Can Everyone Hear the Voices?

By Tom Threadgill, Author of Collision of Lies

Writers like to say our characters talk to us. We can hear them spouting the things they will or won’t do as we write our stories. Sometimes those voices ruin our plans. (Ever wake up in the middle of the night and have one of your characters say you’ve got the wrong killer? I have.) There’s a problem with that though. If the reader can’t hear the characters too, our stories are flat. Lifeless.

The people in your books must be real, with all the thoughts, emotions, and reactions of living human beings. Want people to bond with Lori, your protagonist? Forget how she looks. Focus on who Lori is. What about her is relatable to readers? Does she love the smell of coffee but hate the taste? Use it somewhere. Does she think her toes are particularly ugly (or pretty)? Maybe have that as a thought when she steps out of the shower one morning.

But take the concept further. What happens when Carly, Lori’s only daughter, is diagnosed with breast cancer? Did the mere reading of that question bring a flood of emotions to you? Perhaps the memories of a friend or relative or even yourself who went through something similar? You can bet that’s a shared experience, so use those feelings to connect to your readers. You are the deeper POV we’re always talking about. So how do you write it? How would you react if you got that call from your daughter?

“Lori couldn’t swallow. Couldn’t breathe. The distant pounding of her heart resounded in her ears with a dull thump. No, Lord. She gripped the back of the sofa as her knees faltered. Not Carly. A blur of activity on TV captured her as a woman in a red dress won the bonus round on Wheel of Fortune. Lori wiped her hand under her nose and turned away. Her chest ached and her mind kicked into gear, chasing the worst-case scenarios to their inevitable endings. No, Lord. Not Carly.”

Let’s talk about that for a minute. Were you able to connect with any part of the paragraph? Maybe the fear of something happening to your kids? Or the memory of what it was like to fight a deadly disease? Or even simply watching Wheel of Fortune?

You know nothing about Lori except what you learned in that snippet. You don’t know her age, what she looks like, where she lives, anything. But you can relate to her because we all have those experiences. That makes Lori real. Someone we care about.

But here’s the thing. You can’t stop with your protagonist. Every character in your novel needs those experiences, whether it’s the waiter who disappears every time you want a drink refill or the airline pilot with the obviously dyed hair or the barista at the coffee shop who you’re sure misspells your name on purpose. They all have something to say. Just make sure your readers can hear them too.

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Tom Threadgill is the author of the Jeremy Winter series of thrillers (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), as well as Collision of Lies, available February 4^th from Baker Publishing Group. His books have a distinct focus on clean, suspenseful action with strong character development. In his downtime, Tom enjoys woodworking, riding his Harley, and chasing the elusive Yard of the Month award. He currently resides with his wife in the Dallas area and can be reached on Facebook or through his website at TomThreadgill.com.

Kindness, Mr. Rodgers and a Virtual Candy Cane

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Are you “jingle belling,” yet? Do you feel the spirit of the holidays, yet? Have you had the taste of a delightful cup of peppermint mocha, yet? How about a candy cane, which evokes the scent and taste of the season? Come on, change that frown of the Grinch into the season of giving, kindness and smiles.

I travel with a basket of fresh (not the ones from last Christmas) candy canes in my car and pass them out to those I come in contact with throughout my day. It makes me feel good to give a candy cane to those who I work with, bring groceries to the car, drive-up Target orders, dry cleaners, etc. The candy cane recipients leave with a smile and a shout of “Happy Holidays.” A win-win for sure and it feels good in your soul.

The many lessons of kindness learned from Mr. Rodgers are numerous. What am I talking about? Humble Fred Rodgers impacted a change on the youth of America and the world through his “little” underfunded PBS children’s show, “Mister Rodgers’ Neighborhood.” Fast forward to December, 2019. The release of the new Tom Hanks movie, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” highlights the positive influence Mr. Rogers had on people, both young and small, even now. According to a CNN article Tom Hanks just learned through a DNA kit, he was actually related to the character he portrays in the movie, Mr. Rogers. “Fred Rogers and Tom Hanks are sixth cousins.” How cool is that to know as you watch the movie.

One of my favorite Mr. Rodgers quotes is, “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” Kindness to your fellow writers definitely will fuel your own personal writing success.

In my job with Southern Writers Magazine, I’m on the email list of a number of publishing houses. One of those is Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Anyone can sign up to receive their offers which include some free book downloads. Here is where you can sign up to get your own email from LPC. In their email yesterday it started by saying “Help our authors BE the Light! Forward this email to one friend and post your reviews on Amazon & Goodreads.” A simple request. Anyone has the power to show kindness to others. Merely, forwarding one email to one person, sharing an authors information and leaving positive reviews, will help fuel your own success especially if you sign your name and list your book title after your name. In doing so, this is your way to give a virtual candy cane to a fellow author.

Enjoy the Holidays by passing out many virtual candy canes and real ones, too. Kindness makes you feel great!

Writers and Road Trips

By Jennifer Hallmark

Let’s load up the car and hit the highway, full speed. And we’ll leave behind any hint of car trouble, challenging directions, and bad weather. I love a good road trip, especially when it involves meeting a writing friend, working on blog business, shopping, and coffee. Oh, and chocolate.

During the middle of August, I planned such a trip with my friend, Betty. I’d drive up from Alabama and she’d drive down from Kentucky. On the day of the journey, I woke early, breakfasted, loaded the car, and took off for Franklin, Tennessee. The sun beamed down upon my little Ford Focus, and a light breeze ruffled my hair as I stepped outside. Birds sang joyous songs. The world was good.

Does this remind you a little of a writer’s life at the very beginning? We’ve decided to pursue our dream of being the next best-selling author, making sure to retain the rights for that future “Hallmark” movie. We set up our computer or gather just the right type of pen and paper. Ideas are flowing from our mind to our fingertips.

Cue the afore mentioned birds.

Back to my road trip. It started well. But then came obstacles, distractions, wrong turns, and driving through what you thought was a road but found out it was a walkway. Oh, wait. That last part is probably just me. It seems my road trip and my writing journey are running parallel.

In other words, the birds disappeared. Can you relate to…

(1)   The unexpected. Shortly after I began my adventure, I stopped at a dollar store for a few extra supplies. It was closed for repairs. Further down the road, I pulled into a fast food place for coffee only to discover their computers were down. Really?

The writing road has its own share of computer glitches, hard-drive crashes, home repairs, unexpected company, and doctor visits.

The solution: Don’t wait until the last minute like I did for supplies and coffee. Or your almost due blog posts or book edits. Try to complete blogging, article writing, assignments, and edits ahead of time whenever possible.

(2)   Obstacles. On my trip, I ended up behind a truck with an oversized load. I didn’t want to pass it but didn’t want to follow at a reduced speed either.

Writing obstacles? What about a sudden request for an interview, the stomach flu, or a sick parent or child?

The solution: I finally had to gather speed, hold my breath, and decide I could pass the truck in that tiny space left.

Likewise, I can cut off the phone and give myself time for the interview and if I’m sick and don’t feel like sitting at the computer, pencil out my thoughts. I can get up a little earlier or stay up later if it absolutely needs to be done. Getting past road and writing obstacles will give you a moment to relax and wide-open spaces to breathe in.

(3)   Wrong turns. On my trip, the GPS led me down a wrong road. Or maybe it was my interpretation of her instructions. Either way, I had to do a U-turn.

Sometimes in my writing journey, I make decisions I’m not sure about, like when I tried writing for literary journals. I spent time and energy with no reward except more practice writing. Which is, in itself, a reward. At least, I knew it was something I didn’t want to do.

The solution: Make the best decisions you can. If you find it was a wrong turn, chalk it up to experience and keep moving forward. On the road and on the computer…

And, uh, about running over the walkway? In my defense, it looked like a roadway between two stores. It was early and no one was out yet. I don’t think anyone saw me.

Despite all the craziness, I made it to my destination. My friend, Betty and I worked on our blog, writing, and administrative decisions. We also did a little shopping, drank coffee, and had some decadent cheesecake. Though the trip itself proved a little stressful and wild, the end was good.

Until it was time to go home, that is. But that’s another story…

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Jennifer Hallmark is a writer of Southern fiction and fantasy; a combination that keeps the creative juices flowing. She’s published over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, short stories in several magazines, and been part of three book compilations. She’s recently signed a book contract with Firefly Southern Fiction, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. When she's not working in the garden or keeping the grandkids, you can find her at:http://www.jenniferhallmark.com   http://www.inspiredprompt.com https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhallmark  https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferhallmark https://twitter.com/JenHwrites  https://www.pinterest.com/jenlhallmark989/

KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS

By Barbara Warren

What do you remember about your favorite books—plot, setting, characters? I’m guessing it’s the characters. The story-people who invite us into their world, giving us as readers an intimate glimpse into their lives—all the problems, sorrows, fears and joys they meet and endure.

While we may not have lived through the same turmoil they face we know what it is to be afraid, to suffer, to love someone, so we can identify with the characters. That’s what brings the person on the page to life so we can know them in a personal way. That’s also what keeps the reader turning pages, eager to know what comes next, wanting this character she’s come to care about not just to survive, but to win against all odds.

You, as the writer, should know all about your characters. Know his or her background, where they grew up and what influenced them. Know how she talks, how she dresses, how she reacts to life. Did he grow up poor and working for a living, or was he one of the privileged few who had everything handed to him? What sort of friends do they choose? What are their likes or dislikes? You won’t want to put all of this in your story, but it helps you to know the character you have invented the way you know your friends. And it will help make that character real to your reader.

Your main characters must be likable too. If the reader doesn’t like the characters, why would she care what happens to them? But at the same time, those characters must not be perfect. I’ve never met anyone in real life who was perfect, but I’m sure if I did, I would be bored to distraction. Think of the people you know, your friends, they have their own personality, their own way of looking at things, their own way of messing up. Your characters should be the same.

Don’t pattern your characters exactly like people you know, but think about those real people. Think about how their minds work. What does the way they dress reveal about their personality? How do they handle the ups and downs of life? How do they talk? Are they relaxed or uptight? All of these quirks can be used to create characters in your novel.

Creating character sheets help you answer these questions and I also like to write a short summary of my characters—what to they want, what stops them from getting it, how far will they go to get what they want. How would the person I’ve created react to the situations in which I place her? How can I make her come alive to my reader?

Knowing our characters intimately helps us create people so real the reader will remember them long after finishing our books. Spend time with that character, get to know him, you’ll be glad you did, and so will your reader.
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Barbara Warren is a freelance editor with twenty years experience. Her editing firm, Blue Mountain Editorial Service has an extensive list of both published and non-published writers. For beginning writers she acts as a writing coach. She has had short stories and articles published in magazines such as Mature Living and Home Life. She is a member of the writing pool for Open Windows, the Southern Baptist devotional magazine. Her romantic suspense, Murder At The Painted Lady is available from Avalon Books. She has also authored The Gathering Storm and Deception: Fear The Heart of Darkness Masquerding as Light. She is one of the founders of the Mid-South Writer s group and has been a speaker at writer s conferences and area groups. Barbara and her husband, Charles, live on a farm in the beautiful Ozarks where they raise beef cattle.