Often my life crosses paths with individuals whose lives are in a pit of despair. It was my part to help instill hope. During the beginning stages of creating Courage of Fear I initial wondered what would be the best way to enlighten and bring hope to a large mass of women... to help share a philosophy that wouldn't be just another self-help book. That is when Angela (Courage's protagonist) came to me. I came to believe I needed a protagonist that had everything and take away the one thing that would send her over the edge to have to begin again. Once that premise came, all I could do was think about this woman; who her friends were, what she did for work, who she spent time with, where she lived, what she loved and didn't like--Then that flared out to include the people in her life. (Many things about these folks didn't make it into the novel, yet they certainly made it on the page.) After months of spending time in Angela's life, the story basically told itself. I just reported it. And then, of course, edit, edit, edit, edit.
During the beginning stages of creating Courage of Fear I initial wondered what would be the best way to enlighten and bring hope to a large mass of women... to help share a philosophy that wouldn't be just another self-help book. That is when Angela (Courage's protagonist) came to me. I came to believe I needed a protagonist that had everything and take away the one thing that would send her over the edge to have to begin again.
Once that premise came, all I could do was think about this woman; who her friends were, what she did for work, who she spent time with, where she lived, what she loved and didn't like--Then that flared out to include the people in her life. (Many things about these folks didn't make it into the novel, yet they certainly made it on the page.)
After months of spending time in Angela's life, the story basically told itself. I just reported it. And then, of course, edit, edit, edit, edit.