INSPIRED BY LIFE

There are many things in life that I find inspiration for in my stories and characters. Sometimes it's unexpected, sometimes it's planned. Alot of times, just meeting someone by chance can lead to a new character. And then, there's something you may have been privvy to all your life, and one day, WHACK!-something happens, and presto! Inspiration! EXAMPLE: My baby sister, Tracy. The picture here was taken on the Battery in historic Charleston, SC. Tracy had never been to Charleston before, and being Savannah's sister city, we went together. Not the best of days, weather-wise. As you can see, it was quite windy! (note: inverted umbrella) I had no idea when I snapped that photo (you know, the old-timey kind, with film and stuff) that it would be not only one of my most favorite pictures, but that it would become the inspiration for one of my characters. Just the moment, the hysterical look on her face, makes me laugh every time I look at it, and soon became the core for building probably my most favorite of (my own) heroines. Totally unexpected, that inspiration. My favorite kind.