Tonight I made lasagna, baking powder biscuits, and, again, salad. Although, I don’t think the salad should count since it is a pre-mixed bag. Because I grew up saving money, I still always immediately grab the most inexpensive ingredient I see at the grocery store. This time, interestingly, the least expensive cheese for my lasagna was Velveeta’s new shredded mozzarella, on sale for only $2 a bag! It actually gave the lasagna a very rich, creamy taste. I haven’t decided if I like it better or not, but Daniel’s family didn’t seem to mind. I did love the new baking powder biscuit recipe I found! Best batch I have made in a long time, I think! I think I will bookmark this recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-biscuits
I am slowly working my way back up to writing. On Friday, I began writing [very light] character sketches for everyone in my book. I was starting to lose track of names, which is never good. Plus I discovered that, true to Writer’s Digest articles, knowing the background of your characters, whether your audience knows them or not, helps you know where you want to go next in your story and adds depth to the character. So this may be one of my new writing-stalling techniques. If I don’t know what to write, maybe I will work on the background sketches. It will make me feel like I am working without actually having to come up with the next piece of the story. 😛
An article I read in one of my Writer’s Digest magazines did help me, though. It recommended giving your character a scar or trauma from his or her background. In other words, something bad that happened that helped make them who they are or influences who they are now. Well, that wouldn’t work with Elizabeth, since the general point is that she has never had to deal with hardship her entire life. But that doesn’t mean her mother couldn’t have had something in her background – and that maybe she could tell the story to Elizabeth, and that maybe that would be the true turning point in Elizabeth’s attitude! This has been a problem I have had, you see – how does someone self-centered and unhappy finally begin to notice others around her and take little steps toward becoming a new person? Movies have it easy. Begin nostalgic music sequence, show-several-flash-scenes-slowly-becoming-closer-with-hated-person-and-smiling-more, have-one-scene-with-enlightened-look, end music sequence: presto, changed person. Books, you actually have to spell it out. The thought process, the reasons, the scene. So, if Breanna (Elizabeth’s mother) would just be so good as to tell me what she suffered, then a part of my problem would be solved. I had this idea of what she was going to say to Elizabeth on the plane Friday, but wanted to put it off until I wasn’t so close to landing, and, of course, have completely lost what it was. I should know better than to wait to write down an inspiration by now.
Ah, me. The things you forget after not writing for awhile.
Here’s wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day (again), and inviting you to remember to write for 15 minutes – or at least to remind me to, since I am sure I will put it off without a reminder. 😛
Forest Idylls 