May 2014 – sharon p. lynn

Are you feeling it?

This post is about emotions at work, but I see character traits and motives. Emotions Are Data, Too – Gianpiero Petriglieri – Harvard Business Review http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/05/emotions-are-data-too/

Introducing characters

How do you introduce characters to one another? Some of these tips might help you work out a scene between strangers. It certainly worked in Strangers on a Train. 10 Reasons You Should Talk to Strangers http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-reasons-you-should-talk-strangers.html

First takes

I came across this page by accident, but I’m intrigued by it. It could be especially helpful to people who don’t belong to a writers’ group. First Page: Uncontrolled | Dear Author http://dearauthor.com/features/first-page-features/first-page-uncontrolled/

Road trip

If you’re close enough, the May 31, 2014, Northwestern University Creative Writing Career Workshop might be a worthwhile addition to your weekend calendar. This is a Facebook site, but you should be able to scroll down the page a bit to click on About to get the basic information. https://m.facebook.com/events/730520203655123/

Thanks for all the verbiage

Douglas Adams was a fabulously quirky author who died much too soon. If you aren’t familiar with his work, here’s a quick primer. And don’t forget your towel. The 42 Best Lines from Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series | BOOK RIOT http://bookriot.com/2012/05/25/the-42-best-lines-from-douglas-adams-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-series/

Historically accurate

Writing history or historical fiction takes research if you want to get it right. These photos are among the sorts of things I’d put on my wall or computer screen if I were writing about WWI. I always look for images to help build the places in my imagination. One of my favorite sources isContinue reading “Historically accurate”

Feeling blue?

When we think about challenges facing our characters, they won’t all be physical, economic or social. Depression is a common problem, but how acurately could you develop a character with depression? Here are some things to consider. Depressed, but Not Ashamed – NYTimes.com http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/opinion/depressed-but-not-ashamed.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=OP_DBN_20140523&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=2&referrer=

Bad enough for you?

I just finished reading a fun little indie romance, Baylyn Bewitched, with a nasty villain. Then I ran across this HBR article about immoral employees. What are your bad guys like? Managing the Immoral Employee – Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic – Harvard Business Review http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/05/managing-the-immoral-employee/

Know outside

Don’t those characters need something to do while they’re walking? Maybe they’re hiking to a remote campsite. Here’s something one of them might know. Five Wild Plants Every Backpacker Should Know – Seattle Backpackers Magazine http://seattlebackpackersmagazine.com/five-wild-plants-every-backpacker-know/

Going gray

What do you know about getting old? Here’s some information to keep in mind when you create an older character. Aging: What to expect – Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/healthy-aging/in-depth/aging/art-20046070/?linkId=8116199