What if . . .

What if a monkey jumps through a hoop held by his owner? Picture taken in New Delhi, India by Manju.

Freedom is a tricky deal as a teen. You can choose what your parents expect you to do or rebel.

As a teen, I didn't rebel against my parents because I wanted the same things for myself. I wanted good grades, to graduate from high school and college, and to stay safe. But what if . . .

I dread the what ifs as a parent, but as a writer that's what makes a story interesting. What if my character overhears a conversation that changes his or her life forever? What if that same teen makes the decision to runaway instead of facing that life changing event? What if . . .

Thirteen-year-old Samantha Springs is the main character in my middle grade novel, TRIPLE B. Born into bad circumstances, Samantha feels determined to find a way out. But what if . . .

Mom sounds like a Dragon

A massive Dragon welcomes visitors within the Tower of London. Picture taken by Manju.

As a Mom, I have learned that my words are heard as emotion. If I say, "Go take a shower." It's the tone of my voice that my children hear. Various emotions are contained in my words, depending on the context. Matter-of-fact, Hopeful, Annoyed, Frustrated, Tired . . .

As a writer, I share the emotions of my characters not just their words. I need to show the reader through the character's actions, instead of simply tagging dialog with an adverb. This means describing Mom's body language or actions. Instead of writing - "Go take a shower," Mom said, gleefully.