characters Archives - Wordsmith Holler

Inspiration: Mining Subjects Close to My Heart

By Michael Shawn Sommermeyer | March 30, 2016 by Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

I grew up trout fishing. But I will never be able to capture the river like Norman Maclean. I once toiled as an innkeeper. But my experiences were nothing like described by John Irving. Inspiration Comes From Experience I am a product of the American West and my inspiration comes from those people. I take inspiration from their stories and those subjects are close to my heart. When Tom Booker stopped at a remote four-corners somewhere between Nevada and…

On Writing

Finding the Character’s Pain

By Michael Shawn Sommermeyer | February 12, 2015March 8, 2016 by Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

Character pain is what a character needs to survive. Give them a past full of strife and challenges. Allow them to triumph. And then smack them again.

On Writing

Character Introductions: Backstrom

By Michael Shawn Sommermeyer | January 23, 2015March 8, 2016 by Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

Every story needs to introduce the main characters and this is often a tough process for a writer. A character needs to feel three-dimensional and alive. A long description of each certainly would lay out their foibles and tics. Describing each for their unique attributes, hair styles, and shower habits can be fun. However, character descriptions can tend to be like describing a photograph: sort of flat.

On Writing

Pantser Plotter

By Michael Shawn Sommermeyer | January 15, 2015March 9, 2016 by Michael Shawn Sommermeyer

There are two camps of thought: the people who listen to the muse and write by the seat of their pants and the people who write an entire book-length outline prior to starting to write. I prefer to combine the two, without writing an entire book-length outline. Let me explain my thoughts on this debate. Pantsers argue they are free to listen to the story and the characters. It is a muse-centric approach, with the…