A writer, for whom I garner a great deal of respect, once told me “take your readers on the roller coaster ride.”

 

Sounds easy on the surface.  Just make the characters live their lives to the fullest and experience the highest ups and the lowest downs.

 

The difficult part is making the characters’ emotions believable.  To do that, the writer must draw upon her own emotions.  Joyful emotions are a delight to write about.  Remembering and expounding upon happiness is bound to lift the writer, and subsequently her characters, and ultimately her readers.

 

The dark emotions are more difficult.  Dredging up emotions that I had hoped to stuff away forever can sometimes leave me in a funk for days or weeks.  I stuffed those emotions away for a reason.  I don’t want to relive them.  But I have to.  For my characters’ sake. And, frankly, for my readers’ sake. 

 

Why touch on this subject?  Two stories I hoped would be included in The EX Factor anthology were rejected yesterday for not fitting the theme.  I had dredged up powerful emotions for both of them. 

 

So while the euphoria of having a story accepted never gets too familiar, neither does the sting of rejection.

 

The good news is that I’ve been invited to write another story for The EX Factor.  So while I’m riding this deep trough, I’ll dump my emotions out on a poor, unsuspecting character. 

 

I already have an idea!

 

Till next time,

 

Jill.