My Characters Deserve a Hug

I’m back hitting the keys on Jazzi and Ansel. I’ve been away long enough, I worried if I’d remember the little nuances, the subtleties that underly certain scenes. The big stuff I know. They’ve been stuck in my head a long time, but tone and mood seep in while I’m writing.

When I sat down to work on my pages, though, it’s as if my characters had just been hanging out, waiting for me to get back to tell their story. Jazzi, Ansel, and Jerod are close to finishing the last two condos on the third floor of the old tea house downtown. Once those are finished, it’s time to move on to the box containers they bought to convert into houses. All three of them are a little nervous about that project. They’ve read and watched videos about how to do it, but that’s not the same as cutting steel to install a window or door. In the book, next Thursday is Thanksgiving, and everyone’s carrying in food to Jazzi’s, so they decide it’s the perfect time for a short break, and then they’ll start work on the containers the Monday after the holiday.

That means this Friday will be the last cooking session with Franny. She, Jerod, and the kids have been bringing a soup pot and a Dutch oven to Jazzi’s house every Friday so that Jazzi can teach her how to cook. But the holidays are approaching, and everyone will be busy, so it’s time to call the lessons off. For their last time, Franny has asked how to cook salmon. She loves it but is intimidated by it. No need to be. It’s easy, but Jazzi has planned three ways to make it. This Friday will be fun.

I get to write that scene tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to it. Happy writing, reading, and cooking to you, too!