Support

Went to my writing class tonight. There are six students. It's a fun group. I've been with them before (last year at about this time). We present about ten pages and go around the table critiquing. The teacher always does it first, then we get to add our two cents.

This group heard about 'Blue' and lived through some chapters last year. I decided it would be interesting hearing their thoughts on the 'revised' first chapter. Even after having made changes to it, the teacher still added some more thoughts. Some workable; some not. One of my peers said she likes it a lot. The others offered a couple suggestions. It was an ok time. I'm glad I'm not as thin-skinned as I once was.

Well, be that as it may, the interesting part was a questionnaire that our teacher gave us. One of the questions was what we needed from the group. The universal answer was support. 

I know I need it. I've got my daughter who cheerleads for me, but her life is full and crazy and we don't often speak of my writing. (Or perhaps we don't speak of it enough for me....)

It's good to get honest comments, couched in gentle terms. I hope I give the same. I think my just being there is a sigh of support, for my own works and for those of my fellow classmates. 

Working on character development again. I spent a huge part of today looking for pictures that look a bit like what I see as how my characters look. I only found one that fit the bill. A pretty good one of a boy who looks a lot like Kaspar. I also found a little boy that looks like Bryan, but no luck whatsoever with Kathleen. Honestly, I picture her as a young Liv Tyler. (I just love Liv's look.) I couldn't find a picture of her at that age on the net. Not that I'd use this photos in my book -- just as something to hang on the wall as inspiration. Like the list of places and names and such that I use to keep me 'in line' with the who, what and where for 'Blue.' 

Life is a whoot.