A Tribute to a Special Man

Everything that happens in my life helps me to write -- the fun stuff, the good stuff, and even the sad stuff. Sometimes I think the sad stuff and the scary stuff helps the most. It invokes emotions that we sometimes forget we have. Without these experiences we wouldn't be able to convey those emotions to our readers and make our characters believable.

Writing what you know is more than just writing about places or events or careers that you have had. As a lawyer I can write legal suspense because I practiced law for over a decade. It's believable to the reader because I can provide enough detail to make it realistic. But that's about the plot, and I think the real meat of any novel lies in the characters, and for that the writer needs to have experienced some real hardship and pain otherwise the characters will be flat.

I recently lost a family member who I have known most of my life. His passing evoked so many emotions for me, adoration as a child, love as an adult, and gratitude for the legacy he passed on. I'll miss you, dear brother-in-law. May you rest in peace.

Writers: Do you find yourself writing emotions you have felt? Do you ever have trouble writing an emotion that you haven't felt strongly?

Readers: Do you feel the emotions your characters are experiencing?  Do you ever read books where the emotions don't feel real?

Author of The Advocate Series