From Acorn to Oak

The journey from idea to finished book is a strange one.

Each book that I've written has a different origin--one came out of a dream and another from too much sugar and caffeine at a small tea shop in northern England.

My non-fiction book may have the oddest origin of them all, though.

Once upon a time, I was the writer in a group of four friends who would hang out all the time to talk work, men, vacations, men, family, and men. Our lives weren’t quite as adventurous as those on Sex and the City—but I loved those days.

One afternoon, we were sitting at an outdoor café, talking and people watching, when a young, well endowed woman walked by with her date, who couldn’t stop staring at her breasts. “Do you think he knows she didn't come by those naturally?” one of us asked.

The writer in me immediately perked up and I began to look at my characters not just as heroes and heroines, but also secret-keepers. Why secrets? Because secrets make our characters more interesting and create tension between characters.

From that discussion and insight, I developed my workshop, "The Dirty Little Secrets of Character Development," and now my first non-fiction book, which will be released next month. The book is designed to give you a better understanding of how secrets affect characters and propel the plot forward in a logical, engaging manner.

Watch this space for more information on the book when it's released. I'll be giving away copies, hosting a special workshop, and offering one-on-one DLS consultation.