How writing is like trifle...

I'm in the middle of my current work in progress, which is why I haven't posted on my blog for a while. When I write, I like to dedicate all of my time to my manuscript. I know one day I'll be under contract with time constraints and I prefer to train myself to write that way.

But I just had a conversation with my amazing critique partner, Becky Wallace, and decided this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I am going to compare writing to making trifle, because the two are totally related. No, really, they are. Also, trifle is one of my favorite desserts. That says a lot, considering I'm a complete salt-a-holic and can go months without eating any chocolate.

The first layer of a novel is the idea of the story. It starts with a concept, adding the who and the where. In trifle, this is the shortcake at the bottom of the dish.

The next layers are the individual scenes. They build on one another, getting description and sensory details. More characters are added, some might be taken away. This is the equivalent to the pudding and fruit.

I know you're getting the idea here. The picture above says it all. The last few layers come during the editing stage. After trial and error, I have discovered that this is truly the most important part. As with trifle, these are the layers that are most evident, because they're at the top. If you skimp on these, the trifle won't look very appetizing. Same with your story. Take the time to edit your manuscript extensively. Make sure all of your characters have their own personality. Clean up dialogue tags, adding action where needed. Add in details of the background. What does the furniture look like? What sounds can be heard? Make sure the story comes to life.

William Levy is the ultimate leading man

DWTS

I'm a big fan of DWTS, espeically this season. I have two words for you: William Levy. He's the only one who can get me away from the computer while I'm working on my current WIP. Every time he steps on the dance floor, he tells a story. And it's always a good one. (Well, except for that unfortunate jive, but we won't mention that.)

So, while I'm hard at work, I hope you enjoy this video.

Spring Break

My husband and I went to Puerto Rico for part of Spring Break. It was for his work. We left the kiddos with a friend in Florida and the two of us took off. It was amazing. We stayed at an all inclusive resort and I didn't have to think about cooking or cleaning for four whole days. That was incredible! Here we are on the bus ride from the airport in San Juan to the resort. That cloudy mountaintop in the back is the rain forest. Here we are, arriving at the Gran Melia resort.

Some of the locals greeted us.

Loot at that sky. Isn't this picture amazing? I love the contrast between the tranquil foreground and those forboding clouds in the back. This would make a wonderful setting in a book.

We toured the Castillo de San Cristobal in old San Juan. It's a Spanish fort, built to protect against land based attacks on the city. I had an idea for another book while I was here.

We also visited Restaurant Barrachina, the birthplace of the pina colada. Since neither my husband nor I drink alcohol, we ordered the 'virgin' pina colada. I still dream about the taste.

Look at that beautiful courtyard in the restaurant.

I left feeling totally relaxed and invigorated. I came back, ready to write. How was your Spring Break?

Amazing

So, I saw The Hunger Games over the weekend. Twice. My daughter and I went to the midnight showing and less than twelve hours later, we saw it again. If possible, it's even better the second time!

I thought they did a phenomenal job! The movie is one of the best book-to-film adaptations I've ever seen. While the character development might have been somewhat lacking, the fact that they stayed true to Suzanne Collins's brilliant novel more than made up for it.

I don't want to give any spoilers, (at this point in time, however, I doubt there are very many people who haven't seen it) but one of my favorite lines is from Effie. "That. Is. Mahogany."

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta was spot on. Jennifer Lawrence was amazing as Katniss. And Liam Hemsworth sizzled as Gale, even if he didn't get to do much.

I can't wait to see it again. Maybe this week sometime, while the kiddos are in school.

It's finally here...

People, words cannot describe how...this...Never mind.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!! 24 hours, baby!

The Hunger Games

Characters

One of the most interesting yet challenging parts of writing is characterization. It's so, so very important to nail down who your characters are as well as their motives. What makes them tick? Why do they do what they do? What are their strengths? Their weaknesses? What is it about them that draws you in as a reader?

When starting a new WIP, I've found one of the quickest ways to do this is to pull up an astrology chart. No, I don't believe in horoscopes. AT ALL. I don't want to go into all of that right now. Suffice it to say, I'm a non-believer when it comes to 'signs in the stars.'

However, I find those brief descriptions for Zodiac signs very helpful when it comes to characterization. For example, in my latest WIP, I wanted a side character who was confident and charasmatic. That was the easy part. I knew what I wanted him to do.

For greater character depth, however, I needed to figure out his flaws and make them believable. I could have stewed over this for hours, even days, but I didn't have to. I read through the signs of the Zodiac and found out that one of the 'signs' is confident, ambitious, and loyal. They are also pretentious, vain and stubborn. Voila! Now I know my character's strengths as well as his weaknesses. The story can evolve from there.

What about you? How do you get to know your characters weaknesses as well as their strengths? How do you give your characters more depth?