The Plot

fiction charactersThe journey, when writing a story, is a ticket with no expiration date—It takes as long as it takes.

There are many things I look at when thinking about my next story. One is the PLOT.

Are the characters compelling enough to evoke within the reader a range of emotions: from sadness to happiness, to anger, to sympathy. . . .  remorse, guilt, understanding, anxiety, fear, disappointment, romance?

I believe the reason why my writing resonates is I cut to the chase and give believability to my characters. I feel the most memorable plots are ones when life traps characters between a rock and a hard place. Urgency is the time bomb—minutes and seconds wasted can change life’s course.  Think of Casablanca, The Christmas Carol, It’s A Wonderful Life, or Saving Private Ryan. Each story has a do-or-die-plot. Continue reading

Hitting the Mark

Hit the mark, image shows stack of books with hat an dtie, and apple in center of targetWriting is a job, a skill, a passion, and a journey.  In all its hard work, there is nothing better than seeing the results, of what took a VERY long time laboring.  Finding my path, and hitting the mark—it is tremendously rewarding receiving the praise of what I’ve written.

My novel, The Last Merry Go Roundtakes a knife and skillfully slices off the skin of marriage—will be released before the end of 2019.

“The brief segment I found in the ‘Future Books’ section of your blog site already tells much about Diane, so poignantly depicted as ‘lost between the beginning and end’ of her husband’s sentences. I must say this is one of the best descriptions of suffocating repression I’ve ever read. I also came across the Toni Morrison quote you’ve clearly chosen to live by. You’re obviously flying with little or nothing weighing you down.”‘-Irene Kavanagh, Owner, Final Writes Editing & Writing Services

I dedicate this novel to all people trapped and lost somewhere between the beginning, middle, and end. Continue reading