Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance

This weekend I felt like I was 20 years old again. My wife and I went out for a night of dinner and dancing. We got a babysitter so that we could go out. Yes!

It was amazing. I realized over the last decade or so that I have been holding back. Do you know what I'm talking about? Before we had children, my wife and I used to know how to have fun. We were party animals. Then.... we were domesticated, so to speak. On Saturday, I didn't think of myself as a father. I thought of myself only as a man on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world.

She is by the way.

And the most amazing thing happened. We forgot about being a dad or a mom. We forgot about all that responsibility. We just had fun. We let loose. And it was awesome!!!! As a writer, this was a wonderful experience. 

The more you experience, the more you can write about with authority. This weekend I experienced firsthand how a character can change. This is important if you want your protagonist to evolve through the story. 


So... my advice is to live! Pay attention. And if you're in a rut in life, be brave enough to make a change. It will help your writing.

Time to Write? What Resources Do You Have Within Arm's Reach?

I'm excited because I have cleared my schedule so that I have three hours of dedicated writing time today. I will sit at my desk with my Do-not-bug-me-I'm-writing earphones on.
Other items I'll have on hand:

• Fresh pot of coffee
• Post-It notes, highlighter, black and red pens
• Strunk & White's The Elements of Style
• Edith Hamilton's Mythology
• Two books on characters (Building Believable Characters & 45 Master Characters)
• My research books (Fallen Angels...and Spirits of the Dark & Angels A to Z)
• And... Stephen King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes which my mother gave me for inspiration.

I'm excited! Did I say that already? Maybe... Yes, I did. What resources to you have at arm's length when you sit down to write? Do you have a special routine? Share in the comments section.

Scripts! Scripts!

Eight days behind in the month-long scriptwriting competition. Lots of work to do. That's OK. I have a solid group of characters to work with.

Just gotta let 'em loose this weekend.

More to come. Class time is creeping up on me.