Your World: Annual Celebrations

Many authors are greatly influenced by the places in which they were raised. For me, it's my hometown of New Orleans, and oddly enough, several of my characters also hail from that unique American city. Naturally, the city's most notable celebrations often find their way into my stories, too.

This Tuesday, for example, is Mardi Gras Day – a festive holiday known for its crowded parades, colorful costumes, flying beads, marching bands, delicious king cakes, and unabashed debauchery. Of course, given the Big Easy's fun-loving spirit, there isn't just one day devoted to this Catholic-inspired holiday – but a whole, two-week season. In fact, today marks one of this season's biggest days, as both the Krewe of Bacchus and the Krewe of Endymion (which, due to rain, was postponed from yesterday) get ready to roll down the streets of Uptown New Orleans.

So, authors and characters, I ask you:

Do your hometowns or homelands have such festive annual celebrations? If not, why not? And if so, what are they like?

You and Your World: Government

In America, today is Presidents' Day – a holiday that commemorates the country's former and present leaders. So, in honor of this federal holiday, I thought it might be interesting to discuss the concept of government as it relates to your world – wherever that may be.

Is there a government in your homeland or on your home planet? If not, why not? And if so, what's it like? Is it harsh and restrictive – or free and democratic? Do your rulers wear costumes, have lavish balls, and do magic tricks – or are they boring and stuffy? If you could change your current government, what would you do?

Let's explore our varied governments – and, if possible, celebrate our leaders' accomplishments!

And in the meantime, Happy Presidents' Day to my fellow Americans!

What If... You Spotted Someone Drowning?

Last week, we tested out a new exercise at Come In Character – the “What If...?” prompt – a chance for authors to answer a question from their characters' unique perspectives. Considering how well it went, I thought we might try it again.

This time, the scenario is a little more serious. So, characters, I ask you:

What would you do if you spotted someone drowning?

Would you ignore his or her frightened cries, seek some professional help, jump in after the poor victim, or do something else altogether? And remember, my friends, honesty is paramount.

Getting to Know You: A Love To Die For

For many of us, today is Valentine's Day – a holiday that celebrates love, lust, passion, and, in some cases, flowers and chocolate. In honor of this popular holiday, I decided to take Betsy's advice and ask the following question of all authors and characters:

Who is the one person you would die for, and why?

Of course, I realize that not everyone would go that far for someone else, so if that's the case with you, feel free to say so. Just don't be offended if the rest of us mock your lack of ardor!

(P.S. Thanks for the suggestion, Betsy!)

What If... You Found a Diamond Ring?

I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who recently offered his or her feedback about Come In Character. As I've expressed before, I love the purpose of this site, and I very much want our creative efforts here to continue. So, despite my rather busy schedule, I intend to post here at least twice a week – on varying days, both to keep things fresh and to prevent me from going batty. In light of your suggestions, I'll try hard to focus on character interaction – and, save for the occasional post, leave writing prompts to other sites.

All I ask of my fellow authors is two things: to send me your ideas for future posts and to promote the site when and where you can. In the meantime, I'll consider your suggestions regarding a CIC logo, a Facebook fan page, and other forms of promotion. With a little effort, we might just be able to entice a few more authors (and, hopefully, a bunch more characters) into our midst.

Okay, back to the post at hand. During our recent discussion, several good ideas were put forth about future posts. One, in particular, inspired me to create a whole new category. So, thanks, Jil, for suggesting the “What If...?” prompt – a way for characters to express how they would handle certain scenarios. With any luck, such questions might even spark an entertaining argument or two!

To kick off this new category, I've decided to take Jil's advice and ask our characters one simple question:

What would you do if you found a diamond ring in the street?

Would you try to find its rightful owner, give it to your sweetheart, exchange it for an exotic animal, or something else altogether? And, remember, my friends, honesty is everything.

What's Happening Now?

Two weeks have passed since our last midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, boys, girls, and beasties! What have you done over the past two weeks? Fought any ruthless creatures? Stumbled upon any lost treasures? Found yourself in any amazing, new underworlds?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

Quote of the Day: Mark Twain

When it comes to Mark Twain (1835-1910), American humorist extraordinaire, there are simply too many quotes from which to choose. Since, however, it's the school year in many parts of the world, I figure the following nugget o' truth is an appropriate one to consider:

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

So, authors and characters, do you agree with Mr. Twain? In your own life, have you learned more from experience or from formal education?

Either way, feel free to use an example or two!

What's Happening Now?

It's time again for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, boys, girls, and beasties! What have you done over the past seven days? Fought any ruthless creatures? Stumbled upon any lost treasures? Found yourself in any amazing, new underworlds?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Once again, another two weeks have slipped by since we last shared our latest goings-on. Well, here it is again – time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you done in the past two weeks? Voyaged to any wondrous places? Battled any disagreeable siblings? Made a new friend or two?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

It's time again for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, boys, girls, and beasties! What have you done over the past seven days? Found yourself in any strange, new places? Battled any relentless monsters? Smooched any secret lovers?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Once again, another two weeks have slipped by since we last shared our latest goings-on. Well, here it is again – time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you done in the past two weeks? Journeyed to any mystical places? Tussled with any disagreeable relatives? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, otherworldly or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

My, my, where has the time gone? Why, it seems only yesterday that we were sharing our latest goings-on. Well, here it is again – time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you done over the past seven days? Experienced any stupendous places? Battled any horrendous beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Two weeks have passed since our last “What's Happening Now?” discussion, and I'm curious about what our characters have been up to lately.

Well, here it is – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you done in the past two weeks? Experienced any stupendous places? Battled any horrendous beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

You and Your World: The Afterlife

Happy Monday, Characters! Today, let's talk about something that might be a sensitive subject for some of you: The Afterlife.

Does your culture believe in an afterlife? Do you? If so, what is it like and do you have to do anything special to get there (other than die, of course)?

Tell us all about what you think happens when we pass on.

What's Happening Now?

Given our “What's New?” chat on Monday, I hesitated to post such a similar prompt today, but it's actually been two weeks since our last “What's Happening Now?” discussion. Remember, last Wednesday, we chatted about our favorite foods instead! (Not that I'm complaining, of course.)

So, I guess that means it's time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current, or at least most recent, whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

Well, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting hot spots? Encountered any wicked monsters? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Well, folks, the long holiday weekend is over for many of us, and it's time to get back to work... which means it's also time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting places? Encountered any wicked beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Well, folks, it's that time again – time for our midweek update – a chance for characters to reveal their current whereabouts. In this way, authors can share what's happening within their stories by speaking through their characters' unique voices.

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting places? Encountered any wicked beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill any and all of your latest adventures, and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Well, folks, it's that time again – time for our midweek update – and just to get things back to normal, I suggest we keep this a character-only discussion...

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting places? Encountered any wicked beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill the details about all of your latest adventures – and remember, this day is for characters only!

What's Happening Now?

Well, folks, it's that time again – time for our midweek update – and just to keep us all on our toes, why don't we open up this discussion for everyone – author and character alike?

So, let's hear it, guys, gals, and creatures! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting places? Encountered any wicked beasts? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill the details about all of your latest adventures – and remember, this day is for everyone!

What's Happening Now?

Well, folks, it's that time again – time for our midweek update – and while we've recently allowed everyone (author and character alike) the chance to reveal his/her/its current whereabouts, I thought it might be fun to return to our roots and keep this a characters-only discussion!

So, let's hear it, characters! What have you been up to lately? Seen any interesting places? Encountered any vengeful demons? Found yourself in a spot of trouble, supernatural or otherwise?

Feel free to spill the details about all of your latest adventures – and hopefully, by revealing where you are in your story, you'll help inspire your authors to keep moving forward with theirs.

Remember, this day is for characters only!