Carmen DeSousa

Occasionally, I run across a post that reads something like... 'How to write more realistic characters...' I know everyone won't think that my characters are real, but that's okay ... they're real to me and 97% of my readers, because they are real. Why??? Because I refuse to read posts on how to write realistic characters. Instead, I watch people ... EVERYWHERE.  I pay attention to EVERYTHING they do while they eat, shop, talk, fight... That's how you write realistic characters! Get out of the house, out from behind the computer, and People Watch!  Just sayin'! Now, get back to reading, writing, or people watching. Me, I'm trying to write as much as I can this week before I go back for surgery next week. While I was gone last week, I took plenty of pictures and notes while people watching. Now ... I get to write!  Until next time, happy reading and writing, friends! Carmen Thank you for stopping by my place and reading my mu...

"A great book increases my heartbeat,  as if I’m prey , melts my insides in anticipation of a first kiss, and immerses me in its depths, never letting go." Me (an avid reader, long before I was a writer) Ahhh … isn’t that the truth? I love to read from all POVs--well, to a point, I still don't like head-hopping, but one or two in a chapter, as long as it's clear who's speaking, is okay with me, as I want to feel the characters' thoughts--ALL of them. So my goal as a writer is to put you inside the head of the protagonist and the proverbial bad guy’s head. Why? Because I believe you invest even more of yourself as a reader into the story if you know why the characters are doing what they are doing. At least, as a reader, I've always enjoyed diving into the bad guy's head, understanding why he's doing what he's doing, and yes, I'm not opposed to the bad guy actually being a woman. They may be the bad guy, but t...