A Novel Creation www.WatersWords.com

I’ve been told my stories are good but need a bit more edge to them. Edge? I think I write edgy stuff. For me. In Breathing on Her Own I had a mother of two have an accident while driving under the influence. In Libby’s Cuppa Joe I had a woman get pregnant out of wedlock. There’s a kidnapping in the Edge of Quiet . Rocks and Hard Places has a school shooting. And now, in my latest work, Courtesy Turn, my protagonist has a stalker lurking about. By today’s standards I play it safe. But I don’t think edginess is all about the tension surrounding the antagonist or even the plotline or situation. It is not all violence or sex, either. I think edginess is found in making my characters a bit larger than life. I’m not talking about superhuman powers. I’m thinking along the lines of exaggerating their quirky habits or behaviors, making them sassy or quick-witted. Or crazy. Or obnoxiously boring. I'm talking about allowing my characters to think the unt...

I have electronic planners but there is something about holding a little book in my hands and thumbing through the pages of a year unfolding that I find satisfying. But if you think organizing my time is what this post is about, think again. I have several old unused calendars I saved through the years. As an early childhood educator I used them to teach math lessons and play games with first graders. As a professor I offered the pictures as an icebreaker activity. As a presenter I’ve used those same pictures as story starters for writer workshops. Now I use old calendars to project a reasonable sequence for each novel.  Using a calendar helps me think through the story from beginning to end. Using a real calendar helps me attend to details I may have missed otherwise. For example in my latest work my main character decides to return to the activity of square dancing. The lessons start in January. Without the calendar I already know she is likely to deal with snow or...

I shared with you last week that I resumed work on a romance novel I started months before Tom died. It is the story of a fifty-seven year old widow who decides to return to the activity of square dancing. It was inspired by a couple Tom and I knew through our own experience in square dancing. During the first lesson my main character meets a rather interesting man. A tall man she refers to as “The Cowboy.” He certainly looks the part. This excerpt takes place a few days later when she accidently runs into The Cowboy at a local market. Let me know what you think. Excerpt from Courtesy Turn by Rebecca Waters Jungle Jim’s was crowded with people anxious to stock up on food items before a nasty winter storm made travel impossible. Dottie picked up a loaf of bread and a box of cereal. She put a few bags of chips and jars of salsa in her cart. Love salsa. Oh, cheese and crackers are always nice, too . Dottie grabbed a box of crackers and a small brick of Colby Jack cheese. The meat...

Who knew one word could make me feel so free? If you read my post last week, you’ll remember I finally chose a word to guide me through this year. READY. Actually, I’m pretty sure God chose the word making it all the more precious to me. (If you missed last week’s post, click HERE .) I immediately embraced the word. I want to be READY. For anything. Since that last post I found out I have been accepted for the mission trip to Mexico. I attended a Women’s Conference over the weekend at church and I have the focus and energy I had been searching for in my writing. Yes, the word has impacted my writing. I love to write. I love to create word images. I love to touch those tender places in a reader’s heart. I love every piece of the writing process. To me it is exciting. To see a story unfold is fun. I can see every scene playing out like a movie in my mind and I can’t wait to see how it ends. But if you’re in the writing game at all you know there is more to it than cra...