Monday, December 14, 2015

Writing What You Know: Talents and Interests

During my writer's break this past month, I took on some freelance graphic design work. It was super fun for me, and a business venture I hope to maintain indefinitely. I LOVE creating something from nothing...or at least layering images, cutting and pasting, and creating a composition that tricks the eye to think it's a completely different picture.
It's kinda like piecing together characters, plot points, and twists to create my own unique story...even if the pieces are familiar to other stories out there, the final result is an original.

Today, I was in Barnes and Noble flipping through novels, reading back cover copies, and just getting a feel for all the stories floating around out there. I assume that some of the characters' trades, pasts, interests had something to do with the author who wrote them. I mean, I know that I will research something that's completely unrelated to me for a novel, but there is always a bit of "Angie Dicken" weaving throughout my stories. While I have yet to write a character with a graphic design bent, I have written characters that admire the stage (an old pastime of mine), who love to play baseball (my husband's favorite sport), or who love to immerse themselves in history (totally me).

It made me wonder what all YOU have as far as hidden talents, interests, backgrounds...besides your ability to tell a story.

So, I want to hear your pastimes. AlleyPals and AlleyCats what do you dabble in outside of writing?

Comment below!

Have you have written your interests into your story? Is there a talent you wish you had that you imposed on one of your characters? One of these days I'll have a character who sings beautifully...something that I will never attain! ;)

Have a great Monday!
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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written six historical novels and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com and connect at:
Twitter: @angiedicken

4 comments:

Jeanne Takenaka said...

Fun post, Angie. And, I love your graphic. :) I enjoy stamping and scrapbooking, but those haven't made it into a book yet. I also enjoy photography, and that has made it in. :) I have a character in my current MS who is a portrait photographer, but what he dreams of doing is photographing nature and sharing it with the world. :)

Have a great Christmas, friend. :)

Unknown said...

How about a graphic designer who enters a singing competition and is pressured to quit her day job to travel to the finals? Then the producers want her to sing a gospel song on live TV, but she doesn't want to. She doesn't believe in any of that "church stuff." But she tries. She wins and is invited to sing in churches across America. She accepts those invitations and things get crazy big, but she keeps her secret--she's not a believer. She knows all she's done is cut, paste, and compose to trick the eye--like in her old job. Could the result be something original? (I think I'm jacked up on caffeine!)

I always write my interests into my stories: ballerinas, travel, sports cars, soldiers, salvation, discipleship, family history, dogs, gardens, incredibly handsome men, journeys toward deeper faith, God's ability and desire to save us from ourselves... I need to write about things that make my heart skip a beat if I'm to have a chance to make the reader's heart skip a beat. That's how it works for me :)

Merry Christmas!

Angie Dicken said...

Jeanne,
Thanks! I used to scrapbook too, but now I do digital scrapbooking for family memories. That's so awesome that you've used photography in the life of a character!
Have a great Christmas too!!

Patricia,
WOW! You are an amazing brainstormer! Glad I was inspiring...lol! Are you going to write that or...me? HA! Love your interests. And so glad to share on this journey together! Have a great Christmas!

Unknown said...

This story is all yours, Angie. I know nothing about singing or graphic design :) Glad to be journeying together indeed.

Jeanne: Merry Christmas to you, too!