Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, guys! This weekend starts Daylight Saving Time, which always seems like a cheat because even though the days are getting longer (major yay), I always hate losing that hour. (Let’s be honest, it’s always an hour I would have spent sleeping.) That means we have to soak up every moment of weekend we can, so let’s kick things off with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer.

ReadingRising Strong by Brené Brown
Love “the story I’m making up” as a way to process emotional reactions.

Writing: “They tell me I’m better now. I don’t know what I was before.”
From my latest short story, now up at the Hanging Garden.

Quote of the Day

Shonda Rhimes

(ABC/Image Group LA) SHONDA RHIMES

“I don’t even know who a character is until I’ve seen how they handle adversity.”
Shonda Rhimes

I’m reading Rising Strong by Brené Brown right now, and she includes this quote from an interview she had with writer/producer Shonda Rhimes. Brown uses this quote to talk about how we all deal with adversity and how it can demonstrate who we are, but I think this is also a great quote for writers to keep in mind. We don’t know a character until we see them face a major challenge–and this is when the story has to start. It’s gotta be on the day when everything changes for them, when they face the biggest challenge of their lives. Otherwise, how do we really know them?

When do you feel like you really know your characters? Share in the comments!