Just a quick update today, as I’m off to the dental specialist here pretty quick (what is it with writers and weird dental ailments?).

Those of you who attended Saturday’s workshop, I hope you are doing the prep and excellent advice provided by Tara Brouwer in getting ready for National Novel Writing Month. Some of us are in a whirlwind of trying to finish a book so we can start the next one. For those that unfortunately missed it, you might want to check out the many books on noveling in 30 days.

At any rate, here’s an exercise:  your character is stuck in a dental chair, in a lot of pain. They feel like they are going to throw up, but there’s a seemingly crazed dentist working in their mouth. Describe it all. What the character sees, feels, tastes, hears, smells, and wants to do, does. Why is the dentist working furiously? Is this some villainous situation or is there a life at stake? Or is he just backed up on patients? What? Why? Make the characters do things that create new situations. It sounds elementary, but sometimes we have to go back to the basics to make sure our writing is full of action and both external and internal growth for our characters. It’s the decisions they make that create action, both directly and indirectly (make sure there’s a good balance of that), for which creates the story arc and the platform for character development.

And now your Moment of Writing Zen:

“Each of us has about 40 chances to accomplish our goals in life. I learned this first through agriculture, because all farmers can expect to have about 40 growing seasons, giving them just 40 chances to improve on every harvest.”~Howard Graham Buffett

Blessed Mabon, Beautiful Yom Kippur, and Autumnal Equinox!

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