Another thought on Oprah, then on to rain and writing

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

for His compassions never fail. - Lam 3:22

I posted a few days ago about Oprah's Legend's Luncheon. I deleted it because a commenter felt it disrepectful to those who'd really overcome hardships like Lena Horne or Cecily Tyson. My intent was to never, ever belittle or be disrepsectful to those who overcome social and personal difficulties to achieve their dream. I don't mean to gloss over those who rise above. I, too, applaud them. But never mind, I don't want to rehash. :)

Rain, rain, go away...

but come again tomorrow. It's been raining most of the week. But we need it. So...

I've been writing...

and restarting. I'm always this way with the beginning of a story. I write the first five or six pages several times. I have to get the jump of the story. Originally, I started at the beginning of the hero/heroines relationship, but figured out real quick I'd never get to the end of the tale before the end of the story. In all of the "Get Me To The Church On Time" stories, we have to go through to the wedding because that's the hook: will the wedding take place? So pretty much, our characters have to be engaged or becoming engaged at the start of the story.

I have to think a lot about...

the characters before I can get them down on paper. Writing helps me do that, but they sound surfacy and fake at first. Then I get to know them, and understand them and can write about their lives with some level of heart.

But let me say this...

I tell my characters what to say, how to act and what to do. They don't surprise me. I surprise myself, maybe even the characters, but I don't let them take the story where I don't want it to go. I am the writer, they are the clay.

Tony is coming home tomorrow...

and it will be really good to see him. I miss him. My best friend. He's pretty tired from camp, and tomorrow night we have Fire Dweller.

I got a call last night...

from my sister-in-laws sister, Taren, which makes her family, right? Right! Tony and I see her almost every week at Publix. Anyway,her mother-in-law died and she asked me to sing Amazing Grace at the funeral. I called Eric, my sweet son, and asked him to play guitar for me. So, we are doing that Friday at 2:00. Pray for me. I don't want to be nervous. Being a little nervous before speaking is one thing, you can always steady your voice. But singing is very different. You can start out off key, off pitch, off rhythm.

Well, better get to work...

Eric is coming over to practice tonight. And I have some romancing to write! I'm still reading Nicholas Sparks book, The Wedding, and it's in first person and really messing me up! I want to write the novella in first person. I love that voice.