Monday Musings 11-7-22

I spent this weekend signing books at RI Comic Con, likely my last one in RI for a while. I’m always exhausted on the Monday following a Con, and this Monday is no exception, but it’s always worth it!

I love interacting with readers, aspiring writers, and fans. I especially love moderating panels and facilitating discussions on some of my favorite topics like world-building and character development. This year, we had several people stop by to tell us they always look forward to the panels we host. Super gratifying!

Character development, in the context of storytelling, is a great discussion topic, and our panel titled “A Hero, an Anti-hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar” generated quite a lively conversation. If you missed the panel but are interested in the topic, here’s a post I wrote for another blog that captures some of the main points:

The Intersection of Plot and Character Development

It’s fun to explore the various aspects of creating a character’s backstory, defining and developing the hero, the anti-hero, and the villain, and considering the places where plot and character development intersect. Really, this last part is where the good stuff happens!

Developing your character’s backstory helps bring authenticity and depth to them. It helps explain why they are the way they are, and how they got to this point. But, your character doesn’t remain stagnant throughout their adventure. All the heartbreak, strife, love affairs, battles, and mistakes have an impact. They emerge on the other side of their grand tale a changed person. 

An Abridged Hero’s Journey

Think of it this way – a character’s essential character, and their backstory, informs the plot. Then, as the story moves forward, the plot pushes the character’s development. We can use a Cliff Notes version of The Hero’s Journey as an example. We meet the hero of the story just as they are ready to leave home on some sort of quest, adventure, or journey. Their life experience and personality up to this point helps determine how they respond to this call to action. Are they reluctant, over-eager, clueless, or jaded? Why?

Once the adventure begins, the character will meet challenges and have experiences that will further shape them. Their responses are initially influenced by their past and by their personality, but during the course of their journey, growth happens and change occurs. When the character returns ‘home,’ they have been altered by revelations, relationships, loss, and any other meaningful experience we choose to throw into their path.

Agency  

In the intersection of plot and character development, we can explore agency. Agency, in this context, is defined as the capacity of the character to act independently and make their own free choices. Rather than reacting, our character is acting.

Let’s use Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games as an example. When we meet Katniss, she volunteers to take her sister’s place as Tribute for the games. While this could be considered ‘acting’ in a way, I’d argue that based on her relationship with her sister, her personality, and all her life experience to this point, Katniss really couldn’t have reacted any other way.

However, by the end of the first book, after all the drama and trauma she’s faced, Katniss stands up to the game-makers and refuses to play. When she and Peeta decide they would rather both die than kill each other, there is real agency in the moment, and it’s a very powerful moment because of this.

The Cost is Real

Science fiction and fantasy writers tend to deal with grand adventures, epic battles, and not-so-subtle heroes and villains. We write big! Sometimes, this can be at the expense of character development. In order to bring more depth to this part of our narrative, an area we can focus on is showing the fallout of trauma on our characters.

If we’ve subjected them to loss, torture, or war, there should be an appropriate emotional impact. We may want our characters to be larger than life, but if we don’t at least acknowledge their pain and suffering, we’ve missed an opportunity to give them depth. If we rush them through a recovery after a devastating injury, or don’t give them any baggage after years of war, we are presenting a one-dimensional view of them. The hero, displaying only heroic qualities, is boring. It’s the struggle that our readers are after.

Plot and character development are inextricably linked in our storytelling. We can create a well-formed character, with a compelling backstory and personality, and use plot action to push their continued growth and evolution. 

The weekend was long but wonderful. If you stopped by my table to buy a book or simply to say hello, thank you. It really means a lot to me. As Ray and I wind down our time in RI and look toward our next great adventure, I’m so grateful to have met all of you and for the great memories!

IN OTHER NEWS:

Save the date! - The RI Author Expo is coming soon! On Saturday, December 3rd, meet your favorite local authors at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. Signed books make great holiday gifts! More info coming soon…

Monday Musings - 10-31-22

October is a month with five Mondays, so that means this post will appear on tabithalordauthor.com and msmaggieclare.com. It also happens to be Halloween, and I’ll be spending the evening alone. Ray is out of town for work, and the kids now all live on the opposite side of the country. But, instead of throwing myself a pity party, I’m going to dress my tiny dog in a cute costume and give out candy to the neighborhood younglings. Then, I’m going to pour a glass of wine and binge watch something on Netflix. It really sounds like a lovely evening!

Halloween has always been a big deal for us. Ray and I had our first date on Halloween a million years ago, and we got engaged on the spooky holiday a year later. We’ve thrown massive parties over the years, provided that ‘special’ cider for the adults in the neighborhood, and could have outfitted our own horror movie with the number of costumes in our closets.

So, it might seem a little strange, and maybe a little sad, that I’ll be spending the last Halloween in our house all by myself. Well, me and the dog. But I don’t feel sad. I feel really excited. Next year, a new family will be here making new memories and we’ll be off on a grand adventure somewhere. When I look back, it’s with a sense of completion. When I look forward, it’s with enthusiasm and excitement.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I’ll be at RI Comic Con this weekend signing books at the ARIA table #621. Stop by and say hello! Here’s my panel schedule:

World Building 101 - Friday, Nov 4, 5:30-6:15 pm - Convention Center Room 552

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you. 

A Hero, an Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar - Sat, Nov 5, 11:30-12:15 - Convention Center Room 552

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes, and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.

Monday Musings 10-17-22

It’s official. We sold our home of nineteen years! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be prepping our new RV for full-time living, finishing up a few projects around the house, and sorting and packing. We’re slowly checking items off our list in anticipation of the big move. It’s exciting for sure.

On my last post, I talked about managing expectations during this time. That way of thinking has allowed me to approach our giant to-do list with equanimity most of the time, still make some forward progress with my writing, and be present for all the activities, events, and relationships that are important to me. So far, so good!

Speaking of activities, I’ll be at Rhode Island Comic Con November 4-6 signing books and moderating panels with a fantastic group of local authors. Here’s more info on the panels:

Friday, November 4, 5:30-6:15 pm - World Building 101

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you. 

Saturday, November 5, 11:30-12:15 - A Hero, Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.

These will both take place in The Convention Center - Room 552. Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 11-1-21

November 3rd is National Stress Awareness Day. I didn’t know there was such a thing until I was asked to write an article about it for Inkitt, the publishing company I work for. When I interviewed several employees, we talked about the challenges of working in the modern era, how we create balance between work and life, and how we care for our mental and physical well-being.

We all identified similar issues that contribute to our stress. The technology that makes our lives easier also has a flip side in that it’s possible to never disconnect. Working in the creative space, we’re all passionate about our careers and enjoy what we do. In some ways, that makes it even harder to step away. I feel a bit guilty complaining about the stress level of my work, when honestly, its my dream job. Still, unhealthy habits take a toll, and the publishing industry has its own unique type of stressors and headaches.

I’ve blogged about this topic before and shared many of my own tricks to help with balance, productivity, time management, and stress relief. Today, as I write this from the Nantucket ferry, after a Halloween weekend of silliness and laughter, I realize that having fun should be on the very top of the list of stress relieving activities.

Ray and I celebrated the 30th anniversary of our first date on Halloween. I know, I can’t believe I’m this old either. But anyway, one of the reasons I think our marriage has lasted so well for so long is that we really, truly have fun together. We dress up for King Richard’s Faire and laugh our asses off at the off-color shows. We enjoy Halloween as much as our kids. We laugh often and play well together.

When we don’t agree on a particular version of fun (for example, he thinks playing golf is fun, whereas my fun happens later over dinner and cocktails, and he doesn’t think Comic Cons are any fun at all), we still support each other in having that fun independently. So, I would add this little piece of advice to the article I wrote. Make time for fun. Laugh often and easily. It’s good for us!

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” — Lord Byron

IN OTHER NEWS:

I’ll be at Rhode Island Comic Con this weekend. You can find me signing books at table 619, and here’s my panel schedule:

• World Building: Mind Your Myths and Backstory - Saturday, November 6 at 11 am in Room 551

• Writing the Other: Creating Characters Outside Your Comfort Zone - Sunday, November 7 at 12:15 pm

I’ll be at the annual RI Author Expo on Saturday, December 11th. Signed books make great holiday gifts, and our Expo features many talented local authors. The program and panel schedule will be coming soon! NOTE:The venue has changed to the Crowne Plaza, Warwick from 9 am-3 pm.

Here are some photos from our Nantucket weekend!

Monday Musings 10-18-21

I’m currently on the west coast, sitting by the pool at the marina as I write this. My last child is a senior in high school, and we spent the week out here doing a college tour. All three of my older boys and my baby sister live in California now, so, from an ease of visiting perspective, we’re hoping kid #4 might choose a school nearby.

Regardless, I love so much about the SoCal vibe, from the weather, to the quirkiness of Hollywood, to the energy of downtown LA, to the sunsets over the Pacific. I’m soaking up a much sun as I can in preparation for the long New England winter!

Speaking of winter, I have a few events that I’m really looking forward to in the coming months. If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello!

First up, Rhode Island Comic Con from November 5-7. I’ll be there all weekend signing books. Here’s my panel schedule:

World Building: Mind Your Myths and Backstory - Saturday, November 6 at 11 am in Room 551

There’s much to consider when constructing a mythical, magical, or futuristic world, and one important factor is the foundation myth or backstory. What does the writer need to know? What does the reader need to know? When do they need to know it? How does the backstory impact the characters and the current events on their world? Join us for a discussion on how to effectively craft a backstory and weave it into your tale. Panel hosted by the Association of RI Authors.

Writing the Other: Creating Characters Outside Your Comfort Zone - Sunday, November 7 at 12:15 pm

Writing characters from different backgrounds than our own is both a challenge and an opportunity for authors. In this panel, we will explore the tools needed to write outside our own experiences to create three-dimensional characters. Topics will include the importance of research, the role of sensitivity readers, and avoiding harmful stereotypes. Panel hosted by the Association of RI Authors.

Then, I’ll be at the annual RI Author Expo on Saturday, December 11th. Signed books make great holiday gifts, and our Expo features many talented local authors. The program and panel schedule will be coming soon!

In other news…

Since we’re coming up on Halloween, I’m going to include links to a couple of short horror stories I wrote, which have been produced by Tales to Terrify, a really awesome podcast, and are available on audio. For both, my stories are the second feature on the show. Have a listen!

Lady in Blue - story begins at 16:39

Goodbye, Charlie - story begins at 18:40

Finally, the photos below are from Marina Del Rey in SoCal and a wooded bridge on the UC Santa Cruz campus. So pretty!

Monday Musings 10-4-21

I love the fact that I am making a career out of writing, and I’m very grateful I get to do something I love as my work. The flip side of this is now writing is a job, with deadlines, and bad days, and projects I don’t feel like finishing. I think we run the risk of this happening with anything that began as a creative outlet, or a hobby, or even side gig, that becomes our real profession. I wouldn’t trade it, but there are days I have to power through like anyone else. It’s a little different from other work in that I still have to access my creativity when I don’t feel like it, but otherwise, the tricks we all use to be productive, establish good habits, find work-life balance, and get through less-than-stellar days are similar. I blog a lot about this.

Today, though, I am having the opposite kind of day. I’m having a really, really good writing day. When a day like this hits, I remember how much I love what I do. It’s so satisfying when the words flow, or I’m writing an exiting scene I’ve been thinking about for a while, or I’ve figured out the plot tangle that’s been bugging me.

When I wrote my first book, I was still working full-time in education, and all four of my kids lived at home. I fiercely protected my writing time, and I always looked forward to it. Sure, I had moments when I felt stuck, but the joy was always there. That’s not always the nature of my experience now, so when I have a day like today, I revel in it, and I try to call up the feeling when writing feels like a chore.

“To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work." - Mary Lauretta

IN OTHER NEWS…:

I’ll be signing books at RI Comic Con November 5-7. If you are in the area, come say hello!

The RI Author Expo will be live and in person on Saturday, December 11th. Signed books make great holiday gifts, so come on down and finish your shopping! Check the website for a complete list of authors and programming.

Monday Musings 10-28-19

I wrote my very first horror short story and sold it to a podcast. It’s live now and you can find it here: Tales to Terrify. Voice actor Heather Thomas does an amazing job, and even though I wrote it, I’m still creeped out by it! “Goodbye, Charlie” is the last story of episode 404. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

This weekend I’ll be signing books at RI Comic Con with several local authors. Come visit me at table 613! I’ll also be moderating two panels:

World Building 101 - Saturday at 1:00 pm in room 552a

The Gift of Writer’s Block - Sunday at 3:00 pm in room 552a

I’ve also officially started writing my next book, tentatively titled Dream Walker. It’s a dark urban fantasy - think Jessica Jones meets Dexter - featuring a kick-ass anti-hero and a by-the-book federal agent. Starting a project is both exciting and scary. It’s exciting because it’s something shiny and new and my imagination kicks into overdrive at the beginning of every new project. But it’s also daunting because it feels like a very long way to the finish line. I know there will be those moments of crippling self-doubt when I wonder how I will ever write myself out of the corner I’ve backed into, or why I ever thought this storyline was a good one to begin with. At least now I can call on experience to know those feelings will pass!

Finally, here’s a picture of Yennefer to help start your Monday with a smile. She’s getting bigger, but still a little fluff muffin!

Monday Musings 10-21-19

This weekend my husband was away, the kids had full social calendars, and I found myself all alone for most of the weekend. I purposefully kept my to-do list at a minimum. Not that I didn’t miss my family, but the weekend was, well, fabulous. I had so much TIME. I leisurely worked on a writing project. I read a book. I binged watched Netflix. I cleaned my coat closet and organized my drawers. I know, that doesn’t sound like fun, but trust me, when you have organizational OCD, it was bliss.

As I look ahead toward a full calendar of company, book events, and holiday plans, I’m reminded how much I need a few days, or even hours, that haven’t been pre-scheduled with activity. I’m not the kind of person who can sit still for long, but opening up some free space is still so very necessary. We all need to recharge, and we shouldn’t feel guilty about it!

Having said all that, here’s my book signing schedule leading up to the Holidays. LOL! I’ll send more detailed info closer to each one.

NOVEMBER 1-3 - Rhode Island Comic Con

NOVEMBER 4 at 6:30 pm - Signing at the Tapped Apple (rescheduled from 10/17)

NOVEMBER 17 - Books and Beer, Signing at Canned Heat

DECEMBER 7 - The RI Author Expo

DECEMBER 14 - Signing at Inkfish Books

Hope to see you at one of these!