Tag Archives: characterization

Hello and goodbye

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Linda Andrews

I don’t plot my books. I know my characters and a few turning points, but mostly I go where the characters take me. So I was surprised when I met one of my new characters and I instantly knew this … Continue reading →

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Brain Seize

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Linda Andrews

It has been months since I wrote new text. Months. I thought I had forgotten how to write. I sat down at my tablet, fingers poised over the keyboard, filled with excitement of the new adventure awaiting. And I struggled … Continue reading →

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A Good Idea Gone Bad

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Linda Andrews

I had a thought not too long ago. An idea for a series of books. One featuring the same 6-10 characters but centered around a different disaster. One that doesn’t occur sequentially but simultaneously like in parallel worlds. My husband … Continue reading →

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Voices in my Head

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Linda Andrews

I have voices in my head. Given my family history of mental issues, this should be a scary phenomenon. Alas, no. The voices don’t tell me what to do so much as tell me a story. Sometimes these stories even … Continue reading →

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Using Body Language in fiction

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Linda Andrews

Effective characterization is a balance between dialogue, narrative and action. Dialogue is relatively easy for those of us who hear voices. Each word use and syntax holds certain nuances that are unique to that character’s background. Image an 80 year … Continue reading →

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Magic in a Box

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Linda Andrews

While driving home from my parents yesterday, I saw something that took me back. Four kids in their early teens were crossing a busy, seven-lane street with a cardboard refrigerator-size box. Each of them had big ole smiles and were … Continue reading →

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Keyboard Tantrum

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Linda Andrews

A charcter’s habits provide a shorthand approach for the reader to identify and indentify with a character. And often the best places to get those quirks and habits that make characters 3-Dimensional are from observing people. Within the last couple … Continue reading →

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Emotional Turmoil

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Linda Andrews

Recently I attended a lecture about making time for your writing. For the most part, I agreed with everything the wonderful lecturer said until one part. She stated that writers thrive on emotions so when friend A calls us up … Continue reading →

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