· Braiding · Braiding means weaving information into the story, especially characters, like a hairdresser weaving strands of hair into one strong braid. In my novel, Taking Back the Bullet, I focus on three main characters and their families. Out of thirty-four chapters in the book, I use the first nine chapters introducing the fictional characters. The first two chapters are set in Prairie Grove, Kansas, where the reader meets jailer Tom Jennings and artist Jesse Thomas. In the … [Read more...] about Mix Things Up
literature
Seeds to Sow
· Questions to Ask · Recently, in a Hutchinson News article, there was a story about a long-time bar being forced to close due to dwindling customer support. The owner was sharing a lot of memories with the reporter, but there was one that I knew immediately would fit into many a novel, maybe one of mine. Surprise! It's not a drunken fight scene. The owner recalled how when she and all her female employees took the night off to attend an event, they left a few male employees in charge at … [Read more...] about Seeds to Sow