Back Again!

I'm guest bloggging for amazing writer, dear friend and crit partner Ali Cross for her Narley Ninja Thursday. Hop over there to read about how I stay grounded in life and writing! Have a great Fall day.

Perfectly Flawed

I've realized the last while that I struggle with writing flawed male characters. I guess the reason may have something to do with my DH, who is a very easy-going guy. And while that is a fabulous combination for my high-strung personality, it doesn't translate well into fiction, where we want to see both the hero and heroine struggle. So I've been analyzing the male characters I've run across in books and movies and trying to determine what male character flaws I like best. 

One of my favorites, portrayed so well by the character Mr. Thornton in the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, is the hardened hero. The man who's past circumstances or rejections or both have made him a bit hard towards love, but over the course of the story, he softens toward love, toward the heroine (and in this movie that leads to one of the best kissing scenes ever!).

What are your favorite male character flaws (in books or movies)? What things are overdone? What would you like to see more of in fictional heroes?

For Love of the Game

I'm sort of known around our house - at least to my husband - as the game hater. As a kid and teenager, I dutifully played board games with friends and family (and even enjoyed it, for the most part). As an adult, though, I discovered I could actually say "no, thanks" when it came to games. I could opt out of playing and the world didn't careen out of control, nor did anyone hate me (I think). I still like to wield this particular tactic when it comes to strategy games - soooo not my favorite.

However, I am pleased to report that my anti-game phase is wearing off - a product of reluctantly joining in and then having a great time (the story of my life, for sure). While I still wouldn't choose playing a game over other activities like reading or watching a movie or going out to eat, I have rediscovered the fun of board games. My newest favorites are Apples to Apples, Telestrations, and the dice game Farkles.

What about you? Do you like playing board games? What are your favorites?

Growing Up

In the Redwoods National Forest, my husband and I saw some amazing trees. Coastal redwoods are the tallest living thing on earth - the tallest being more than 360 feet. They live about 500-700 years on average, and some even live to be 2,000 years old.

While I'm in awe of these tree giants, if I were a tree, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be a Redwood. I'm a let's just hurry up and grow a couple hundred feet in a week kind of girl, not a let's work and grow a little at a time for the next 1,000 years!

I want my book written and done by the weekend, I want to change for the better over night., I want to learn that new skill or concept in an hour. Slow, almost imperceptible growth is tough for me.

So I've decided instead of gazing up at the 100 feet or so of growth ahead of me, I'm going to pay more attention to how far I've come and trust the Master Gardener that inch by inch, year by year, I'll grow to His liking.

Do you find waiting easy? What have you done to learn patience? How do you look at your own growth?

Makes Me Smile!

1. Homemade loaves of wheat bread (courtesy of my husband)

2. Reading Little House in the Big Woods to my boys (they actually seem to enjoy it, while I'm reminded each time of why I love historicals)

3. Fixing my bike (I liked riding my bike pre-kids, so I'm excited to get back to doing it - now it's just figuring out when)

4. Seeing the word count go up even faster on my current manuscript now that I have a consistent time to write

5. Sunshine and nice breezes

6. Watching Phineas and Ferb with my kids (Every time I watch an episode, I can't help but either laugh or smile. One of my favorite lines is "Ferb and I wrote a twenty-eight volume science fiction swashbuckling historical romance tell-all potboiler mystery satire buddy cop adventure tragedy how-to action novel!")

What makes you smile lately? What do you do for exercise and how do you squeeze it in?