Cynthia Chapman Willis's Blog, page 15

Antagonists

I thought I'd blog about antagonists today. Whether you are a writer, a reader, or you drive a Good Humor ice cream truck, someone somewhere is going to be opposed to you. Someone somewhere is not going to like what you are doing or, for reasons undefined, who you are or aspire to be. Opponents and adversaries are a part of our lives. Kind of like splinters and bug bites. Today, tax deadline day, some might think of Uncle Sam as an antagonist. I, for one, don't find it hard to imagine the...

Frustration

My dictionary defines frustration as "a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety. . . resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems."

Bingo.

I don't know about you, but I often wear frustration the way I might wear a really ugly sweater against my will: with grudging tolerance. Lately, though, my frustration feels like a shrunken and ugly sweater. Think itchy and suffocating. This particular frustration is wrapped around my latest novel. I happen to be smitten...

Meeting & Greeting

One of the really fun parts of being an author is meeting and spending time with readers. Last night I got to hang out with the Rockin' Bookworms. They had just finished reading Dog Gone, so we had lots to talk about. Such fun! And yes, they are rockin'! We chatted about reading, writing, and Dog Gone (of course), but not necessarily in that order.

I answered all kinds of great questions. Everyone wanted to know if I have a dog now. When I said yes, we talked about his name and...

Eavesdropping

Overhearing a conversation can be educational, scary, and really entertaining. Think tweens or teens in a mall. Need I say more? Some might say that eavesdropping is a job requirement for any writer. Others might say that eavesdropping is flat out rude. Sometimes, though, it's impossible not to overhear a conversation. Has anyone out there not experienced the person on the cell phone using a really big voice in public? Raise your hand if you have not. If your hand is up, you've either...

Jackalope Fever?

Many wonderful readers of Buck Fever have asked about a sequel to this novel. So, how about Jackalope Fever? In Jackalope Fever, Joey's father could become obsessed with finding a Jackalope—the mysterious jackrabbit that sports antelope horns or deer antlers. However, as in Buck Fever, Joey would not be too sure about whether he would be able to bring himself to shoot a jackalope. Actually, he would not even be sure that he could find one of these jackrabbit-antelope combos. Nonetheless, in span

Questions Without Right Answers

Some questions don't have obvious or single answers. You know the type. Questions that make you squirm because each answer has ramifications. Thinking is required. The answers are anything but easy. For writers, answering these kinds of questions can be good practice for the wrestling match that is plotting because when charting the course of a story, every answer to a question affects the direction of the tale, like it or not.

Below are a couple mind-numbing questions that you might enjoy...

Digging for Details

Digging for the right story details can be like mining for bits of gold or the most sparkly gems. Don't you think? Sometimes finding the right story details requires research. Did I hear you groan? Yes, research makes a lot of people grunt and roll their eyes. Some would rather have a tooth pulled than do even two minutes of research. But digging for details can be fun. Really.

The research that I did to find the right story details for Buck Fever is exactly what I talked about today when I...

Happy Spring

Spring has sprung! The sun is waking up earlier each morning and staying up later each night. The air is slowly but surely getting warmer. The birds are chirpy and enthusiastic. The windows are opening to repel the demons of cabin fever. Fabulous! To celebrate the arrival of this wonderful time of year, here are some springtime quotes and a poem:

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."...

What's In Your Wallet?

Yes, this is a question from a popular commercial. And it's kind of an interesting question, I think. When I chat with young readers about the characters in my books, I sometimes ask what those characters might have in their pockets, bags, or wallets. And I get some hilarious, really insightful, and just plain brilliant answers. Because if a reader knows a character, that reader will probably have some interesting thoughts about what items or trinkets the character keeps in his or her...

Split Apart

Are you divided? Am I? Are the characters we read about and write about split apart? Or do we feel this way because it's a Monday morning after the clocks have been rolled back an hour? Hmmm.

I ask because I came upon some theories about how individuals might be split. The information is kind of interesting and kind of entertaining. Probably not real scientific, but hey, let's not get greedy. It's Monday.

The Right and Left Split

Did you know that the left hemisphere of your brain, the...