Into the New Year

 We are very close to the New Year. Here are some of the things that will help us, as writers, get off to a good start:

• Set goals for 2023 for both writing and for reading. When we read, we relax, but we also gather new ideas for what we might want to include in our own work.
• Be okay if your writing does not read well (to you). Once the words are down on paper, they can be revised.
• Block out time for both writing and revising. One of my favorite webinars from 2022 was one that Laurie King presented on Facebook about revising our work.
• This is a perennial problem for me - using social media and promoting my own work.
• Take classes - whatever classes appeal to you. There are many that are offered as digital classes on the Internet.

Here are some of the places where I look for classes on writing and writing-related content:

• Master Class
  
• Infostack
  
• Jane Friedman
  
• Gotham Writers
  

Wishing you all a stellar writing year in 2023!

(c) December 2022 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction is prohibited without the written consent of the author.

Sustaining Yourself As A Writer

 

What can we do to sustain ourselves as writers? This is a real question right now, as we deal with outside influences such as the current pandemic and a make or break election for our country. We need to sustain ourselves as individuals, to keep a balance with all things in life, and to be our own self-support. We need to have a passion for writing, and we need to write consistently. 

What can we do to keep ourselves motivated, and keep the words flowing?

• Start writing - start the words flowing. We can go back and fine-tune them, but we need to have something to fine-tune.  
• Use a writing prompt. This can be something that you make up yourself, or you can find them on the Internet. If you are in a writing group, you can share prompts with each other,
• Keep a journal - any kind of journal. When you are not thinking about what words need to go next, amazing ideas pop out unannounced!
• Free-write - set a time for a specific amount of time (you get to choose how much time you want to write), set a timer, and start writing. Keep writing until the timer goes off. It doesn' have to make sense - just write!
• Don't even try to be perfect on your first (or even second) draft. You will end up with something that is perfectly spelled and punctuated - and boring as all get out!
• Write every day. Be consistent.
• Set aside time to read something that interests you.
• Set up a space that is conducive to writing. The desk in my office is angled to face the door, which faces the living room. Looking up occasionally is a good way to ground and center myself. And to keep track of whatever my cats might be doing!
• Interact with other writers - whether it is in person, or online.
• Respect your writing - treat it as your job, because it is. Yes, it is also your passion, but that passion needs to support you!
• Set small, achievable goals.

Wishing you all great success with your writing!

(c) November 2020 Bonnie Cehovet

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Master Class With Margaret Atwood

I stumbled across the Master Class series some time ago. At that time I thought that an all access pass was the way to go. My wallet decided otherwise! I just signed up for the class that I was primarily interested in - Margaret Atwoods class on writing. The link above talks about the general outline of what is offered. This post takes a look at what I am actually experiencing in the class.

"Creativity is one of the essential things about being human. So you don't have to apologize for it. It's something human beings do." ~ from the workbook

I downloaded the workbook - which is a true gem!  In it, Atwood references her own work, as well as presenting writing prompts for her students. There are assignments, links to reference material, examples of various techniques that can be used to create beginnings, middles, and ends, deciding on what voice to use in a story, and so much more!

In her videos, Atwood is very clear about her topic, has a very eloquent speaking voice, and a lovely sense of humor. The next chapter that I am going to be working with is all about layered narratives and how to structure a story. I am very happy that I took the plunge and paid for this course ... you will see better work coming from me in the very near future!

(c) July 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

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Do I Get To Write What I Want To Write?

Can I write what I want to write? Will it sell? Do I need to check the market to see what is selling, and try to fit my writing into that? I am not a trendy person, so for me to be writing based on what is the latest trend does not make sense. It would be very forced on my part, it would not make me happy, and more than likely be seen as mediocre work, and would not sell well. Perhaps if I was writing non-fiction, this might work. But I write in the fiction genre, and my creative self has to be engaged for me to write anything. 

What we all have to realize is that there are no rules when it comes to writing. Well, okay, there are a few rules, but chosing a topic to write about is wide open. We need to want to write about whatever we are writing about. If we are attemting to write what we think will sell, there may not be that creative spark, that creative sense of adventure that we need to make our work stand out.

Write about what interests you. Write about what you want to know about. Don't let your fears stand in your way. Write about what excites you, with minimal thought as to whether it will sell. Your excitement will come through, and you will sell! 

Sit down, start writing, and be willing to face your fears. Keep writing - allow your writing to flow. You can edit later. You can discard, add new elements ... you can do whatever you want to do. This is your writing, your story, and it needs to be told your way! Write a promotional blurb about what your book is about. Use that blurb to write an outline. Expand the outline as you write. You will end up with a solid story that will hold your readers attention!

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission fromthe author.

How I Manage My Writing - Or How It Manages Me!

How I manage my writing day is by the seat of my pants! I have a WIP, as well as a monthly committment to write a newsletter, and weekly committments to write one flash fiction article, and one writer's blog (this blog). And I am a co-writer on another project that for now will remain under wraps. I also have a 9-5 that pays the bills. (The good thing about the 9-5 is that it is not 9-5 - I work for a phone line that allows me to log on and off at will.)

I have designated seperate days of the week for the flash fiction and this blog. Monday's are for this blog - I try to find topics that interest me, and that will interest other writers. Starting in March (next week) I will be following a pre-set schedule of topics, with each months topics being connected. Tuesday's are for my flash fiction (under 100 words). I find a graphic that I like, and work from that. I love trying to fit some semblance of a story into 100 words!

My WIP, and the project that I am co-author on, I work on during the weekends. Each of the four chapters that I am writing for the book that I am co-authoring has a pre-set topic, which simply needs to be fleshed out. My WIP already has an outline, and the beginnings of a bible, with work-ups for each of the major characters. One thing that I realized this past weekend is that my bible is going to have to reflect when major events happened, and where (there is a lot of reflection to the past).

My newsletter is a WIP on its own. It's purpose is to help me build a fan base for my mystery books, and to help connect me with other authors. I am fine tuning it on a monthly basis, offering snippets from my current WIP, a flash fiction piece that only appears in my newsletter, links to my existing work, and links to reference materials for writers. I occasionally showcase work that other writers have done. For my April newsletter, I will be featuring a book give-away, with a winner chosen from my subscriber's list.

Things that I am looking into doing are writing submissions for mystery short story contests, and writing pamplet sized books (around 20,000 words) on topics of interest in a wide variety of areas. 

For all of my writer friends - how does this compare with your writing days? Share how you handle your writing - we can all stand tolearn new tricks!

(c) February 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

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A Writer's Thanksgiving

We have thanksgiving coming up here in the United States on November 23rd. It is all about food, family, and being thankful for all of the abundance in our lives, whatever form that takes (which, for some, will be endless football games!). I have been sitting here thinking about what I am thankful for as a writer.

I have been writing ever since I can remember. For whatever reason, I aways seemed to be secretary of whatever organization I was with. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, and I was secretary for my Camp Fire Girls group. I wrote up the minutes, then I got to walk them down to the local newspaper (I lived in a really small town!). This was a very big thrill for me!

As I became an adult, and moved forward in my career, most of my writing was of a technical nature. (I worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist.) As my avocation - Tarot and metaphysics - transformed into my vocation, I found myself writing on totally different topics. I took what to me was a huge risk and submitted an idea for a book to Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and it was accepted! I was shocked, and enormously happy! I submitted a second idea for a book, and that was accepted too. I am very thankful to Schiffer, and to my editor, Dinah Roseberry, for making publishing my books a very positive experience! 

I co-wrote a book on joy with my friend Brad Tesch, which turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. I am thankful for the time that I spent wth Brad co-writing that book. I wrote and self-published a book on surviving the holidays - which was a great deal of fun to write, and which made me feel good about being able to offer concrete "helpful hints" to others on how not to go insane during the holidays.

I have done written interviews with some of the most interesting people in the Tarot field. I am thankful that to a person they were gracious, and shared of themselves the things that worked for them, and the background of their work.

I currently have a WIP (work in progress) that entails, in part, flying in and out of smaller airports that cater to private and corporate planes. I am very thankful that I know someone through Facebook that I can contact to make sure that the airports that I researched and chose are actually viable choices. I certainly don't want to look the fool over a choice of airports! If this individual agrees to mentor me on this, they will receive mention as a valuable resource in my book.

There are so many things to be thankful for as a writer! What are some of the things that those of you who are fellow writer's are thankful for?

(c) Bonnie Cehovet November 2017 

 

A Writer's View of 2016

The most important seed that I could have planted for 2016 happened at the end of October, 2015, when I finally made the physical move back to Nevada. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted, and I can now move forward with purpose. I was blessedin that the house that I rented, sight unseen, is both a lovely home, and located close to everything that I need (including thge DMV!).

I do not do New Year's resoutions, as, in my humble opinion, they are an epic fail. My version of life is to set goals for the coming year, and check in on those goals on a periodic basis, to make sure that I have not strayed from my path. My first goal for 2016 is not one that I had planned, but one that came up unexpectedly. Close to the end of February I will be getting a lens inplant in my right eye. Long story - the short version of which is that when I had the cataract surgery on that eye, the ten year study had not been finished, and my opthamologist could not implnt a lens. My second goal is to clean up my finances so that I can purchase a home before the end of the year. This is where my major energy will be going.

As far as writing goes, I will continue my work with The Cartomancer, write a column here once a month, write flash fiction on a consistent basis, and look for short story contests to enter. I need to work on myself over the next year (I am still unpacking "stuff"), so that tghe person in the mirror and the one in my mind carry the same image.

I am also contemplating doing an imspirational deck, with quotes on each card that reflect different life areas. That will evolve over time, and may take a couple of years to come into print. I already have a good idea who I will have carry this deck, and that for me is a major part of this journey.

On January 13th I will be attending a free teleclass by author Eleanor Brown on setting writing goals for 2016. I very much am looking forward to this event, which I see as a good way to firmly anchor my writing in 2016, and a way to connect with another writer. That all important networking!

Wishing you all much success in 2016!

(c) January 2016 Bonnie Cehovet

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The Beat Goes On!

It has been a while since I blogged here, but the beat goes on! Still writing, but also having to deal with the little things that life tosses at us! Major changes coming up, but more about that later. Today I want to talk about iPad apps for writing. Now, I don't have an iPad, but I know that many of you do, so you might be interested in this. Just know that I have not personally worked with any of these apps!

Pages is an app from Apple that functions as a word processor. You can check on word count, use Arabic and Hebrew templates, do a custom color mix, insert images, customize alignment guides and more. You can check out Pages here! 

My Writing Spot is an app from Apple that provides the writer with an uncluttered writing environment. (Great for non-techies like me!) It has all the good stuff - auto save, spell check, word and character count, is password protected, and works with either an on-screen keyboard, or an external bluetooth keyboard. You can find more information here.

Chapters - Notebooks For Writing is an application that allows the compilation of notes into self-titled, searchable notebooks. There is a really decent review of this app here.

iA Writer is an application that helps provide an atmosphere free of distractions, like graphical settings, formatting features, auto-correction, spell-check, tool bars, etc. Focus mode fades out everything but your last three lines of writing. That might irritate me a bit, but it has its uses. It also has a feature that allows you to see approximately how much time it will take someone to read your text. Love this! More information can be found here. 

(c) September 2015 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author. 

2015 - The Year of Organization

 

I am starting out the new year by creating an environment of organization around me. I am bringing (by choice) a writing project from 2014 that, had life not interfered, would have been finished and published. I also am determined to publish my first mystery. The 2014 project has several chapters already finished, and its structure in place. My new mystery project has a structure, or I should say had a structure. I decided today to toss that out, and restructure the story entirely. Two factors will remain - that the main character is a female, and the environment is Las Vegas. I am going to work on the two projects simultaneously.

I have two events already scheduled into 2015 - both from my Tarot world - one in March, and one in, I believe, August. At least one writer's conference will be added to that in 2016. I will also be choosing two professional writer's organizations to join this month (January 2015).

The next thing that I will be doing to organize my resources better will be to go through my bookmarked pages, delete those that I don't need, and arrange those that I intend on keeping into better categories.  

This is a start - and only a start. But it helps me to feel less overwhelmed, and that helps to get the work done!

(c) 2000 - 2015 Bonnie Cehovet

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Year End Roundup

This is where I am right now - allowing myself to enjoy the holidays. As far as my writing goes, this year was very uneven. I did get one of my books spiffed up for holiday sales (Surviving the Holidays), and am starting to promote it. I co-wrote another book (Seek Joy ... Toss Confetti), that I will promote again after the New Year. I am only a couple of chapters into my book on decision making - I had hoped to have it out for holiday sales too, but I am now aiming for some time in January. My mystery book - that will be my 2015 major project!

I think we have to learn to flow with things - certainly all that I had hoped to accomplish in 2014 did not get done. One project I had to let go of, others were delayed. Life interfered, and I had to be okay with that. I have (more or less) kept up with my Tarot blog, and have started writing flash fiction and placing it on my Facebook timeline. I may go back to doing that blog in 2015. Even once a month would keep it going, and I do love writing them. A bit of a chore sometimes to get a beginning, middle, and end in under 100 words!

I never did join the writers organizations that I had intended to in 2014 - that will be taken into 2015, and accomplished. If I want to move into the world of writing as something to pay the bills, then I need to network in any and all ways possible. Plus, I can look for professional gatherings that are taking place in warm climes!

For those that are still shopping for holiday gifts, I have two other books out - Tarot, Birth Cards and You , and Tarot, Rituals & You.

Wishing you all a joyous, safe holiday season!

(c) 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Reinventing Life

 

It has been a while since I blogged here. Too much life happening ... part of which is me getting involved too deeply in projects that, while I believe in them, don't move me forward. And it may have been that I was more bothered than I thought with the loss of a major project very early in the year. I do have plans for the work that I did on it ... I started on the plans, but did not continue them. This is something that I can do ... a positive, if you will.

I set a new deadline for my second project ... to have it out by the end of May. This is doable, and will allow me to have my third project out there in time for the December holidays. That project will be a series, if it goes well!

For now, I would like to share some things that have come my way. From Social Media Examiner, we have 16 Blogging Resources To Improve Your Blog. Blogging is a great resource in and of itself. It allows us to connect with other writers, and with our prospective readership. This article talks about brainstorming ideas, being more productive, getting organized, and much more!

This one I have not used, but I did find it interesting - a way to organize your e-mail! Called SaneBox, it is all about prioritizing e-mails ... ans summarizing the rest!

I am a huge Google fan so this article made me smile! Why Google + Is A Key Tool In Your Online Marketing Strategy. Marketing is my least favorite activity, so any help I can get is worth it!

Along marketing lines - 5 Copywriting Tips To Entice Customers.I can get lost in writing this type of content, so I appreciated the commonsense advice here!

Wishing you all happy writing!

(c) 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited withour written permission of the author. 

Tools of the Writing Trade

One month into the new year! How are you doing with your goals? Are you hitting your deadlines? Is your path as clear as you thought it would be? I set out to accomplish three major projects: a Tarot app for my book "Tarot, Birth Cards, and You", a short book on decision making, and a longer mystery.The app was set to be a year long project ... it is moving along nicely, even though it is not going to be quite what I thought it would be. I had planned to have my decision making book done by the end of January. The introduction is done, and the deadline has been extended to the end of March. My mystery will still be out by the end of the  year.

I found out one very important thing - I am on the right path, taking the right actions, but I need to make more time for myself. I cannot push myself as I always have - I need more down time, to just read a book, take a walk, or even take a drive. My life is going in interesting directions - I want to be grounded, centered, and ready to take on the opportunities that come my way.  

Knowing how to present and promote what I do is very important to m. I am going to share the links to some sites that present tools that helped me make better decisions about how to promote my work. I hope that you find them of interest too!

Theresa Reed, aka The Tarot Lady, has a whole slew of interesting tools of empowerment o n her site, The Tarot Lady. Drop by and take a look!

Katrina Wynn is offering a Professional Tarot Consulting Program with live, online classes, through the Global Spiritual Studies site - Professional Tarot Consulting Program.

Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad) offers coaching aimed at helping an individual build a personalized financial and cash flow plan, discover their mission, passion, and purpose, and map out where you want to go, and what you need to do to get there. Important for all individuals and entrepreneurs.

Need more time? Here are four simple ways to claim back your time!

(c) 2014 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without the written permission of the author.

Motivated To Succeed!

 

We all have to look for motivation to keep going, to define that BIG DREAM, We then strive to keep the motivation going strong so that we can achieve that dream. What I have found personally is that I feel most comfortable with multiple streams of income. One of those streams will always be my writing ... whatever form it takes. Another stream very recently opened up for me ... one that I never thought would work for me. 

I have tried network marketing once or twice ... I lost money ... never got close to understanding the process. In large part, this was because I could never get behind the alleged "product". I have to believe in something if I am going to be encouraging other people to invest. Then a product that I can believe in crossed my path.

That product is a unique mobile applicati. on called the Inspired Living Application. On a weekly basis short (6-9 minute) motivational videos are brought to your mobile device. (Note: There is also a web application for those that do not have mobile devices.) These are high quality videos presented by leaders in their respective fields of personal motivation, business development, time management, goal setting and more. Interested? You can find out more here - Inspired Living Application. 

If what you see on these pages interests you, iLA has a webinar that acts as a short overview of what iLA has to offer. Please take a few minutes to view it here. 

What I have found is that my writing skills came in handy is developing documents to send to those that sign up under me to help them get this program going. For the first five days of enrollment I send out a document each day with pertinent information. I am also available to answer any questions that potential associates might have about the program. I can be contacted at bonniecehovet@gmail.com. 

The corporate office is available to answer questions at any time, and there are two Facebook groups that have been developed to support those working in this program. For those that are interested, watch the videos, watch the informational overview, and feel free to ask me any questions that you might have.

How big is your dream? Make it come true! 

Inspired Living Application  

(c) February 2013 Bonnie Cehovet

Writer's Wrtie

 

What do writer's do? They write, of course! The deal is ... few of us are working on just one project at a time. Speaking for myself ... that would be pretty boring! So what am I working on right now? I am a reviewer of books, decks, and oracles ... at this point in time I am about to review a Tarot book, I have two Tarot decks waiting to be danced with, and two Tarot based fiction books that want to have a conversation.

I am co-authoring a book on Joy with my friend Brad Tesh. Many of you may know Brad from Facebook ... he is a very positive,  upbeat individual that sees the good in everything and everyone. Neither of us has co-authored a book before, but what we are finding is that we can make up the rules as we go along. It is our book, and we can do what we want to do. There really don't even have to be any rules, as long as we agree on what we are presenting, and how we are presenting it. This book is a true Joy to write, and is intended to be the first of who know how many books that we write together!

A small project is the article that I am writing for Attune magazine on the Moon/Hermit birth card pair. I have found that the Birth Cards really do enjoy discussing life! I get to be the middleman, somehow. ;-)

Another small project is helping Pamela Steele write the text for her children's Tarot book. This is such a joy to be involved with! Moving my mindset from adults to children is quite interesting!

I am also writing a second e-book (My first one was on "Surviving the Holidays" ... this one is "The Art of Making Choices".)

Writer's will write about just about anything, given a chance! I recently joined the Inspired Living Application program (http://ilivingapp.com/bonniecehovet), and have been writing a series of welcoming and explanatory letters that will be sent to team members signing up under me, to help them get started in the program. My previous mindset from the world of working in clinical laboratories kicking in!

If you are a writer, accept any and all opportunities to write that come to you. Okay ... a given project may not be for you, but you will keep your mind active and fresh if you choose to write about different things. Life is BIG ... be willing to experience it!

(c) January 2013 Bonnie Cehovet

A Writer's Life

 

Writing is certainly an interesting occupation! My first two books were compilations - one was for my Tarot deck and book reviews, another was for my Tarot interviews. Then I did an e-book on women in Tarot. These were all independent endeavors, through Lulu and Create Space. Then I approached Schiffer Publishing with an idea for a book ... and it was accepted! That was an amazing process ... one that I would have never made it through without the extreme patience of my editor, Dinah Roseberry! Then I decided to present a second idea to Schiffer Publishing, and that was accepted! I was totally elated both times ... I never expected either book to get off the ground with a brick and mortar publisher. Having gone through the process once,  this second time is a lot easier.

This am I got an e-mail from the marketing department at Schiffer, detailing the marketing process (my next book will be out in spring/summer of 2013). I am still in awe of the fact that  this is my work out there! This e-mail really made my day!

Then there is the ongoing process with my e-book on Smashwords. Still having formatting issues, although now we are down to the files that are related tot he table of contents. Also, I have still not been able to get hold of "Mark's List" - the Smashword's author's that offer formatting for a fee. Giving up on this one! I will be giving this one more go this coming Saturday ... if that fails, I have a friend who has offered to format for me, for a fee. I am amazed at the offer, as she is very busy both creating and promoting her own work. One way or another, my book is getting out on Smashwords! LOL Very determined Cappie here. It is a holiday based e-book (on surviving the holidays), so it is really too late for this year, but it is part of a series, so I will find some way to get a few sales.

I still have a mystery WIP, which seems to be taking a back seat right now. It will find its proper time! Then a friend and I are in the visioning stage of getting a self-empowerment book out there. We don't know how it will be published yet, but we are excited about it! And no, I am not going to talk about the focus just yet! 

Sometime in January or early February I should have an e-book up on Kindle. Maybe even through the KDP program, although I am not too sure about that yet! This one is also a self-help book - a kick starter for the new year!

I ran across an article this am that I would like to share. It presents a three step process for doing keyword research (a huge part of getting our work to the attention of targeted readers). You can read it here - A 3-Step Process For Painless Keyword Research. 

Off to do one of my favorite things - write my music blog for the week!

(c) December 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Writing A Mystery

I am so pleased that after this week I will be able to place my focus on my WIP - my lovely little mystery! I am stopping to think about how I want this process to go - I want to define the process, even though I know it will get fine tuned along the way. I took the first step already - I started the writing. Actually, I started the writing in 2010 for NANOWRIMO. I made several attempts to fine tune what I had written, which lead nowhere. I finally decided to keep (most) of the characters, change the setting, and tweak the plot line.

I am going to write my bible first - thoroughly detailing my characters, their backgrounds, the environment they move in, and how they are inter-connected in the web of their world. Then I am going to outline my plot, and allow the writing to flow!

One thing that I do know - I tend to edit to a small extent as I write. This is not something that holds me back, it is something that allows me to have a nice, clean manuscript in front of my face. Spelling errors checked, punctuation checked - life looking good!

Another important thing to decide before beginning to write is what voice do you want your book in? Who is going to be telling the story, and how are they going to tell it? First person? Third person? Do whatever you are comfortable with. Go back and reread your favorite authors. What voice do they write in? You are not trying to be a mini-me, you just want to sound real, and consistent.

My characters are already part of me - they are pushing my current project so they can get their chops out there! I know they will interact in a manner that is unique to them. I have often found that my writing takes on its own edge - it writes itself. I will have to reign in my characters, rather than trying to flesh them out! They will be the best of the best of all of the people that have moved through my life, or that I have observed along the way. My characters will "have" character, and they will "be" characters!

Some stories never get written because the writers who imagine them never move them from the imaginal world into the real world. Spend time working at your craft, people! Sit down and write! Every day!

Have fun with this! I know that I am going to!

June 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Love Is In The Air

Love is indeed in the air! Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentines Day! Today I am not thinking about personal love, but love of writing. All writers share this love. Writing is our passion - we live to write! It is in our blood, it is our reason for getting up very morning. Sometimes we curse it out, sometimes we hide from it, but at all times nothing will drag us away from our computers!

If you are like me, you will write about anything and everything! Anything that catches my interest can spark a story -some long, some short, but there is always a story there. Lately I have found myself writing short rants (under the guise of blogs) about things that irritate me. Some things I wisely keep to myself, but others are fit for public consumption. By writing it out I can often times come up with a solution. At the least, others facing the same issues will be reassured that they are not alone. ;-)

My love of writing is helping me to expand my life. Expand it as far as meeting new friends in the writing world, getting feedback on my writing, researching writing tools, researching publication options and connecting with with editors and publicists.

Where is your love of writing taking you?

(c) February 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Defining Your Characters

This is my first time writing for NaNoWriMo - no pressure at all! I am takng the next few days to define my characters, after which I will be working on defining theme and plot. I have five characters in mind so far:

1. My protagonist.
2. An oriental gentleman that moves the story along, appearing and disappearing at will.
3. The (allegedly) deceased father of my protagonist.
4. A mysterious woman who is connected to the allegedly deceased father.
5. A close friend of the allegedly deceased father, who has taken on the role of mentor since the father's alleged death.

The areas that I am going to use to define them are:

1. Age
2. Physical characteristics
3. Career/work environment
4. Home environment
5. Family/cultural background
6. Friends
7. Schooling

This should give me a fairly good idea of what drives my characters, and how they will act/react in any given situation. That's the plan, anyway! I am quite sure that in the end they will take over the keyboard, and I will end up as the editor, and not the author!

(c) October 2010 Bonnie Cehovet