SANITY CHECK

Writing in a Time of Chaos

Hoo boy. Every. Day. Something. Worse. Comes. Along. Help!

What’s a writer to do? Read. Research. Stay informed, but take breaks to keep my sanity. I am still promoting book 1 of the LOVE IS LOVE series (All You Need Is Love) and waiting for feedback on book 2 (Love Me Do) before publishing (hopefully) on December 1st, and now I am researching for book 3 (All My Loving).

Yes, those are Beatles song titles. I am a huge Beatles fan, ever since I first saw them perform on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9, 1964. I was (ahem) years old, and fell in a deep crush with Paul McCartney. Left-handed playing the guitar? I thought that was genius! Plus they were so cute in those haircuts. Loved their songs, and followed them (the usual fan adoration) until their breakup in 1970. I cried. Seriously.

So of course, my main character’s mentor was a Beatles fan as well. Writers can imbed things about themselves in many ways. Like Jack being hot and gay (my cousin Stephen was gobsmacking hot and sadly died of AIDS), loving Joe Bonamassa and Imagine Dragons (I’m a big fan of both) plus many other musicians. Reese having major anxiety (my level isn’t that bad, but at times it freezes me). Blake being non-binary and Ace (like a close family member), plus a successful painter (I wish my paintings had that kind of success!) That’s one way to live through characters.

Right now, I’ve been watching YouTube videos of actors. Fascinating stuff! Here’s a few that might interest you. There’s Part 1 & 2, really good stuff by Lina Lecompte.

Of course, I can’t put ALL the details I’ve learned about actors on set. One of my characters in book 3 is acting in a rom-com, so yeah. I need to know how they get hair and makeup and costumes, where the microphone goes, how the actors refer to certain things, what a table read is and how they do it, blah blah blah. Hours and hours of research for maybe a few paragraphs in a book. Yup.

So I keep plugging away while the world burns. I’m sad, disappointed, frustrated, enraged, and downright terrified about how the United States as I knew it has changed so drastically in such a short time. But has it, really? No, the seeds were planted long ago — and we’re finally waking up.

But I have confidence that we WILL PULL OUT of this madness. Which is why I keep writing stories that also triumph in the end. That’s the message I need to give.

So hang in there, along with me and so many others. Peace and love.