5 Motives For Animals in Fiction

I asked Tim to recall all the fictional novels he's read (or movies watched) where animals played a part. I did this because I was curious to know what other readers would come up with, not just me. He named the novels (movies) and I noticed there were, to me, different motivations for animals appearing as characters, even the walk-ons. These are the ones I found.


Please Like My Protagonist

At most conferences I've attended and online writing classes I've taken, the speakers have discussed this thing referred to as "pet the dog" which simply means get the reader to instantly like your protagonist. Whenever any character shows affection toward an animal, it will create this connection with your reader. How about an Orangutan? Remember Clyde in Every Which Way But Loose and its sequel? Best sidekick EVER!

Here's a quick example. When a cop picks up that cute puppy in an alley while searching for some bad guy, notice he gives it a quick snuggle before tucking it safely behind some dumpster? Now, back to the bad guy and doing the much needed deed, moving the plot along. It's not realistic, but it works. The cop has a soft spot, even while in the middle of a very dangerous chase. This cute scenario doesn't really belong in the story, but it serves one of two purposes for supplying elements which seem out of place. It adds to character development. The other would be to further the plot, which it does not.


Creating Conflicting Emotions

Two elements I love to experience at the same time are feeling my love for humanity and feeling love for a helpless NON-human type. How does one promote love for humanity? Um, you have an horrific animal which causes incomprehensible damage to society. Think King Kong, Godzilla, Food of the Gods, and Jaws. It's man against this indestructible creature wreaking havoc upon their villages.

And don't give these creatures any qualities that make them human, like King Kong actually falling in love with the girl. NOooooooo!!!! Now we have to like the creature, and that defeats the purpose of bringing society together to kill it. Talk about conflicting emotions for your readers.

In Jaws, the mother was protecting her 15 foot baby the fishermen killed! Those bastards. Of course, any mother would go after them murderers, and with great vengeance. How do you hate such a creature?


Creating Horror and Anticipation

One of the things in fiction that has a remarkable affect on readers, and I say this from my own experience as an avid reader of horror, is the mention of acts performed by domestic animals, acts we cannot deny but we cringe knowing of them. Like the cannibalism of hamsters when one of their own becomes ill. No, our pets are not cannibals!

Authors remind us of the horrors we wish to deny. They torture us with these tidbits of information, reminding our kindred of the evil which exists in our innocent world, the one we so desperately seek to escape. MWAHAHAHAHA!!

A stray dog wouldn't eat the scalp off a dead man. But, what if he'd been abandoned and was hungry, like the one in Stephen King's Gerald's Game? I think King described it like the sound of pulling up carpet? I don't care how hungry my Maggie ever gets, she'd never eat my scalp!

Promoting Religious Views

So, what does it say to you, the reader, when you read about the family pet who died? Pet Sematary is an example. Karma? Did you get a sense that the author had a particular religion they were depicting or did it just seem creepy to you? Coming back to life: evil times 3! I'm not suggesting this was the intent, but when I read the book, I felt a lot of ceremony in it.


Political Dissidence

Animal Farm is a great example of this, but that's literary stuff, so who cares? :)  Read it!

I use animals in my short story Snow Leopard. The cats in my story are major characters and they play a very prominent role in how I feel about political dissidence in America today. They are tools and my intent has always been the hope that my readers will relate on a deeper level at some point.


Okay, I admit, I'm being overly harsh on the writers out there, but I want to know. Do you think about why you include animals in your scenarios? Do you ever wonder why you find the need to include them? I think it's okay to do it, I just wonder if you know why you do it and do these specific reasons I point out hit the mark?



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The Willing Suspension of Disbelief

In 1817, Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined the term the willing suspension of disbelief. Coleridge was a poet and philosopher who suggested that if a writer could weave in a semblance of truth in a fantastical tale, then the reader will suspend judgement concerning the plausibility of the narrative. This is true in a sense, but back then we didn't have the popular phenomena that is reality television. Who writes that stuff?

Today, the burden is placed on the reader or the audience and their willingness to push aside the notion that the narrative is preposterous, relieving the writer of any artistic or creative responsibility for providing the introspection necessary to make it seamless to the reader. Instead, they just write the story and you either like it or you don't. Forget researching crime scene triangulation, we have this fantastic device whereby its presence alone will determine from whence the trigger was pulled.

What about that show of surviving in the wilderness, Mountain Men? Oh the dangers that lurk. Oh my! In the solemn voice of  D. B. Sweeney, the narrator of Mountain Men:

The mountain man has become lost, and he is without any gear, food, or water. How could he have made such a costly mistake? This could be his last evening alive out in this ruthless, arctic air. 

Oh, but don't worry, I'm sure the camera man filming this scene will videotape mountain man's entire demise.

"Cut! That's a wrap. We'll film the trapping of food scene after lunch."

How can I possibly take this writing seriously given the medium of television? I might be willing to suspend disbelief if I read it as a fictional novel, but the effectiveness is lost in translation when it comes to reality television. You see, they have to mix in the drama or nobody would watch it.

How far are you willing to go before you're no longer entertained and wish to call bullshit? When does the fantastic leave you feeling duped?


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Word of the Day - Rage

I love my word of the day. Of course! I'm a writer. What writer doesn't have a love for the English language? My word for today is rage. I'm inspired by its flexible usage and I have so many images to share which help demonstrate the nature of this word and its many forms. First, the definition from Dictionary.com

rage  [reyj]
noun

1. angry fury; violent anger.
2. a fit of violent anger.
3. fury or violence of wind, waves, fire, disease, etc.
4. violence of feeling, desire, or appetite: the rage of thirst.
5. a violent desire or passion.

Rage can also be a verb or an adjective, but I won't bore you with more details.

Examples:

Raging Hormones, Perry 1 - Rihanna 0

It was subtle. Very subtle, but it was there. See it in their eyes? That's definitely rage. Just because it's well hidden doesn't mean it didn't exist, just for that split second. Oh my goodness, why must two very pretty girls feel such hatred for one another?

Road Rage Gone Wrong

Used here as a noun, this is what happens when rage gets out of hand. You should think twice before driving like a maniac all over the road, because the guy that's pissing you off might not appreciate your rage.

Dumb ass Peppers Herself

An adjective, yes. Adjectives answer the question "What kind?" So, what kind of dumb ass is she? A raging dumb ass. Get it?

A Raging Fit Over Chicken Nuggets

This is how I felt the other day when I got to work with my lunch, only to discover that the lady at the drive-through forgot to include the condiments I'd asked for. And next time, DON'T FORGET MY FRIES!


And now to slow things down a bit, I give you the antonym of rage.

calm  [kahm]
adjective, calm·er, calm·est.

1. without rough motion; still or nearly still: a calm sea.
2. not windy or stormy: a calm day.
3. free from excitement or passion; tranquil: a calm face; a calm manner.

Y'all be kind to one another. Life's too short!

Do you have a favorite word? Or if there is one word that describes how you're feeling today, what is it? Happy Friday!



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Genre VS Literary Fiction - What's the Difference?

I was asked this question the other day and after thinking about my college years, learning about Ethnic Literature as well as American Literature, I pondered these differences. What I wrote then and what I read now (mostly horror and mystery) are quite different, but not by much. I've read a few debates about genre vs. literary fiction, and I discovered that so many authors get up in arms about their beloved writing, no matter with which group they relate.

Writers love what they produce on the page, like any artist to a canvas. So, it shouldn't be surprising that we defend our artistic pieces. So many critique our styles, our motivations, and our elitist attitudes. That's right, I just called us a bunch of elitists. I state this in a self-deprecating sense though, just to get it out there, in case you're already thinking of me as a literary snob. Yes, I'll admit, I love literary fiction, and I'm happy to share my favorite excerpts.

So, what IS the difference?

Lovers of literary fiction fall deeply with the idea of the work and the internal growth within the characters. They love the experience of reading the work, its beauty and simplicity. The introspection with which the story demands is the most compelling element of literary fiction, aside from its eloquently, flowing cadence.

I cried when I read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Why? Because the growth of David, the boy, into David, the man, was a phenomenal read and it touched me. I don't know how else to explain it.

Success, in the eye of the literary author, is experienced by the accumulation of acclaim by other literary types. The motivation is not for monetary gain, but rather the acknowledgement of the beauty within their intellectually stimulating prose.

Lovers of genre fiction enjoy a quick read with twists and plot. They are entertained by conflict and the elements of surprise, which pave the paths of their heros and heroines. Their experience is like a ride in a theme park. The masses love a good mystery or a great horror story. Many even love the romance, paranormal included.

Genre fiction is in high demand and so the number of copies sold and landing on the Best Seller list are indications of success for the genre fiction author, and thus monetary gain being the motivation behind writing. I'm not saying genre authors are not eloquent or compelling, and that they don't love to write, but simply their motivations are different due to a vast audience.

OH EM GHEE, did I just generalize? Yes, I think I did.

Am I adding to the stereotypes of literary snobs and genre rock stars? I hope not. This post was written in order to objectively compare and contrast, briefly, these two fiction types. I couldn't be more broad. Or could I?

Did I leave anything out? Should I have mentioned more about one group or the other?


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The State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman - Awaiting a Verdict

I have a heavy heart this evening. I don’t usually speak out on matters in the media because to me it’s just fodder for attention whores and that’s not what my blog is about. I blog about making progress, whether with my own writing (mainly it’s about my writing), or about personal growth within my own family, or even about progress at work in my field of technology.

My heart is heavy today because I’m thinking about the progress of the country I love, The United States of America. When growing up, I didn’t notice so much division. Maybe I was too young to understand the “us” versus “them” concept. We all said the pledge of allegiance and it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe they tried harder to shield us from this division or maybe the division wasn't as powerful as it is today. I don’t know.

It just seems there is more division than there ever was and I’m trying to comprehend where it is coming from, because we on the bottom level, the ordinary people, are trying to make sense of ground zero, wanting to survive.

Now my concerns:

As the jury deliberates today in the case of The State of Florida versus George Zimmerman, I am saddened. I'm not saddened for George Zimmerman or the fact that a life is lost; I've become immune to it over the months.

What saddens me is when these six jurors come out of their sequestered world and deliver a verdict, their lives will be forever changed, and our country will be transformed shortly thereafter. Why?

1. Racial inequality and politics

Though I believe our country has moved forward in civil rights issues, I don't believe that the media and government have accepted this fact. If they accept the forward progress, then they would have to find another means to cause civil unrest so that there may be this need for intervention, thus more government and more bureaucracy. I have faith in the people in our country and in all our diversity. It's the media and politics which caused this to play out for the world to see.

2. A mother's love

How wonderful to put all women on this jury! I'm not knocking an all-woman jury. However, think about it. Their hearts go out to Trayvon's mother, for the death of her son. What mother wouldn't relate? Their hearts go out to Zimmerman's mother, for the potential conviction of her son and 30 years in prison. What mother wouldn't relate? These jurors have a tough job, and I will be thinking of them and the pain they will endure attempting to reconcile this huge mess of a case. Whatever their decision, the world is watching, with scrutiny, and it's just not fair for them to bare this burden on their own. I'm behind them with whatever decision they come to, and I feel for them.

3. The second Amendment right to bear arms

This verdict will change how we deal with the Constitutional right to bear arms. Why? Because, bearing arms has restrictions as it is. We must abide by certain laws before we are able to obtain, carry, and utilize firearms. Better yet, we are required to provide fingerprints, photo identification, and certification of training, before permits are granted for "carry conceal" licenses. Any person who acquires and intends to utilize a firearm without abiding by these rules is breaking the law and has a total disregard for the right to do so.

So, how do we protect ourselves and others without putting ourselves in the same class as those who have a total disregard for human life and the law? We do the right thing. That's not good enough though, because there is room for error, which the law does not provide a definitive clause. We act first, and then are judged later.

Now that I've listed the things which sadden me, let me share with you my biggest fear.

If this is a case decided by defining the perception of "death or grievous bodily harm" we are in trouble. Today, with violent crimes reported in our media, more people are becoming legally armed, many with "conceal carry" permits. If I'm a licensed carrier, will I need to change my perception in the future? Do I need to change my perception of imminent death or serious bodily harm before I utilize my legally purchased and licensed firearm for its intended purpose? Is it even humanly possible to do that during a time of high stress and fear?

If a woman is being raped, does she now leave her firearm cradled in its holster because she doesn’t believe that penetration of her vagina and lacerations from the friction are more severe than a fractured nose and lacerations to her head?

This is serious. I hope I never have to be in a position to place a verdict on anyone, but worse than that, I hope I never have to carry out justice while leading from behind because certain people in positions of authority just couldn't stand up and say enough is enough.

My heart goes out to the Trayvon family AND the Zimmerman family. I just hope we can fix things so this tragedy doesn't happen again, because it IS a tragedy, and a misuse of justice. What I'd like to see is both families come together in a fight to prevent these types of tragedies in the future. We can't heal from this if that doesn't happen.

Writing What You Don't Know

This morning, I discovered an article which prompted a comment from me, but I never finished the comment because it got to be too long for a comment. I decided instead to create this blog entry and link back to the article at the Florida Writers Conference Blog. Chris Hamilton's article reflects on the use of words which are hurtful, yet can be powerful in provoking thought. I think my response went off on a different tangent, and so, rather than detract from his article with my comment, here exists my post for today.

The protagonist in my first attempt at a novel was a lesbian. However, the story wasn't about her being gay, rather her struggle to gain her mother's acceptance was the underlying subplot, all while her best friend's wedding unfolded into a complete disaster.

I shelved it after chapter five simply because I had no clue with how to move forward. It got to a point where I couldn't write anymore because it didn't feel like my story. I think if you're going to write a gay character, especially a protagonist, you need to understand the struggle itself and not make attempts at including the character just to be all inclusive and risk exacerbating stereotypes, which would not have been my intent.

I began to question myself as a fiction writer. Would I be able to write from the perspective of a racist character, or one of royalty? I could make it up, but how convincing would I be and how effective the story? I found myself wanting to explore and write about things I don't know, rather than write about what I know.

When I got to chapter five and started developing the mother/daughter relationship, I discovered the story wasn't about my protagonist needing acceptance; it was about a daughter helplessly struggling for her mother's love and guidance. If you take the fact that the protagonist is gay completely out of the picture, this scenario could apply to anyone. So then I had to ask myself this question. Why did I make my character a lesbian?

Maybe we have these grandiose ideas of telling that deeper story, the profound thing too difficult for ordinary people to express in words. We want to be that artist who exposes the truth and realities of our evil society through the smoke and mirrors of political correctness, and then we, the artist, will provide that redemption to the rest of the world, who will now see through the glorious eyes of their savior. Not really.

You're welcome. That's what we want to say at the end of our stories. When people finally get it, the just and the righteous, when all prejudices have been lifted, when your inner critics have been silenced in your minds, and when you see your fellow humans as yourselves and you cry those tears of joy, know it is our intent to educate.

Why do you want to write the story you've chosen? What drives you? Is there a point you want to make with your story? If there is, let it be genuine, so that it is real and not gratuitous.

Another Picture Story With Oil Paintings

Tim and I visited the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens last weekend while on a short getaway hiatus. Sometimes you have to break from the humdrum of coming up with new material and just let it come naturally. So please excuse my latest digression with my Xtranormal hack last week. Though it came about naturally, it was a bit gratuitous.

I now present to you the beauty I found in Jacksonville Beach. I will comment briefly on each piece of art and why I liked it. Forgive me, but I did not document the artists' names for each of these. Some are from the same era, others you will know they were created by the same artist.

Here we go!

These are oils on canvas, which garners a great deal of respect being I used to paint with oils. The artists here depict so much in their paintings, it's impossible for me to get it right, not having been part of the different eras. But, doesn't it look like the women and the animals are doing all the work? What's up with the two men relaxing and enjoying this leisurely ride? Get off your asses and do something. Holy crap.

This is a lovely picture below. Is it vanity? I guess if she were in the presence of others, this might be considered a bit off color. Wait, this reminds me of the present day. Yes, she looks like every other person in a restaurant obsessing over their phones.

Seriously, I immediately felt like the painting was of a prostitute because back in these days, I wouldn't think that hookers would be out on the street. They would be hidden away like this, in their rooms, waiting on the gentlemen to come calling. Is this not your impression?

The portrait below haunts me for some reason. Tim says it's her eyes. I'm convinced it's the flowers. It's like she's barely holding onto them, and they're wilted. She's happy, but sad. Freaky combination, but it works.

The ladies in the painting below are not prostitutes. They are wealthy women.

But, how do you know this, Diane?

Because poor women would be at home cooking dinner for the family, and prostitutes are hidden upstairs in pink, frilly garments.

Another prostitute? I'm not hung up on ladies of the night, it's just that women are depicted differently in social situations or when there's work to be done, in which case their breasts are exposed (go look at that first painting again if you don't recall).

When alone, they appear sad and reflective. I'm starting to develop a theme here and it's not the type of theme I'm liking.

This girl ain't having that. Just look at the expression on her face. Doesn't it look like she's seeing the same theme? Is she trying to tell me something here? Is that little girl tired of doing all the work while her little brother runs off to the streets to play stick-ball or to the river to fish? Indeed!

Well, I hope you enjoyed these pieces of art as much as I did. Whatever story they tell, it would be different each time. Try it, I think you will have fun. Start with the first painting. What's going on in that picture? Then with each picture that follows, what do you see?

The title of this picture story? Admit First, Liberate Second.

Emotional Setting In Your Story

I've decided to use some contrast and comparison techniques in a setting for chapter 8 of my WIP. One of the reasons for this is to try and stage the emotional process of an upcoming scene which happens to be an autopsy of a murdered college student.

What I don't want to happen is for the reader to view my protagonist as an unaffected, stoic police woman who, by nature of her work, would have the strength to withstand the emotional impact of certain situations which normal people would find disturbing. The police must be strong and professional, but at the same time, if they are protagonists, they must be liked.

So, where’s the setup? It's in the setting. I use the senses and innocence of small children and their actions to contrast the evils which lie ahead. I also use a subtle comparison of the living to the dead for another emotional transition. It is not the officer who is cold and stoic, but death itself.

Whether or not effective, I hope to hear one way or the other from my critique group next month. And you, of course. Please comment and let me know if it works or not.

Here's the segue into chapter 8 of my WIP:


The Café on the first level of Bradbury Memorial Hospital set itself aside from the rest of the building. If Kelly had walked into the small shop blindfolded, she would have thought she’d discovered a cake factory. The aroma of Colombian blend, mixed with caramel and brown sugar, swirled about while she made her way to the coffee station. She’d given herself a ten minute start before meeting Lyle for the autopsy of Jennifer Whorley.

She watched two small children chase each other around a table. A large woman in a wheelchair, her leg in a cast, called out to them in a southern drawl. “Ya’ll set your asses down.”

They giggled, then shrieked, but didn't sit.

“Do like your mama said!” belted out the tall man in biker gear. He had finished wheeling the woman up to the table.

The kids sat down in plastic, bucket seats. Still piping with energy, they touched each other’s arms, alternating turns.

“You’re it,” the boy said.

“No, you’re it.”

The innocence played out before her and the pit of Kelly’s stomach ached. The horrors which lurked should never occur to these children. They were protected from it. Or did it simply hide for now? Far gone were the days where there were no fears. Evil did not exist.

“You’re early.”

Kelly spun around to find Lyle holding two Styrofoam cups with cardboard sleeves around them. “Coffee?” he said. He walked with her to the condiments corner. “Are you up to this?”

“I’ll be okay.” Kelly poured some sugar in her cup and used two sticks to mix it.

“This your first autopsy?”

She avoided eye contact, “I had an infant a year ago. Died in his crib.”

“The babies are tough,” a standard response from her colleague. He checked his watch. “Ready?”

Kelly downed the last of her coffee and together they made their way to the base level above the parking garage, where Jennifer Whorley’s cold, lifeless body awaited their scrutiny.


This is still in draft, so feel free to pick it apart!

Four Levels of Showing and Telling

I loved participating at the Florida Writers Conference this past October. There were so many sessions I wanted to attend, but only one of me!

I would like to share with you one session conducted by Author and Editor, Chris Roerden. This was an amazing session, not because it dealt with showing and telling, but she describes what happens at each of the four levels of showing and telling while describing your characters’ emotions.

In your writing, you can share your character emotions in four ways or what she refers to as four levels. Here they are as described by Ms. Roerden:

1. Telling about emotion

Ms. Roerden didn't actually say this, but I will. This is the most boring way in communicating to your reader the emotions of your characters. You would only do this if you want your story to read like a sports commentator giving you the rundown on how a team responds to losing a game. The coach is not happy! The defensive coordinator is apparently displeased. Tebow is crying now. Wow, what a game!

Really? Can you get any more detached than this? I am not fully serious here. There are times when this is okay, especially when you want to pick up the pace.

2. Telling via description

This is better. At least it's much more refined than the first level. This is where you use the eight senses to tell how your character is feeling by way of describing what they see, hear, taste, smell...etc. Little details help build the description and put your reader where they want to be, "in the scene". Consider this, from Dean Koonzt's From The Corner of His Eye.

Junior shoved Naomi so hard that she was almost lifted off her feet. Her eyes flared wide, and a half-chewed wad of apricot fell from her gaping mouth. She crashed backward into the weak section of railing. 

For an instant, Junior thought the railing might hold, but the pickets splintered, the handrail cracked, and Naomi pitched backward off the view deck, in a clatter of rotting wood. She was so surprised that she didn’t begin to scream until she must have been a third of the way through her long fall. 

Junior didn’t hear her hit bottom, but the abrupt cessation of the scream confirmed impact.

It's as if you are standing there watching this happen, isn't it? I like this a lot. It's not that I want an entire story told in such a manner. We all need a break from the excitement, so we turn the page and listen to the commentator again. Wow, our guy there must have been really mad at Naomi to have shoved her off the deck like that, huh? And did you see that? She looked surprised.


3. Showing via character perception

You can show your character perceptions with the use of metaphors and symbolisms.

Her voice made me cringe like the sound of a cat sliding down a chalkboard. 

Her mouth vacuumed up the last morsels on her plate. 

Now, her mouth isn't a vacuum, but with the use of her mouth in this manner, you can actually see her slumped over the plate, moving along the flat surface, and sucking up the crumbs as if it were a vacuum cleaner. That's descriptive considering you've only used a few words. Be careful with this as you may start to see your writing become somewhat animated, and that's not good, unless you're writing for the sake of comedy.

4. Showing via visceral feelings

According to Roerden, you don't want to do this very often. Too much of a good thing can wear your readers down. This is a technique where you convey the feelings of your characters through their primal responses to survival.

Her stomach froze and the sweat poured from her temples. The pounding of her heart reached her ears and pulsed like an air pump.

These are internal observations of your characters and are not things they witness externally. The feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize your child has gone missing is called a visceral response.

Don't do too much of this to your readers. They'll start to think you're a sadistic psycho.

Anyway, this hour-long session with Ms. Roerden was superb. I enjoyed her passion for what she does and I hope to attend more of her sessions in the future.

Creating Strong Chapters

I had an opportunity to attend the FloridaWriters Association conference in Orlando, Florida this year and I had the best time. Meeting other writers, some published, some not, made me feel so at home. I found myself selecting sessions which intrigued me, looking for that next morsel of knowledge which makes it all come together in this mystical journey toward weaving the ultimate tale.

Here are some tidbits we gained about creating strong chapters. I think we already know these things, but have we seen them in a list, jumping off a page, or passionately lectured at a writing conference? I am not sure, but I will share it here. This was such a refresher and I was enthusiastic when I sat down to map out chapters six and seven!

Before you start your next chapter, ask yourself these questions and then proceed. Keep in mind, each character needs to have a goal, a desire for a favorable outcome.

These were questions asked in our session: How to Structure Your Fiction by Janice Decker

Who will be in this chapter and what are their goals/desires?

You will obviously have your protagonist or POV character, along with other known characters and characters you wish to introduce. List them and their goals. Every character in your chapter must have a desire or else why are they here? When every character has a goal, go to the next question.

What is each character's physical, emotional, and psychological state coming into the chapter?

The reader needs to know this so that when the story unfolds, there is a transformation which happens while you write your chapter. By knowing this information, you are able to write a natural story line and make your fiction more believable. Readers relate to your characters' emotions and psychological makeup, so long as they are believable, you can let the fiction flow!

Where do you want each of your characters to be with respect to their physical, emotional, and psychological state when the chapter ends?

If you know character A is anxious because she suspects her husband of cheating on her, then she cannot be anxious when the chapter ends. She will either be relieved to have discovered she was wrong, or she will be distraught to discover she was right. Either way, there has to be a change by the end of the chapter. If there is no distinctive difference, then your characters will come across as flat and your chapter a dud!

With all three questions answered, you will be able to move from point A (beginning of chapter) to point B (ending of chapter), keeping your chapter tight and strong. That was the lesson and I plan to put it to use from here on out. Thank you, Janice Decker!

Photo Essay - Blog Hop

Since this is a blog about making progress, I thought it worth sharing this photograph because I   feel I've made progress with my photography. In fact, I haven't written a single word toward my novel because I keep coming up with these fun distractions.

The challenge is to pull together some concepts into a photo essay with a twist (combine several objects into one photo, not several photos to suggest a single theme). Stretch your imagination a bit. What might you create in a photograph if you were to combine a few concepts about your writing self, the author behind your art? Incorporate something a bit more personal.

Combine these elements which make us who we are. Create a still photograph of these representations of yourself. Try and bring them together in a photograph to tell the world who you are and what your life means to you.

I chose these things:

1. What represents me in the future? I've grown older, so I chose my glasses because they are the device I can count on to keep me seeing the beauty I always want to witness.
2. What represents me in the past? I chose shadows, because I'm always a shadow of my former self, a self I will never deny because it brought me to the place I am today.
3. What represents me today? Stability, confidence and all the things I respect.
4. What recently happened to you that made you realize why you're here in this beautiful world? My husband of 25 years picked a baby rose for me from the Wal-Mart parking lot just because he wanted to.

The rose is what inspired the photo essay. I hope you all like it and enjoy this fun challenge. Please join this blog hop by creating your own photo essay and posting the link using the form provided. Oh, and you can leave a comment too if you like!

Creating Character Emotions - Desire

From Dictionary.com - desire   [dih-zahyuhr]  

1. to wish or long for; crave; want.

2. to express a wish to obtain; ask for; request.

A Man's Love

The girl's legs were long and tan. Her skin glowed from the contrast of her orange neon bikini. Her laugh was audible above the crashing waves and when the man lifted her into the air and away from the foamy water encroaching onto the sand, she squealed with delight and the wind gently passed it along to the squawking sea gull hovering above.

They would be married, the girl and the man. He would adore her and she would idolize him. Her tan legs would spread one day to accept him and then they would spread again when she birthed their first child.

She would bounce their toddler in her lap and her husband would proudly snap photos of them both, laughing and carrying on. A love to be had by a fortunate few.

"It's time to change the bandages, Katie." A girl’s mother walks over to the window and closes the curtain, but not before seeing the lovely couple below, frolicking on the beach.

"Who will ever want me, mom?"

A mother kneels beside the wheelchair and embraces her double amputee daughter. "A great man, Katie. You're going to find a really great man."

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