’s block has all kinds of causes and variations - none of which, I'm sorry to say, involve putting down a book and watching an episode of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt. I've written out the processes that help me to work out problem spots and keep going; they're geared for fiction, and based around an understanding of three act structure, but even if you're writing non-fiction you'll find some crossover. Let's get started!

Step 1 – Admitting it is the first step

Sometimes when you’re thinking “I’m not feeling the book today” that’s actually code in your head for “I don’t like it because it’s hard,” which is also code for “I’m stuck.” You can “not feel it” for days – or weeks, or months. Once you see it for what it is – block – you can move forward.

Other times, if you're like me, you can wind up in a panic spiral. What started as "It's a problem" can turn into "I can't figure it out and I'll never have any ideas ever again." Which - no. Look at it this way - a block is your brain's way of telling you that your book is hitting a dead end. It's an alert system. So take a deep breath, trust your brain, and dig in.

The Oscars Are Coming, and Other Sundry Things

Shiloh, snoozing against my computer.

THE OSCARS ARE THIS WEEKEND. I'm not even remotely ready, and more than that, I don't think I'm going to be able to do my annual coverage. I haven't followed the guild awards, and while I've managed to put together the blog in previous years even while driving across the country, this year I have to make a difficult choice: blog about the Oscars or write the book I've been hired to write.

I gotta go with option b. Which is deeply disappointing, I know, for the fifteen of you who enjoy the Oscar coverage (bless you, one and all). Rest assured I'll be live-tweeting through the Oscarcast, and rooting for Guardians of the Galaxy to win for Best Makeup. 

Also coming up: wrap-ups of Project Runway All Stars (oy).  Feeling very behind on everything, mostly because I am. Last month I had a dental cleaning, which lead to having fillings replaced, which turned into two root canals, which lead to one crown, and another a week later when the non-crowned tooth began to crack. 

Because I have the pain tolerance of a baby puppy (it's true), all but the cleaning were done under some form of sedation, with prescription painkillers in-between (not my favorite, but it was that or give myself facial frostbite with an ice-pack), and now that everything's FINE I feel rather like Rip Van Winkle, with an excessively long to-do list.

In other news: I read Lena Dunham's book for a book club, and was not a fan (reading it with jaw pain added insult to injury). I've started collecting potential titles for my own future memoir (don't worry - it won't be for another 30 years). My current favorite is "That Is a Very Bad Idea," but my sister's vote has gone to "For the Love of Joshua Harris, Please Stop," in reference to this article.

So that's me. What would you name your memoir? How do you handle book club picks that you hate? Which film (nominated or not) would you gift with a Best Picture Award? And what strange places do your pets choose to fall asleep? Let's chat.

Lessons from Television: Olivia Pope vs. Veronica Mars

Last month I decided that, with the new Veronica Mars film coming out, the time had come to re-watch all three seasons of the original show.

Tough work. I suffer for art, y'all.

The more I re-familiarized myself with the show, which is a treasure trove of clever writing and surprising guest stars (Jessica Chastain, Melissa Leo), the more I saw similarities between Veronica Mars and Scandal, specifically the two main characters.

Scandal has its own strengths. The characterizations can be sharp, the writing crisp, the plot fearless. 

Both women are fixers. When people find themselves in the midst of tragedy and scandal, Veronica and Olivia can find a clever way out. They both use unorthodox means of questionable legality. They have friends and associates who are fiercely loyal, while their love lives are a mess.

Both shows struggled during the third season. In Veronica Mars, the tertiary characters wobbled and behaved erratically (never mind the frequent, giant plot-holes, such as Vinnie Van Lowe somehow being an eligible candidate for Sheriff, despite never having been a policeman), and yet Veronica remained strong.

We knew what she wanted, who she cared about, how she was damaged, and in Season 3 we learn how this negatively affected her life and relationships. In shows where you have to suspend a healthy amount of disbelief to buy into a teen-aged detective, the realism helped to ground the character.

Until now, watching Scandal has been like watching a top that's been spinning crazily and yet remained upright - somehow, despite the soapy twists and turns it managed to maintain its balance.

And then Season 3. The top is pinging and bouncing, and while it hasn't crashed yet, there's the feeling that it's inevitable.

For starters, there are a lot of tertiary characters that the writers want us to emotionally engage with. And that can be fine. But if you're going to build out a team of strong characters, you have to make sure that your central character is still the most compelling.

The telling moment for me was in the most recent episode, when Olivia yells at Fitz that she has her own hopes and dreams.

I sat there and thought, "Really? Hopes and dreams? Do share, because this is the first we're hearing about it."

And three seasons in, that's an issue. We should know what motivates her, and we're pretty sure that the Truth, Justice, and the American Way ship has sailed, because Olivia Pope is nobody's girl scout.

Much of her character in the first two seasons centered around her past and present affairs with the president. And yet, for the woman that we're told she is, there should be thoughts and motivations beyond her (admittedly concerning) personal life.

Contrast this with Veronica Mars. We knew her long-term goals, to finish college and make a career of investigation. For a 16-18 year-old, it works. In the shorter term, she wants to solve her best friend's murder, the double-mystery of her drugging and subsequent rape, and find her mother.

All of these are emotionally loaded, and we care deeply about each outcome. We watch her be alternately stoic and overwhelmed as she sifts through each issue. 

But all we know about Olivia Pope right now is that she wants Fitz to be reelected, and she likes the idea of living a "normal life" with Fitz in a "cabin" in Vermont. 

Yet when it comes to Fitz, we don't have any compelling reasons why he should be president (he admits that his greatest talent does not lie in foreign policy, cough), or why the two of them should be together. I get that Olivia is supposed to be mysterious and enigmatic. But after three seasons - we need to know stuff. It's important. We have to be able to get behind her goals, want to root for her success. 

And if not? That is a major, major structural issue. 

Shonda Rhimes is great at launching shows that are compulsively watchable, but the sustainability is an issue. Sure, Grey's Anatomy has been on for nearly ten years, but it began to jump back and forth over the shark in season 4; I don't know what's been going on and I'm okay with that. I'll watch previews in passing and simply be pleased if certain characters have managed to stay alive (when the death rate rivals Vampire Diaires, that's saying something). 

I'm excited to see how the transition from TV to film goes for Veronica Mars. And who knows - Scandal may be able to course correct. 

But until then, it's a strong lesson in character building. Even with established characters, sometimes it's important to step back and refocus on your character's goals and motivations.

Short term and long term, they inform the character's actions and keep your protagonist from becoming passive or unknowable.

Which strong characters have stuck with you? How do you think the serial-nature to television writing affects characterizations? Share your thoughts below!

Writer's Corner: Compelling Characters

It's been a while since I've had a Writer's Corner post. Which...is kinda too bad, because I had some cool insights about characters a few months ago. Be sure to tell me what you think in the comments.

So, the last writerly post was about active versus reactive characters. As I was thinking about active characters and their common threads, I landed on a thought - the very best active characters have a superpower.

The Adventures of Quinoa: An Interview with Tiffany Beveridge

Last Thursday, I was puttering around the internet, pausing in my search for a new title for the book (more on that later), when I clicked on New York Magazine ‘s link “Imaginary Stylish Toddler Sweeps Pinterest.”

Originally envisioning a strange, pre-school Catfish-type situation, I was delighted to discover instead Tiffany Beveridge’s Pinterest board, entitled “My Imaginary Well-Dressed Toddler Daughter.”

After plenty of internet exploration – not just the board, but also Tiffany’s quippy, succinct blog – I was intrigued. So I’m beyond delighted to host the author of “My Imaginary Well-Dressed Toddler Daughter,” Tiffany Beveridge, here on the blog!

Hillary: Tiffany - tell us about your inspiration for the “My Imaginary Well-Dressed Toddler Daughter” board. How did it start? When did it take off? What precipitated the creation of Quinoa as a character?

Home Stretch!

You know that part in Star Wars when that one guy is "almost there"...until (if I remember correctly), he gets blown up in his TIE fighter by Darth Vader?

Anyway, that's where I'm at in the book. Almost there. Literally typing the end. I DESPAIRED OF THIS DAY EVER COMING. I do not anticipate being blown up by a sith lord, though, literally or metaphorically.

Well, because it had to come, it needed to come, I've continued hiatus-ing from the blog, because the book and the blog could not coexist.

Writer's Corner: Active vs. Reactive Characters

Here's where my head's been at, thinking about story and characters. Every remarkable story is defined by a remarkable character. In recent literature, we've got Lisbeth Salander and Katniss Everdeen as prime examples. There are more, obviously. But those are the ones that spurred this thought process. 

If you look at the characters who are the most involving, you’ll generally find a common thread – they don’t let life happen to them. Their lives are defined by their actions and choices. Sure, mistakes are made. There are regrets. But they’re interesting, and you want to know what they’ll do next.

The easy story to write is the one where life happens to your character. You bring problems to his door, and he gets to respond. Rather than plan his actions, you let your character relax, sip tea, and wait for the phone to ring. The more often they wait, the more passive they become. You can hide it for a while with twists and turns, but after a while readers subconsciously become disinterested, even frustrated with the character.

Take a look at the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy. The first book is the strongest; the chemistry between Mikel and Lisbeth is involving, and not just because Lisbeth is one of the most charismatic and unique characters to come out of popular literature in the last 50 years.

She’s that interesting, but what does the author do with her in the last book? Lock her in jail and expect the bland character to get her out. As a result, the last book is the weakest.

(I've got a whole other tirade about how the author wrote a glorified version of himself into the book. Sure, Ian Fleming did the same, but at least James bond is interesting.)

Similarly, take a look at Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games. The books work best when you really don’t know what she’s going to do next. But in the third book she’s essentially rendered powerless, stuck as a figurehead or in hiding underground. Just like Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Mockingjay is the weakest of the trilogy because the most dynamic character is locked away.

The good news that there's more than one way to make a character dynamic. A dynamic character doesn’t have  to be swashbuckling or computer-hacking or government-overthrowing to be interesting. Think of Elizabeth Bennett. Obviously, as a single woman with a tiny dowry during the 19^th century, she couldn't control her destiny much. But what could she do?

Snark. And the book is better for it.

 So take a look at your story. Is your character reactive or passive? Ask yourself - 

1.) What is the last bad decision your character made?

2.) When did your character last surprise you?

3.) Which characters do you feel are doing the lion’s share of moving the plot?

4.) Who does your character take advice from?

5.)  What kinds of verbs is do you surround your character with?

If your character is making so few decisions that he hasn’t made any bad ones, seldom surprises you, relies on other people to move the plot, talks about action rather than acting, and seems to be hanging around a lot of passive verbs, he is likely a reactive character.

If, on the other hand, he is getting himself into scrapes, takes you by surprise, drives the plot neatly, knows his mind, and spends time with active verbs, you’ve got an strong active character on your hands.

Tips to save reactive characters:

1.) Plan ahead. Your character is more likely to drive the plot if you’re first aware of the plot’s direction. It’s easier to move the pieces across the board when you know where you’re going and how you want to get there.

2.) Increase the tension. Put your character in a tight spot, physically, emotionally, and make her fight her own way out.

3.) Less thinking, more doing. I don’t care if your character is particularly cerebral. Friends who hem and haw for weeks or years before a decision are boring and trying. Characters are the same way. A reader will respect decisiveness, even if that decision turns out to be foolish.

4.) Get to know your character better. A lot of times, reactive characters happen by default when you simply don’t know your characters as well as you should. What are the sorts of things that will drive him to action?

5.) Surround your character with active verbs. Even if he’s going through a pensive stage, he’ll read more dynamically on the page.

My next character tip is to give him (or her) a superpower, and not, I'm not necessarily talking about flight. Stay tuned for the next blog...

Getting Started

Totally loving this line from Meg Cabot's blog:

"If you want a long-lasting publishing career, I think the best way to spend your tweens and teens and early twenties isn’t worrying about getting published, but figuring out who you are and what you’re good at, experimenting with your style, and developing your own voice—in other words, just live your life."

(full post here)

I love that. I love it because I think it's so true and so right.

I talk to a lot of people about getting started in writing, or the writing business. And yes, it's *totally* a business. But it's also the business of selling a (hopefully) really great product. I get frustrated when people talk to me about agents and proposals and the desire to go from concept to contract.

It doesn't work that way. And it shouldn't work that way - not if you're about telling the best story. Telling the story, telling it well - that comes first. Then you can worry about agents and marketing and publicists and paperwork. It will be there when you're done.

Some people start writing early - I did. Other people start writing later. When that's the case, I really think the wisest tack is to let yourself have a second adolescence from a creative standpoint. Figure out your identity as a writer. Identify your writing heroes. Settle into your voice. Learn the building blocks of story. Create compelling characters. Figure out what makes a compelling concept. Try different styles on for size and see what fits comfortably. Don't focus on achievement - focus on growth. Write drafts. Do the work for work's sake. Challenge yourself to be sharper, more edited, more precise, more thoughtful.

Like any other skill, writing well is something you learn how to do, and something you can get better at. Respect the craft.

If you respect the craft, then the agent/editor/sales/marketing/contract/query/subsidiary rights stuff will work itself out. Promise.

And in the meantime, you've lived life. You've observed humanity. You've been places - and that, my friends, is worth writing about.

Absolutely Official, Very Important Publishing News!

Coming in May, 2014, I'll be releasing the first book of a brand new series, A Table By the Window from WaterBrook Publishing!

I seriously could not be more excited. My agent and I have been working toward this for a long, long time. The beginnings of the story popped into my head almost five years ago, shortly after I married Danny. As time passed, the story grew and changed, becoming richer and more complex.

Like cheese.

And after all of these years, the story has found the perfect home at WaterBrook.

Lessons from Hollywood - The Hunger Games vs. John Carter

This post is the first in a "Lessons from Hollywood" series focusing on writing/publishing truths gleaned from Tinseltown. I've written similar posts in the past (Writing lessons from Eclipse, for starters), but now such posts will have a club of their own to belong to.

Anyone reading about films and box-office reports will have heard that The Hunger Games has done very well. Games had a strong opening weekend and has continued to dominate.

Conversely, Andrew Stanton's baby, John Carter, has gone down in flames.

Anne with an "e" knew what she was talking about: What to Consider as You Name your Characters

I renamed a character this week.

I have a thing about names. Some authors are pretty relaxed about them. I think that's great - it's just not me. When I create a character, the name is one of the first things I have to nail down. Otherwise, it's like making a friend whose name you don't know - who does that?

(Actually, I do sometimes. I'm not always great with remembering names. But when it happens, it's VERY uncomfortable and certainly not ideal. Not in real life, and not with made-up people).

With the book I'm working on now, it really became necessary to change several names of central characters. For a couple people, that was fine and downright easy.

But the others? Not so much. You see, these people are half French and half Italian. They're practically a super-species, if by "super" you mean "super stubborn, super strong-willed, super opinionated." And you know what?  They did not appreciate the name change. Not. One Bit. One character even flat-out refused.

Sundry (mostly about the dog. A little about writing, but mostly about the dog).

Things are pretty quiet around here. It's nice. After SO much travel and change, getting into a boring home routine is kinda great.

We've got family coming up next week - so the quiet part will change - and a wee bit of travel to Bellingham in the near future, but until then it's nice to enjoy the house and the less-wigged-out dog.

Speaking of, Tesla is loving life right now. When she's not spending time in elegant repose (and bear with me as ALL of these photos were taken with my phone)...