Writing on Wednesday and the New Writer's Workout Book

First off, I just purchased a highly anticipated book from Christina Katz who blogs at The Prosperous Writer. She is writing coach and my goal is to someday take one of her classes.  In the meantime, I plan on using this book this year. I will post a review next Wednesday as well as a review of the Instamax instant camera. Until then, enjoy visiting the blogs below and be sure to add a link to your own blog! 

Welcome to Writer Wednesday Blog Hop!

Just like last week, today we have three hosts for the blog hop today, so that means more the awesome-ness for you bloggers out there. And we have Bugs Bunny (my favorite!) hopping with us again today... 




Animations provided by MySpaceAnimations.com
And make sure you grab a button (yay, finally HTML code for it!)
Writer Wednesday Blog Hop Button!
 

 
Click and copy this code 
 
<p align="center"><a href="http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Wednesday%20Blog%20Hop" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyBDjKEcQSydgj2SguQpKMCOT2bQfqJZmgcJGyZRWfU_ajxoqrUvtcecIkkzry4GklxN7C5oPCJLe1NodwPaSi48bziB5n_f-0xM61cKs2JUP1MEdPUPniKoFboAPrgyaHgBbeHsEQrg/s1600/WWBH+badge.bmp" width="200" height="178" /></a>
 </p>
>
Here's the rules! 



1) Follow your blog hosts: World of My Imagination , A Writer Weaves a Tale..., and A Writer's Muses 



2) Follow at least three other blogs (if you post your link early, make sure you come back and check out the other blogs) 



3) Let the person you followed know that you are following their blog 



4) (Optional...sort of): Tweet about the blog hop! (Use hashtag #WWBH and #WW when you do!) - Thank you to all of you who have featured this hop on your site!! I really appreciate it! 



And all you do is link up below! You can link up your writing site, your blog, your twitter account, or your facebook page. We're flexible, and I know my other awesome hoppers are too. We're a cool bunch. 

Writing on Wednesday and a New Instant Camera

Welcome to all of the Wednesday writers. I am sure you will find creative and informative blogs along the way. I also thought I would toss in a photo here of the latest gadget I am craving. Remember the old Polaroid Cameras? Well, this little camera prints photos right out of the top.  The images are only about 2x3, but it might come in handy for a party or for quick little photos. I saw it over on 30 Days of List and can't wait to try it out.  I will post a review during March and the 30 Days of Lists marathon.

Coming up Friday will be Part 3 in the Character series: Creating Dimensional Characters and don't forget to check out Part 2 which was centered around  A Nun's Story.

Just like last week, today we have three hosts for the blog hop today, so that means more the awesome-ness for you bloggers out there. And we have Bugs Bunny (my favorite!) hopping with us again today... 




Animations provided by MySpaceAnimations.com
And make sure you grab a button (yay, finally HTML code for it!)
Writer Wednesday Blog Hop Button!
 

 
Click and copy this code 
 
<p align="center"><a href="http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Wednesday%20Blog%20Hop" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyBDjKEcQSydgj2SguQpKMCOT2bQfqJZmgcJGyZRWfU_ajxoqrUvtcecIkkzry4GklxN7C5oPCJLe1NodwPaSi48bziB5n_f-0xM61cKs2JUP1MEdPUPniKoFboAPrgyaHgBbeHsEQrg/s1600/WWBH+badge.bmp" width="200" height="178" /></a>
 </p>
>
Here's the rules! 



1) Follow your blog hosts: World of My Imagination , A Writer Weaves a Tale..., and A Writer's Muses 



2) Follow at least three other blogs (if you post your link early, make sure you come back and check out the other blogs) 



3) Let the person you followed know that you are following their blog 



4) (Optional...sort of): Tweet about the blog hop! (Use hashtag #WWBH and #WW when you do!) - Thank you to all of you who have featured this hop on your site!! I really appreciate it! 



And all you do is link up below! You can link up your writing site, your blog, your twitter account, or your facebook page. We're flexible, and I know my other awesome hoppers are too. We're a cool bunch. 

Part 3 Building Characters: A Nun's Story

I have seen A Nun’s Story several times but have never paid close attention to the characters and plot from a writer’s point of view.  I will admit, that I have not read the book by the same title published in 1954 by the author Kathryn Hume.  In my research for this post, I learned that due to matters regarding the estate of the author and of Marie Louise Habets, (whom the story is based upon) it is no longer being published. I do intend to try to find a used copy of the book and movie to add to my collections.

In this post however, I will be discussing the movie and there will be spoilers for those who have not seen it. Audrey Hepburn was iconic in this role and earned an Academy nomination for her stunning performance. The characterization of Gabrielle Van Der Mal, who became Sister Luke  is what prompted me to discuss this today in the second part of February’s Character series.

Gabrielle is the daughter of a noted surgeon of prewar Belgium and she is clearly blessed with medical talent. She also has a very strong belief in God and wishes to serve him with her medical abilities. As a nun however, her devotion to God and obedience to the rules of convent life must come first. All personal desires must be cast aside.  Though Sister Luke is a devoted nun, she constantly has to serve penance for infractions such as talking after 5 bells (the quite time). She does not mindlessly chatter but counsels other sisters or patients who may be in a moment of despair. 

This in turn causes her to experience considerable inner conflict.  She is torn by her determination to serve God obediently as a nun and to help heal humanity as a nurse.

At one point, a nun of lesser scholarly talents is experiencing dislike of Sister Luke, though Sister Luke has offered to assist her with her studies.( Sounds to me like the other sister was the one with the problem, just my opinion)  This shows external conflict. Her mother superior encourages her to try to FAIL her examinations in order to prove to this other sister she has extinguished her prideful nature. The scene of Sister Luke sitting in from the examiners for this oral examination is tremendous.  One professor who is a friend of her father’s, makes the statement that he is to call her father the minute she finishes the exam to tell him the results. Sister Luke is literally sweating and almost in tears as she fights the desire to answer the questions to the best of her knowledge.

All Sister Luke wants to do is to go to the Belgium Congo and help native people medically and spiritually. She ends up 4^th in a class of 80 (not all at the medical school were nuns). The top three nuns are assigned to the Congo, including the one that disliked Sister Luke, who is in turn assigned to a mental hospital.  More conflict ensues as she has to treat people with mental illnesses as opposed to the medical diseases, in which she has better training.  There is a brief reprieve for her as she does go to the Congo, but is once again disappointed when she learns she will not be working with the native peoples.  She makes small, but effective changes in some of the procedures and though the native people appreciate her success, she is rebuked by a mother superior for not following convent procedures. 

The escalation of character conflict is resolved in the denouement. Her father is killed while helping members of the Belgium resistance.  Sister Luke finds it impossible to remain neutral, as the nuns have been ordered, and not feel anger towards the German invaders.  She makes the life altering decision to leave the convent to continue nursing without the strict rigid rules placed upon her actions. She wants to continue to nurse and be of aid to humanity, but leaves with a beaten spirit, feeling that she has faltered in her devotion to God. This character is on a mental, physical, psychological and theological roller coaster from the beginning of the movie.

Marie Louise Habets, on whom the book was based, did go on to serve as a nurse for the resistance and to work with refugees and other organizations. She continued to be a supporter of other Nuns and held them in high regard throughout her lifetime.  Many years later, Audrey Hepburn was injured on a movie set and Marie Louise Habets, became her private nurse during the illness.

As I watched this movie, I thought about the conflicts this character faced and how I could use this as a learning experience in my writing. Though I do not list all of the plot points here, a definite pattern is seen. This type of pattern can be applied to characters in other situations. Think of your favorite characters from your own stories or those of others and see the pattern of conflict which they must face. Sister Luke faced some of the following: 

1.  Her conviction that she want to serve God as a Nun and help humanity.

2.  Her almost natural talent of medical ability.

3.  The pressures she confronts of giving up her past and any feeling of self and conforming to    the rigid convent rules.

4.  She is faces a humiliating task of feeling forced to fail at something she knows she can easily pass for the sake of showing humility and knowing her father will be disappointed in her grade as well as feeling she is almost lying to do so.

5.  At one point, she works with an attractive, single though staunchly atheist doctor, which provides conflict as the rules bar her from even speaking to him. Though it is not romantic, a mutual respect forms, which of course is against the rules and once again she must confess and serve penance.

6.  She often faces acts of trying to heal and assist others and by doing this she finds herself disobeying rules and having to do penance.

7.  The act of having to do the penance causes her disappointment in herself. She sees that she is not a true servant of God. This forms a never-ending cycle of conflict.

8.  Finally, to break that cycle she realizes she can continue to love God and serve him in other ways but ultimately not as an obedient nun. 

For Part 1 of this series click here!

Watch for Part 3 of this series: Dimensions of Character Development

I have seen A Nun’s Story several times but have never paid close attention to the characters and plot from a writer’s point of view.  I will admit, that I have not read the book by the same title published in 1954 by the author Kathryn Hume.  In my research for this post, I learned that due to matters regarding the estate of the author and of Marie Louise Habets, (whom the story is based upon) it is no longer being published. I do intend to try to find a used copy of the book and movie to add to my collections.

In this post however, I will be discussing the movie and there will be spoilers for those who have not seen it. Audrey Hepburn was iconic in this role and earned an Academy nomination for her stunning performance. The characterization of Gabrielle Van Der Mal, who became Sister Luke  is what prompted me to discuss this today in the second part of February’s Character series.

Gabrielle is the daughter of a noted surgeon of prewar Belgium and she is clearly blessed with medical talent. She also has a very strong belief in God and wishes to serve him with her medical abilities. As a nun however, her devotion to God and obedience to the rules of convent life must come first. All personal desires must be cast aside.  Though Sister Luke is a devoted nun, she constantly has to serve penance for infractions such as talking after 5 bells (the quite time). She does not mindlessly chatter but counsels other sisters or patients who may be in a moment of despair. 

This in turn causes her to experience considerable inner conflict.  She is torn by her determination to serve God obediently as a nun and to help heal humanity as a nurse.

At one point, a nun of lesser scholarly talents is experiencing dislike of Sister Luke, though Sister Luke has offered to assist her with her studies.( Sounds to me like the other sister was the one with the problem, just my opinion)  This shows external conflict. Her mother superior encourages her to try to FAIL her examinations in order to prove to this other sister she has extinguished her prideful nature. The scene of Sister Luke sitting in from the examiners for this oral examination is tremendous.  One professor who is a friend of her father’s, makes the statement that he is to call her father the minute she finishes the exam to tell him the results. Sister Luke is literally sweating and almost in tears as she fights the desire to answer the questions to the best of her knowledge.

All Sister Luke wants to do is to go to the Belgium Congo and help native people medically and spiritually. She ends up 4^th in a class of 80 (not all at the medical school were nuns). The top three nuns are assigned to the Congo, including the one that disliked Sister Luke, who is in turn assigned to a mental hospital.  More conflict ensues as she has to treat people with mental illnesses as opposed to the medical diseases, in which she has better training.  There is a brief reprieve for her as she does go to the Congo, but is once again disappointed when she learns she will not be working with the native peoples.  She makes small, but effective changes in some of the procedures and though the native people appreciate her success, she is rebuked by a mother superior for not following convent procedures. 

The escalation of character conflict is resolved in the denouement. Her father is killed while helping members of the Belgium resistance.  Sister Luke finds it impossible to remain neutral, as the nuns have been ordered, and not feel anger towards the German invaders.  She makes the life altering decision to leave the convent to continue nursing without the strict rigid rules placed upon her actions. She wants to continue to nurse and be of aid to humanity, but leaves with a beaten spirit, feeling that she has faltered in her devotion to God. This character is on a mental, physical, psychological and theological roller coaster from the beginning of the movie.

Marie Louise Habets, on whom the book was based, did go on to serve as a nurse for the resistance and to work with refugees and other organizations. She continued to be a supporter of other Nuns and held them in high regard throughout her lifetime.  Many years later, Audrey Hepburn was injured on a movie set and Marie Louise Habets, became her private nurse during the illness.

As I watched this movie, I thought about the conflicts this character faced and how I could use this as a learning experience in my writing. Though I do not list all of the plot points here, a definite pattern is seen. This type of pattern can be applied to characters in other situations. Think of your favorite characters from your own stories or those of others and see the pattern of conflict which they must face. Sister Luke faced some of the following: 

1.  Her conviction that she want to serve God as a Nun and help humanity.

2.  Her almost natural talent of medical ability.

3.  The pressures she confronts of giving up her past and any feeling of self and conforming to    the rigid convent rules.

4.  She is faces a humiliating task of feeling forced to fail at something she knows she can easily pass for the sake of showing humility and knowing her father will be disappointed in her grade as well as feeling she is almost lying to do so.

5.  At one point, she works with an attractive, single though staunchly atheist doctor, which provides conflict as the rules bar her from even speaking to him. Though it is not romantic, a mutual respect forms, which of course is against the rules and once again she must confess and serve penance.

6.  She often faces acts of trying to heal and assist others and by doing this she finds herself disobeying rules and having to do penance.

7.  The act of having to do the penance causes her disappointment in herself. She sees that she is not a true servant of God. This forms a never-ending cycle of conflict.

8.  Finally, to break that cycle she realizes she can continue to love God and serve him in other ways but ultimately not as an obedient nun. 

For Part 1 of this series click here!

Watch for Part 3 of this series: Dimensions of Character Development

11 questions and a Writers Platform Campaign

I was intrigued by the Writers Platform Building Campaign and after reading the information posted there, I immediately signed up. I was thrilled today to be tagged by Jennifer Fishetto in an eleven questions posts. The challenge is to answer eleven questions and in return ask eleven questions to eleven other bloggers.

Jennifer’s questions were:

1. What is the one thing you wish you knew how to do but don't? Fix the carburetor on my motorcycle.

2. If you could instantly know a foreign language (one you don't already know), which would it be?

This is a tough one as French and Italian sound so lovely to me but for practicality reasons, I think Russian would be beneficial.

3. What is your first birthday memory? Opening a lovely box sent to me in the mail. My first ever package and inside was a real Malibu Barbie.  My daughter played with her as a child and we still have her tucked away to this day.

4. If you could go back to age 21 (assuming you're legal, lol), knowing what you know now, would you?

I think there would be some sort of catch-22 to this scenario.  I fully believe there would be an irony; I would know exactly what I need to do in a situation but a karmic curveball would come out of left field. However, that could make for a very interesting story.

5. If you went to your prom, was it everything you hoped? And if you didn't, do you regret it? My senior prom was not fun for me at all.  I had been very ill most of that year and the effect did not leave me with a ravishing appearance. 

6. Would you rather: perfect health, complete wealth, or never aging?  All of these are very tempting but once again my practical and analytical nature prompts me to consider the pros and cons of each choice. The Picture of Dorian Grey immediately flashed into my mind as I considered never ageing and we all know what happened to him. If you don’t, I recommend the old movie with Hurd Hatfield and George Sanders. Complete wealth actually scares me. I have been blessed with improved health as I got older, (I am hoping that includes being lean and fit), so I will choose health.

7. What is your favorite TV show from childhood?

I grew up with 3 channels and we watched what my parents chose.  I was also to busy Doing Stuff to watch much tv, but I did enjoy the Little Rascal reruns which came on when I returned home from school.  I was allowed to watch Charlie’s Angels and Chips occasionally as well. The afterschool specials series were helpful with the messages they portrayed in pretty much making me believe I would never live to adulthood if I did some of those things.

8. Which is the best book you've read in the past year?

Madame Tussaud by:  Michelle Moran , is one of my favorites from last year but I have read  to many to list.

9. Which is your favorite book of all time? Again, this is a hard one. I have so many favorites that it would be hard to choose.  So, I’ll just choose the Complete Works of Anna Katherine Green.  She was the precursor to Agatha Christie.  Her books are public domain by the way, and available on Project Gutenberg.

10. Which kitchen appliance could you not live without (not including the basics, fridge, stove, and sink)?

The microwave is naturally my choice. I don’t think I actually need a stove at this point, except for my son to sit his dirty dishes on.

11. If you had to choose, would you rather use an outhouse or have no electricity, forever? This could all be solved with the use of a generator but since that was not an option, I guess the outhouse. I am used to rustic camping and I don’t live where there would be snow to battle to open the door.

Now here are my eleven questions:

1.            If you could live the life of any historical character or person from 1900 or earlier, who would that be?

2.            Why did you choose that person?

3.            What is the one thing in life you want to accomplish?

4.            What tv show do you wish would be remade or produced?

5.            What was the last book you read?

6.            What is your favorite old (black and white) movie?

7.            If you could invent one thing to benefit humanity, what would that be?

8.            If you could grant someone you know a wish right now, what would that be?

9.            What classroom memory do you have from elementary school?

10.          Describe your favorite fruit without naming it.

11.          Name a song that makes you feel happy whenever you hear it.

And I am tagging the following 11 bloggers:

1.  Lesann Berry 

2.  J.C. Martin

3.  Run, Gwen, Run

4.  Mary Howe at Creation and Compassion

5. Claire at The View From My Garrett

6. Mariekye at Six Impossible Things

7.  Jess at Write,Skate, Dream (Love the Skating Reference!)

8.  Jay at White Castles in the Sky

9. Michael Haynes at Writing Blog

10. Christy Farmer at Magnolias, Music and Mayhem

11. James Lackey

Welcome to Writer Wednesday Blog Hop!

This time we have things a little different...we have three hosts for the blog hop today, so that means more the awesome-ness for you writers out there. And we have Bugs Bunny (my favorite!) hopping with us today...

Animations provided by MySpaceAnimations.com

And make sure you grab a button (no html code for it yet, just save it as an image and you should be able to upload it to your blog that way).

Here's the rules!

1) Follow your blog hosts: World of My Imagination , A Writer Weaves a Tale..., and A Writer's Muses

2) Follow at least three other blogs (if you post your link early, make sure you come back and check out the other blogs)

3) Let the person you followed know that you are following their blog

4) (Optional...sort of): Tweet about the blog hop! (Use hashtag #WWBH and #WW when you do!) - Thank you to all of you who have featured this hop on your site!! I really appreciate it!

And all you do is link up below! You can link up your writing site, your blog, your twitter account, or your facebook page. We're flexible, and I know my other awesome hoppers are too. We're a cool bunch. 

Character Creation Part 1

     The most logical, but often times over looked step in creating a character is the knowledge of their biography. I read somewhere once that J.K. Rowling had boxes of notes regarding the Harry Potter books. I am sure she must have felt like Harry and others were  members of her family by the end of the series.

     Is your character right handed, do they have allergies, or do they have a secret phobia? There is not a perfect person in the world to my knowledge, so why would we want to read about perfect characters?  One of my first stories revolved around two sisters in their 40’s. They had no problems. No. Problems. Both had wonderful husbands, nice cars, careers they loved, children with no problems, and I loved them!

     I loved them for a very short while. They were far too perfect. Neither would be caught taking the trash out in a printed tshirt unless it was for a local college sports team with perfect makeup and hair. I do not know a soul like this.  I suppose I could have made that drive for perfection a flaw but frankly, perfection was too hard to write.  Once I dug into their biographies though, interesting details began to emerge and the story became much more interesting. I will just say it turned out one had a penchant for renaissance fairs and costumes, only she began to prefer to dress that way everyday. Some women do love a wimple. 

      My goal as a writer is to provide my readers with a world in which to escape, whether it is a small southern town in 1935 or with reluctant soldier in the civil war.   As a reader, my favorite books involve characters that invoke a sense of kinship, amazement or wonder.  Two characters that have stood out in my mind over the years are two southern sisters, Mary Alice and Patricia Ann written by the late Anne George.

      There are 8 books in this series and reading each one made me feel as if I was visiting the fun side of my family.  Though these are cozy mysteries, they have moments of humor and  Anne George had a masterful way of “showing" the reader the characters details.

This is a literal interpretation from a part of one scene.

       Patricia Ann has just removed cookies from the oven and is slightly smarting over Mary Alice’s  previous remark regarding the state of her hair. Mary Alice is eating a hot cookie and she happens to be wearing a garish tshirt with a pelican on it.

This interpretation does not interest me as a reader. The only emotion evoked is the stated emotion of “still smarting” .  

  This is the scene from the actual book:

I scooped up a hot cookie and handed it to her. Burn, baby,burn.

Mary Alice blew on the cookie. A couple of crumbs fell on her turquoise T-shirt, which declared “Tough Old Bird” and which had a pelican with a yellow beak peeking around the words. Given the expanse and jiggle of Mary Alice’s chest, that bird was having a rough flight. 

Anne George: Murder on a Girl's Night Out 

That one paragraph stands out in that chapter to me. I highly recommend these books to read if you love descriptive characters and laughing out loud! 

I am posting links to some sites that I have found helpful.  Mix and Match them and ask some of your own questions. People watching will also be helpful to add mannerisms and quirks in a descriptive manner.  Character worksheets are must for me. In 2011, I completed NaNoWriMo and had a character named Alma. Well, sometimes she was Alma and sometimes Anna. I had not done worksheet on her so you can only imagine how interesting she was, especially if I her creator could not remember her name!

Jenny Meyer Hoff: Character Worksheets Tara K. Harper's Writer's Workshop and different worksheet sets from The Writer's Craft. 

I also recommend the inspiring and insightful Characterization series written by Larry Brooks at Storyfix.com.

In the next post I will share with you some of the things I discover about the main character from my current WIP.  What is a trait o that emerged from one of your character's biographies?