I've had a lot of comments on my acting pix, and thought about an interesting connection to writing. I promise I'll get there in a sec. When you think of acting, you may get mental images of young Hollywood in rehab or who's got the biggest...um, ego. Personally, I think it's all about heart. You'v got to not only love the art, but love the process. With acting, there's the challenge of nailing a character somebody else wrote, then finding all those nuances that only you can bring to that character. There's the challenge of connecting with the other actors and connecting with the audience (if it's live).



WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WRITING?



Everything. First, you've got to love the process. Next, maybe because of my acting background, I write from the heart, and I write from character. Hunh? Bascially, in my first drafts I can't plot myself out of a paper bag. THANK GOODNESS for first drafts! If you've got character, you know what makes their heart beat...you've got voice. So write from the heart - the plot will follow. It may be several revisions later, but it will come, so trust your heart.