LATE START TODAY

I hate late starts, but today couldn't be helped. Today was blood work day, I hate it because I have such bad veins. My husband has the easiest time getting blood work. His veins pop up, and they make one stick and get so much blood. Mine are a different story. I've had seven sticks and no blood.

Thankfully that was not the story today. Just two sticks and the second was a good one. The first stick clotted before the blood got int he vial. Not good. The second stick ran a little faster. At least it didn't clot before it went into the vial. We go to church with the lady who did the second stick. She said real serious, "I'm going to put you to sleep." That's the only way they can get a good vein before surgery. So I thought she may do that. I drove myself, so I was scared she would. Now, I'll have to watch her dry humor. 

Do you find reading a book with less conversation and more telling is harder to read? I finished one recently, and it took me a long time to read. It had a lot of telling and very little conversation. Now I'm in another one by a good author with a father who is an agent, and it's the same way. I've been told by judges that I do a good job with conversations and I should stick with more of them. I love doing conversations because I fell I can bring more action into a story. 

When my characters are nervous, I have certain actions they do all the time. Callie, in the book coming out soon, rolls the hem of her apron up and down. Jacob, her intended, walks around and talks. That is their means of release of tension. 

One sign of nervousness my husband has is playing with the keys and money in his pockets. The first time I noticed it, he was preaching and I wanted to run to the pulpit and pull the money and keys out of his pockets. He leaves his keys on the seat before he goes to the front now. He doesn't preach anymore, but he does teach the adult class some. It irritates me and makes me nervous. I wring my hands.

For boredom, let the women look around the room, tidy their hair, and smile. The men can twirl their thumbs around, crease their pants with their thumb and forefinger, and tidy their hair. Both can brush imaginary lint from their clothes.There are so many things to do to make the story believable and the characters look like real people and not paper dolls

Have fun with your characters and treat them like real people. For a few minutes they are in your mind..