WRITE TIME AND AGAIN

Muddied Knowledge by L. M. Montes

Posted on May 12, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Muddied knowledge of things to be
invades the psyche of you and me,
an understanding we uphold,
but is it truth, or ramblings so bold.

It’s said that ignorance is bliss
but then our growth to new is missed,
stagnate we will stay,
and learn the truth another day.

Fiction

Obstacles

Posted on May 12, 2022May 11, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Years ago my then husband and I traveled from Michigan to Georgia to visit a friend. On our way down we stopped at Rock City Gardens, Georgia because we had heard about lookout where you could view Seven States at once. Once there, in order to get to the lookout, we had to walk through some beautiful gardens on our way up. Our last obstacle standing in our way was a rope bridge we had to cross in order to get to the lookout on the other side.

Yes, sometimes there are obstacles in our way when we want something. Some are small and some are heart stopping to the point where you don’t know if you can overcome that obstacle. Let me tell…..you can. It might take someone else’s help to get you through it or over it, but you will.

Poetry

Days Past by L. M. Montes

Posted on May 11, 2022March 8, 2023 by L. M. Montes

A day is but a speck
one holds and blows away
with one breath
then on to another, come what may.

The past is but a shadow
following all with lingering breath
and hard to catch
to try and change, what is next?

Characterization

Likeable Characters

Posted on May 10, 2022 by L. M. Montes

Have you ever finished reading a book of fiction and were disappointed it ended? And was part of that disappointment because you were going to miss the characters? You actually liked the characters so much you didn’t want the story to end. You enjoyed your time with them. Why do you think you liked them so much?

The answer is very simple. The author did a fantastic job creating them. But how were they able to be that effective in their creation? It lies in the attention to detail. It goes beyond physical appearance. Go deep within your characters, their minds: how they think, feel, react to certain things, mannerisms. Study other people around you and make notes in a journal. What do you like and dislike about them? Make a list of habits and choose some for your character to have.

Also, consistency is a huge key to creating believable characters. Don’t have them be unafraid of spiders in one chapter and afraid of them in the next. Don’t give them one habit in the first part of the book and it not be their habit in another part of the book. That will only serve to frustrate the reader, and they’ll put the book/story down.

You won’t know if your readers will like your characters or not, but if you do your job and pay attention to detail, the chances of them having such an impact on the reader will go up.

Writing

The Fruit out of Reach

Posted on May 9, 2022 by L. M. Montes

There are days I hesitate to sit down to write because I feel apprehensive as to whether or not I will have the words to continue the chapter I am working on. It’s as though I’m standing in front of a fruit tree staring up at the perfect piece of fruit. If only I could access it. But, how to do that? Ah-ha! a ladder you say? What if there is no ladder? Then what?

So, I sit down to write anyway. The screen is staring back at me. Ideas are filling my brain, but which option do I choose? Should I have my character do this? Or that? Maybe another option would be better. The perfect scene is there. I just can’t access it because the way to go about reaching it isn’t available. So I start to wonder if I will ever think of what to do.

Then I wonder if I’m thinking to much about it. Maybe the idea will present itself if I stop trying so hard. So I start writing something…anything…and see what happens. Tip, tip, tip…my fingers fly over the key board. All at once, the ideas flow. A wind picks up and the fruit starts falling from the tree on its own. And that perfect piece of fruit that I wasn’t able to reach before? Well, it just landed in my hands. The direction of where I wanted my chapter to go just presented itself on its own. Yes!!!

Seriously though, I have days like that. There are also some days my mind doesn’t want to write anything. That’s ok. It’s your minds way of prompting you to do something else so it can come up with creative story ideas while you rest it. Remember the movie,
Field of Dreams? Kevin Costner’s character was told to build the field and they would come. So, give your mind a rest and the imagination will stir.