I just returned from a great trip which included New Year’s Eve on a cruise ship. But that’s not what I’m writing about, at least not exactly. I’m a people watcher everywhere I go. It fascinates me to see how people interact with their families and with strangers, and the very strange things they do….
Tag: Characters
Say, Mack, what’s your secret?
There is a restaurant in Manitou Springs, CO, Adam’s Mountain Café, that has the best chicken salad ever. Just plain ol’ chicken salad, but with its one or two secret ingredients—wow. Fantasy and sci-fi author David Farland tells a story about an author he met at a writers conference. She admitted to him that she felt…
DEEP POV Lesson 6 – Using “You” in DEEP POV
Nic pulled himself from the car and tried to wake up. The cold air helped, but not much. Funny. Nic–every member of the Special Forces for that matter–was trained to take combat naps. It was a useful ability to put yourself into deep sleep for ten or fifteen minutes at a time and come out…
Adding Color to Fictional Characters
Yes. I am referring to skin color. For just a few minutes, I ask you to tuck all discomfort of the subject of race safely into your pocket. This is a safe place of learning, and today the lesson is on diversity and how the omission of racial diversity among characters is whitewashing literature. Are…
How to Write Authentic African-American Characters: The African-American Church
I went to my fifth Colorado Gold Conference this year and had an absolute blast. I taught two classes, as well. How to Write Compelling Villains was super fun to teach (I mean, as fun as an 8 a.m. class can be to teach on Sunday morning). The other class I taught was How to…