One day in college, I found myself backing a midget European rental car down a steep, foggy incline alongside Ireland’s highest sea cliffs. I remember declaring that this was not a very fun experience but it would make quite an entertaining tale later!
Each person journeys through their own story and each same protagonist attempts, whether intentionally or not, to detect their purpose in the mind of this drama’s designer. Often the plot seems to take abrupt detours and usually the theme of the tale is uncovered in details previously considered irrelevant. As a heroine myself, I would like to envision myself atop stunning vistas instead of crawling down them backwards but must admit that the unexpected story elements produce the aura of adventure. And without an adventure motif, could there ever be a good story?
Currently, my story’s setting rests in the cities and mountains of Southern California. I am accompanied by my incredible, fun-loving husband Stephen who sometimes must resort to bursting my control-bubble and whisking us away to keep the adventure’s themes alive. Five little foil characters haunt my movements (according to their own mathematical calculations, these kiddos bear the ages of 11, 8, 6, 3 and 0.)
The majority of the story’s climaxes seem to occur on mountain peaks but the regular (and sometimes challenging) times in the valleys of the ordinary are filled with homeschooling and lesson-planning, part-time teaching, freelance editing, and occasional spurts of writing. Oh, and making sure those little foils survive. Sometimes a late evening of reading or BBC drama binging with wine and dessert is required for success. And lots and lots of grace and reflection.