OK, I’ve been working on a novel for some time.  My own.

It is hard to devote a lot of time and energy to it, because I have been hired to write it.  Grin. 

However, it is a story that needs to be written, a daring sci-fi adventure that has been with me for over a decade.

I started it many years ago, when I was a less experienced writer.  That’s part of the problem.  I need to completely rewrite it now – start from scratch.

My heroine, Scarlen, is a beautiful cadet from a far away planet.  She has the pick of assignments and chooses an exploration mission, one that lands her on a remote planet, Earth.  It takes her away from her love, an executive of the planet’s highest council. 

She is brilliant, but naive and falls prey to a terrorist plot.  Marooned on a strange planet without her memory, she must solve the clues which could lead her home. 

I think this may be the year I tackle this project and bring Scarlen home. 

There were a lot of really amazing six word short stories created by the contestants of our writing contest at Delphi Academy of Florida.  Our judge decided on these winners:

Colin Taufer, adult: Bride: “I do!” Groom: “I do?”

Nova Steward (age 13): Baby. Child. Teen. Adult. Elder. Death.

And the overall winner, taking the age of the participant into account was:

Connor Steward (age 9): Kid meets father. First time ever.

There were many other excellent entries, ones I will feature in upcoming entries.  Overall the contest was fun and inspiring!

It is such a joy to write a novel when you really know your characters.  I find that when you have done all your research, they become friends, almost as if they are neighbors living across the street.

Have you ever tried simply setting up a scene and listening to your characters?

As a writer, I know I am on the right track when I put characters in a scene and they start "talking".  All I need to do is listen and type.  Sometimes they are too fast for me!

When it isn’t flowing like that, I know there is something not quite right about the scene, something that makes it unrealistic.  Sort of like if you put me in the middle of a baking contest or a quilting bee.  You’d find my conversation fairly non-existent.

Try it.  And let me know.  Set your friends at a dinner table and see what they say.  I can promise you, it is fun.