Back on the Horse

My semi-long absence from the blog comes with a reasonable explanation this time: I was in a car accident.

You can read about that on Operation Awesome where I'm boldly giving out writing tips while bed-ridden: In Terms of Pain.

I also had the opportunity to spend days just reading in bed, so I've posted an Afterglow Book Review: POSSESSION by Elana Johnson.

I hope to read several more books this month, as I've got a few ARCs!! and some critique partnering to catch up on.

The trickiest thing will probably be getting back on my writing horse. But I'm excited about it, too. Life is full of unexpected circumstances, and writing is really all about life. I'm hoping this experience, like all my experiences, will make me a more authentic writer.

How have you incorporated life into your writing lately?

Disneyland - use life as inspiration

Today I'm going to Disneyland. I haven't been since I was twelve, and a LOT of things have changed. My husband hasn't been EVER, and my two little boys have never seen a place like this. When I tried to explain to my four-year-old where we were going, he said, "Going to the park with a mouse?" Yeah, no. Some things are better to see than hear explained.

Feel free to use our excitement as a plot facelift for you if you're writing and getting stuck in something boring. I know how it is. You're thinking, "How am I going to get from plot point A to plot point B without depressing the heck out of everybody?"

Answer: Disneyland!

Just slip in a scene or two about a funner-than-life theme park and see where it takes your characters. You can direct them back to plot point B so they're still dealing with the issues and problems you originally fathomed. OR... your story can turn into a theme park horror. OR... maybe you'll decide to write a literary novel metaphorically analyzing the other thrill-seekers who have come to the park.

The possibilities here are just endless.

Mostly, don't forget to appreciate the little things today. Because even though we're going to "the happiest place on Earth," we're still going to have cranky children at about noon, diapers to change on the baby, and our own waiting-in-line blues to deal with. The key with every situation--literary or literal--is to celebrate every tiny joy.

Happy Disneyland Tuesday! Enjoy your theme park writing exercise!