Shirley Temple Black dies at 85.

Shirley Temple Black died Monday night in her Northern California home. She was the most famous child actress in the United States during the depression era and her movies are still favorites to many. Her singing and dancing inspired me when I was growing up. Although I didn't turn into a dancer, she helped launch my music career.

Shirley Temple Black retired from Hollywood around age twenty and later she became a diplomat in the 1960's. She was known for her breast cancer advocacy after having a mastectomy. With her help, women were encouraged to not be afraid and speak up about women's health.

Ms. Black served as a diplomat to Czechoslovakia and Ghana during the cold war. She was considered to be an amazing diplomat who believed that women should have a voice in politics. She was married for 50 years and was a beloved mother and grandmother.

Do you have any memories of Shirley Temple? I remember watching her movies all through my life. They were uplifting and inspiring whenever I watched them. Although I grew up in Los Angeles, I never saw her in person. 

~Rest In Peace, Shirley Temple Black~

Ask questions to find your story.

 Do you remember those famous reporter's questions? Who, what, when, why and how? They are just as important when you begin framing your story. They are the building blocks of a good beginning and will carry throughout your entire story.

I'm taking it a little further with my next story, I'm going to put each component on a story board. That can be anything from a bulletin board that's separated into chapters, to your outline in a ring binder. I prefer the ring binder because of limited space. I can move ideas around, plus I use sticky notes to add other ideas to each component.

Along with the original questions, I like to add other questions about each component. Who was he? Why did I choose him? Will he be the best character for this story? What is his physical and psychological makeup? How does he best serve the other characters in the story? The list of questions is as endless as your imagination.

By building a story board or outline, I get a full sense of the story before writing a single word. It takes a little bit of work, but when I'm finished, I can write without distraction. (I should have done this on my last story that had me so stuck!)

Enjoy your writing!

Ever give up a good writing concept for fear that someone else has already done it?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

This is the monthly blog hop hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can get to the blog by clicking HERE. We meet on the first Wednesday of the month and exchange our fears, insecurities and anything else that will help each other grow as writers.

Recently I've been struggling with my latest novel, which is the third book in a trilogy. I've finally made some headway after realizing that I've lost the characters in the plot. It took a fellow blogger to point this out and I appreciated their honesty with me. By sharing their own mistakes with me, I've grown as a writer and have a fresh idea for my story.

It's important for fellow writers to continue to band together so we become a strong body of writers. I'm grateful for those of you who stop by and leave a comment on my blog. Even if it's just a hello, I am reminded that you are out there and I'm not alone.

I'm excited and ready to go work on my book, thanks to fellow writers in this community. Enjoy your own writing and remember to leave a comment if you are so inclined.

Question: Which is more important - character or plot?

What Are You Looking For?

My question today is: How have you given purpose to your writing? I'm not talking about a heady, philosophical discussion about your inner being, I'm talking about the drive behind your story. What makes it tick? How do you get your protagonist from point A to point B without muddying the water with extraneous details?

I have been pushing myself to finish a story that continues to baffle me. It still seems like I'm writing in a box and can't find the exit point. I took some time off from the story and finally laid it down for a few months. Now I'm trying to pick it up with fresh eyes. But even after all that, I'm still struggling. Perhaps now it's time to tear the manuscript up and do a complete overhaul on the story.

Has anyone of you had this kind of problem? I'm curious to know if this is just me tearing my hair out over this manuscript and no one has ever had to go through this before, or are we in this together? I feel that writers have a kinship with other writers and any insight would be helpful.

Do you have a writing schedule?

We've had some cold weather here in the Pacific Northwest. Sure, it's winter and expected, but after an unusually bad snow early in December we've been having freezing weather until the last few days. Of course, I'm not a weather reporter, just someone who looks out the window and watches the sky. I like to sit out on my front porch and think about my stories. I get a lot of inspiration out there.

But with freezing weather and a nasty head cold, I've  been staying inside and pacing in circles. When I'm not trying to write, I've been watching movies and reading ebooks that have been recommended to me. It seems the days go by fast, even when I'm trying to write. I've decided it's because I've gotten out of my normal habits of writing in the morning and doing the rest in the evening.

Having a writing schedule is important for me. It keeps me disciplined and helps my train of thought. Some writers don't seem to need a schedule and can write whenever they feel like sitting down. But I find the my stories are less scattered and more cohesive when I'm sitting down ready to work each day. Right now I'm having to do a re-write on the beginning of a story I started because I wasn't staying with the story each day. The chapters didn't weave together in a smooth story and I found I was losing the sparkle of the main idea. But after I began the re-write, it started to flow in an even pace.

What I need now is a little more cold weather to keep me inside working on my book and I'll have the story in tip top condition. Between that and a good writing schedule, I should be able to finish this book in just a few months. Do you have a schedule for your writing? How does it work for you?

Happy Birthday To All!

January is a birthday month for my family. Not only is it a celebration time for my brother and sister, but it's also my birthday on the 23rd. I'm turning 62 years old and want everyone to know that I'm still feeling as young inside as when I was first in college learning about the world.

This birthday has special meaning to me. It's a reminder that time passes by whether we acknowledge it or not. I'm hoping to spend it working on my stories and then having a small celebration with my children. But no matter how I celebrate, I want to remember that time is so precious to me. I didn't realize this until just recently. It goes by fast and can't be recovered.

In my life I've studied music, nursing, psychology and writing. I'm a mother of three and a grandmother. I've traveled to Europe and Japan with orchestras and had the opportunity to explore many of the southern United States. With all these experiences, I'm hoping to spend the next few years writing and using my life experiences to create new and more interesting stories.

I want everyone to share my celebration with me. Remember, you're only as old as you think you are, even if your body complains and reminds you of your age. Take advantage of the time you have and don't squander it.

Time is the coin of your life. Learn to spend it wisely.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group to have its monthly get-together. Posts are made the first Wednesday of the month (except for this month, because of the holiday). If you'd like to go to the IWSG blog to find other members, CLICK HERE.

I've had my own share of insecurities this past month. I'm wrestling with the last book in my Dragon Stone Trilogy and have found myself making revision after revision. The confidence I had when I started this trilogy seems to be dwindling and I find that I'm making excuses for not working on the story. Am I stuck? Is this what writer's block is all about? Somehow, I need to find the enthusiasm I had when I began the series. I know the story is inside me, screaming to get out.

I usually like my posts to be upbeat and full of introspection. But today I am unzipping the layers and letting you see inside. Many times, at the beginning of the year, I've made promises to myself. But this year, the only promise I'm making is to finish this book!

I hope your new year brings exciting things for you and many new friends. May your endeavors be fruitful and full of promise. See you next month!