L. M. Montes

Character Moments

Posted on June 4, 2025 by L. M. Montes

Creating book characters can be a lot of fun, but there is a process. How you wield that process is really up to you as the author. Many authors create a character bible consisting of everything from physical attributes to personality analysis. Some do this before writing that first chapter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always a good idea to know who your character is before you place them in your story. But you will not know everything about them when you start writing that first chapter.

There will be moments while you’re writing your story when ideas about your character will begin to germinate in your mind, thereby giving him/her more depth. That’s great! Go with that! Those are unplanned parts of the character’s personality. Now, that type of situation typically works out great. But there are times when that happens, and it can throw a monkey wrench into the situation. For example, years ago when I was in the middle of writing my first novel, I had one of my male characters do something out of character. And I’m talking WAY out of character. I sat there, stared at the screen, and said, “What do I do now? I like what I had him do?”

The easy way to fix this situation would have been to change his action and move on. The complex way to fix it was to go back to the beginning and change his whole character, moving forward to that point. So that is what I did. In the end I was happier with him, and the story was better off as a result.

Can you plan everything about your characters from the start? You can try, but be ready when that runaway moment comes that makes your story that much better.

Prompts

Favorite Book

Posted on June 4, 2025July 31, 2025 by L. M. Montes

I didn’t have one favorite book. Instead, there were two series of books I loved. One was the Dr. Seuss books and the other was the Dandelion Library Series. I remember when they came via UPS. My mom opened the box, and it was like seeing a chest full of gold treasure. Oh such great memories. Later I graduated to the Nancy Drew Series. From there I read the Agatha Christie books.

Prompts

A Fear I Overcame

Posted on June 2, 2025 by L. M. Montes

When I was in the Navy Reserves, I took a course called Firefighting and Damage Control at the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island. If any of you have been there, you know where I am talking about. The course was two weeks long with the first week covering firefighting and the second week covering damage control. The first week consisted of a lot of classroom instruction (Monday – Thursday), then Friday was hands on. Now keep in mind I was a novice at this. I had seen firefighting on TV shows, but I was never part of the act in real life. Until that course. Yes, I was nervous, fearful, and Oh My Gosh all wrapped into one emotion. The key is not letting that show.

The hands on consisted of various scenarios. In each scenario we had to put out a fire in a different type of environment as it pertained to Naval situations. For some scenarios we worked with a partner, and for others we were put into teams of six. My fear at that time was claustrophobia. Let’s just say it isn’t my fear anymore.

Let me explain. This school had a small Navy ship built into the pavement for training purposes. The galley (kitchen) was below the surface. The stairwell to get to it was painted black. The fire (Yes, there really was one, albite it being controlled) was in the kitchen. My team of six headed down the stairs (keep in mind that if we didn’t do any of these scenarios, we didn’t pass the course). I was in the middle of the line of sailors heading down the stairs. We got halfway down. It grew darker. The walls closed in. I froze, slapped my hands on the walls on either side of the stairwell, turned and ran back up the steps. When I reached the top, my instructor asked, “What’s the problem?” To which I replied, “Claustrophobia.” He told me to relax and breath. He didn’t force me to go down. After all, I did have a choice. But I needed to pass that course. That fact kept slapping me in my head more than anything. So I said, “I have to do this. I’m going down.” And I did. I trotted down the stairs, met my team mates who where fighting the kitchen fire, took hold of the hose and did what I was supposed to do.

I know I made this sound like the decision was easy at the end when I decided to finish the scenario. But, trust me, it wasn’t. The fear of failing won out in the end. We put the fire out and passed.

Prompts

Jobs I’ve Had

Posted on May 29, 2025 by L. M. Montes

Jobs I’ve had in the past were in retail of a couple types. One was working with clothing and such. J C Penny and Fashion Bug were the two stores I worked at back in the 1990’s. Then, from 2017 to 2020 I worked at The Home Depot. But those were positions I considered jobs. At one time I was high school English teacher. Now, that was my career. But was that my calling or what I was meant to do? No. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed teaching. But writing is where my heart is. Intrinsically I get great joy in creating stories, and when I complete one of my books there is a huge sense of accomplishment. I have the Holy Spirit to thank for that, because he helps me every step of the way. Without God I can do nothing on my own and have it turn out well.

The jobs and careers I’ve had, and the one I still have (writing) are great tools to look back on and learn from. Such tools include working with people, working with merchandise, following rules, learning from mistakes made, and going that extra mile when the energy is not there. So much is gained from all of it. Do I have regrets? Yes. Do I regret experiencing those regrets? No. Learning from them and thinking about what I could have done or said better or differently is where those experiences are at and where they’ve taken me.

Poetry

Next to Never by L. M. Montes

Posted on May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 by L. M. Montes

Standing on the sidelines,
watching life go by,
feet get stuck in a mire’s muck,
when I never give a try.

Prompts

Practicing Religion (Daily Prompt)

Posted on May 28, 2025 by L. M. Montes

I practice the worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prompts

Life Before the Internet

Posted on May 27, 2025May 27, 2025 by L. M. Montes

Daily writing prompt

Do you remember life before the internet?

View all responses

I remember life before the internet very clearly. There was lack of communication with the rest of the world like we know it now, but that was commonplace. It wasn’t an issue. People resorted to snail mail and landline telephone calls. Lack of information as we know now was also the norm. We didn’t see it as OMG how will we conduct our research? Everyone knew to go to real-time encyclopedias and the library. Life felt normal.

But life with the internet also feels normal. It’s a newer way to gather information, be better informed, and communicate. But, with the internet, sifting through information regarding whether it’s true or not has become a problem. Scammers also use the internet to accomplish their heinous goals, whereas before the internet it was much harder for them to do that.

All in all, I like the internet. But I think it is important to keep one’s head up and use it wisely.

Prompts

Being Good At

Posted on May 26, 2025 by L. M. Montes

What are you good at?

One of the things I am good at is organizing, when I put my mind to it and am in the mood. Lol, just being honest. That’s not to say I am messy. But there comes a time when you look at your work area and say, “Oh, hell no!”

Prompts

Having It All

Posted on May 25, 2025 by L. M. Montes

What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?

To me ‘Having It May’ means having a life in Christ Jesus. Without Him life is empty because there is no forgiveness of my sins. Who would I confess them to? He died for us, thereby removing the sins of all who believe. My life is full. With Jesus I am rich in spiritual wealth. I don’t need money and things to be considered as ‘having it all’.