I asked my dear friend KC Burn to stop by this week before Christmas, completely forgetting that it would be Christmas. I’m so happy she could . With all the hustle and bustle of the season (no I haven’t wrapped my presents yet) I’m very happy she remembered me. Today she tackles that phrase I’m sure every writer has heard before “Write what you know.” Without further adieu I give you KC.

Hello – happy to be here at Chudney’s blog! Whether you’re writers or readers, it may interest you to know how much of themselves writers put into their work. You may have heard the refrain “write what you know”. It is often true, but it is frequently taken too literally.

Yes, there are a large number of books where the main character is an author. That is a classic example of “write what you know” while taking that advice very literally. But I’m pretty sure most Navy SEALS are too busy to sit around and pen romance novels, and there’d be very few serial killer books. I’m not sure there are *quite* as many around as one might think from the frequency they show up in books and on TV. Which means, in most cases, authors are writing things they don’t know.

I’m sure I’m not alone, though, in using “what I know” as one of the many ways I try to make my characters believable. One of these is neuroses. Now, as I write this on less than three hours of sleep, I start to wonder if my neuroses are some sort of symptom of my sleep deprivation!

I’m a big basket of crazy, but it actually helps me with characterization. I have a number of phobias, one of which is bad enough that I get a full fight or flight adrenaline rush. If I give a character a phobia, I’ll know darn well how they’ll react when confronted with the source of their fear. For me, neuroses are more like quirks of personality, rather than full-blown phobias. For instance, I don’t like people walking behind me. It makes me even more uncomfortable when that person is a woman wearing high-heeled shoes. That “click, click, click” makes me incredibly tense, and I have no idea why. I do know that I go out of my way to avoid those situations.

I don’t like to have the blinds open – ever — because I think people might be looking in. Okay, I know the “why”… sort of. I’ve never had an experience with a peeping tom, and logically… no one is looking in! But logic doesn’t play a big part.

While I may not give my characters the exact same neuroses I have, I can give them alternate quirks, I can envision how that would affect their daily lives. Even if it’s no more than a sentence or two in the finished work, tidbits like alphabetizing the canned goods, or organizing books by copyright date, can bring a character to life for a reader.

Thank you KC for coming by, and thank you for insight into a familiar piece of advice. One that can leave some of us scratching our heads. For those of you who are unfamiliar with KC’s work, she writes Male/Male romantic fiction. If you’re interested in her work, please visit either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

The brave may not live forever, but the cautious don’t live at all.

Image: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The only thing that was to be stressful for this week was supposed to be Turkey day Prep. Turns out my car had other ideas. Fortunately it decided that it would be best to die in the parking lot outside of work. Which led to my hubby and his friend standing around and staring into the bowels of the car while another friend of mine and my mother in law discovered that we were all members of the expired triple A club. 

So now we have the in-laws uber van. With all the bells and whistles while we find a car that suits us at the price that won’t make our wallets cry too much.

All in all Bessy had given us her all. She’d served the family faithfully for 13 years and we can’t really complain, but I’d have liked at least another year.  Any way have I mentioned how thankful for my in-laws. They rescued me last night and I seriously believe in staying positive so,

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My guest today, is a man I’ve only spoken to over the internet, via twitter and his blog. David Cranmer is the creator and editor, behind Beat to a Pulp.  A webzine featuring hard boiled short stories in a variety of genres that pack a punch.

I wanted to show another side of David not just the writer or the editor, but the man the one who refers to his small family as, the charmers. Without further ado, I give you David.

This is my favorite picture of my mom and me. It was taken several years ago at the family homestead where she’s lived for over forty years.

She could be called a stay-at-home mom, but she was much more than that to me. She was someone who listened to my troubles, congratulated me on every miniscule accomplishment, and gave me a love for reading, movies, and music. I remember watching with her many golden oldie films like KEY LARGO and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. She inadvertently taught me what makes a story tick every time she’d switch off the tube when a show was a waste of time. She handed me THE PRISONER OF ZENDA and Mark Twain books to read. From Sinatra to Springsteen, we would enjoy music together. What an influence!

What credit I may receive for my humble writings, or even the BEAT to a PULP webzine, well, she gets a humongous slice of the credit. She was always in my corner cheering me on.

The curtain to her final season is descending too quickly, and I intend to be there for her. I love you, Mom. Thanks.

Best,
David