Monthly Archives: April 2015

World building

World building can be a lot of fun. After all, you are the master and commander of your entire world. You decide what the people are like, who they worship, what kinds of trials they will face. But it can also be difficult, frustrating, and time consuming. If  you spend all your time deciding every little detail on how your world operates, when will you actually write the story?

It can be a tricky line to walk – world building just enough to know what kind of place your character lives in but not overdoing each detail so you never get to writing.

My current project I got stuck in thinking I had to answer all the questions. It can be overwhelming when you think about it – finding all the answers to every question about how a world operates and exists. I wanted to start the story, but I didn’t have enough detail on the world. So I ended up “interviewing” two of my main characters. Once I had that, I was able to build a kind of history, or backstory, to my world and know enough to get started.

Am I missing something somewhere? Probably, but at least now my characters will find it along with me. That’s the fun part of writing.   🙂

Welcome Spring

As I sit here on this pretty Sunday morning I see Spring has well and truly sprung.

The blossoms on the pear trees have fallen and the tree is fully leafed out.  The dogwoods are in full bloom and my azaleas are about to pop.

The breezes have softened and the damp earth smells like new beginnings.

This is the perfect time to start a new project.  Looking out my windows and seeing all the blossoms and green where a few weeks ago it was all brown and forlorn.  For once the blank page beckons and encourages instead of worries.  It calls out to be written, to fill the page with bursts of colorful characters and sounds and scents of conflict and resolution.

Bring on spring