Posted in authors, blogging, books, bucket list, cats, cruise, Family, food, history, Jansen Schmidt, reading, travel, vacation, weather, writers, writing, tagged 6-toed cats, American Civil War, Civil War, Civil War monuments, Clinton Square, Ernest Hemingway, Fort Zachary Taylor, Hemingway cats, Key West, Key West Florida, Little White House, monuments, thunderstorms, US Presidents on March 14, 2022| 8 Comments »
Have you ever visited somewhere and wished you could stay a bit longer because there was so much more to see and do than you realized? I have. Quite often in fact. One of those places is Key West, Florida. I had the privilege of visiting there several years ago and found it fascinating, especially the history. We arrived by cruise ship and spent the day on foot exploring as much of the island as our time allowed.
(more…)Posted in authors, blogging, dogs, driving, Family, Fiction, friends, Jansen Schmidt, writing, tagged front porch, lightning, lightning strike, rain, rain storm, raindrops, rainy day, storms, thunder, thunder and lightning, thunderstorms, torrential rain on February 22, 2016| 10 Comments »
Does anybody remember that Eddie Rabbitt song? As I compose this post I’m listening to the pitter patter of raindrops on my front porch. Well, actually, it’s more like a torrential downpour, but pitter patter of raindrops is so much more poetic.
I’m usually not a fan of rain, but I realize that it’s a necessary part of life. I’m especially fond of rain when it blows in in the dead of night and by morning has moved on. The world is sparkling with raindrops and everything is fresh and new under the sun’s warmth. That’s when I really like rain.
But days like today don’t bother me so much. Yeah, it’s raining, but I’m inside where it’s dry and warm so let it rain.
However, I am not a fan of thunder and lightning – by day or by night. I see a lot of cool pictures of lighting doing its thing in a cloud-drenched sky and I think, “wow.” But to witness it first-hand, noooottt so much. Especially if I’m driving. I have a tendency to close my eyes when lightning flashes. Not good if you’re behind the wheel.
And my poor dog shivers something awful when thunder shakes the house. Yeah, he’s a wimp. I feel bad for him when he cowers at my feet shivering like a dead leaf on a tree branch. He won’t even be coaxed into having a treat during those times of terror. Poor, poor, dog. (What can I say? He’s my fur baby and I love him.)
How about your readers? Do you love a rainy night? Do you like thunder storms? Do you have a fraidy-cat pet? Inquiring minds want to know.
Word of the Day: Abaca
Fun fact about me: Unless I’m swimming or showering, I don’t like to be wet.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, February 2016. Photos courtesy Google Images.
Posted in authors, blogging, Fiction, Free book, friends, humor, Jansen Schmidt, Jenny Hansen, resolutions, short story, Uncategorized, words, writers, writing, tagged burnt satellite receiver, characters, CJ Box, guns, kill, killing, lightning, rain, satellite received, thunder, thunderstorms on March 10, 2014| 41 Comments »
Recently Northern California has received some much needed rain. Along with the rain came some pretty serious thunder and lightning. I’m not a huge fan of these kinds of storms, lightning in particular.
Photo courtesy Google Images
One night last week, as thunder rumbled closer and closer, lightning decided to zap us with a thrilling zing of electricity. Our satellite receiver was fried, but fortunately the tv was spared. We did lose a lot of recorded tv shows and movies, much to our dismay.
During the brief – and quiet – period of time between satellite receivers, the hubs and I spent a lot of time reading. A couple of nights ago, he finished a new book by one of his favorite authors and upon completion, he snapped the book shut and said, “I can’t believe it. He killed him off!”
Photo courtesy Google Images
Being a writer, this comes as no surprise to me, so I respond with a casual, “Well, sometimes you have to do that.”
“No you don’t,” replied my husband. “He was a main character. Now the series is over. I liked Cody.”
I looked up from my book with a shrug. “Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice for the greater good.”
I went on to explain that sometimes in an author’s made up world, if a character has already served his or her purpose you have to get rid of them somehow. You can’t just stop writing about them; readers will wonder where they’ve wandered off to.
He frowned then said, “You don’t kill off your characters.”
‘Yes, I do,” I said. “You just don’t know because you don’t read my stories.”
He stomped off in a huff to find another book to read.
Photo courtesy Google Images
As fiction authors we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. Sometimes our characters just don’t talk to us, or sometimes they go a different direction that we see them going. It happens. And if a character is screaming to be killed, well, as a good and proper author, we must make it happen. It’s our way of saving the world one story at a time.
So how about you – do you kill off your characters? Do you hate it when your favorite author takes an unexpected turn with their characters? Inquiring minds, and my husband, want to know.
Oh, and if for some unexpected, yet delightfully surprising reason CJ Box happens to read this post, please stop killing your characters. It makes my husband really grumpy.
Word of the day: Cozenage
Fun fact about me: I just learned (thanks to Jenny Hansen) that I am neither predominately left or right handed. I have what is known as mixed-handedness. Check out Jenny’s post here: http://jennyhansenauthor.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/lefty-or-righty-are-you-the-hand-you-think-you-are/
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, March 2014. Photos courtesy Google Images.
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