Ground Hog Day....

….is tomorrow.   Does it really matter?  To those of us who are winter-weary, I say we’ll be lucky if all we do get is another 6 weeks of winter! The litany of suffering from this winter season is as endless as the days of snow we’re enduring.  Perhaps we’ve just become accustomed to much milder and drier seasons over the past decade or so.  In fact these past two months are typical of childhood remembrances.  Snowbanks at the end of driveways that were fort-worthy.  Day after day of bulky coats, snow pants and boots.  To this day, the smell of wet wool conjours up boots drying over heating vents and sodden mittens laid out on top of the hot water heater.  Oh and dare I say it, but in those days winter was fun.

As I type the snow continues to fall and squirrels are hunkered in branches of trees outside my window.  At least the grip of bone chilling cold has lessened.  For small things we can be most thankful!

                See how well the grey squirrel blends in on a sunless wintry day

But one thing this hibernation-worthy weather is good for is writing!  Pam and I have been enjoying developing new characters for our latest story.  I recently found a template online to help with character building and we’re using it to good measure.  Really helps us get to know our characters and what makes them tick.  Funnily enough we’ve even found that characters originally created as likeable have become thoroughly distasteful – and we’re excited about that.

Google docs is such a wonderful tool for us and has helped simplify our collaboration because we can work in real time and chat as we go along.  The next best thing to a face to face session.  And that’s scheduled for next Saturday – weather permitting of course.

We’ve booked our hotel room and sent off the registration for Bloody Words 2014 and are excited to be going once again.  Surely by the beginning of June our weather will be more appealing?  

I hope you’ve been enjoying the interviews Pam posts – is there an author you’d like to hear from – or a question you have?  Let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

On a side note, today I saw a post on FaceBook which I’d like to share.  Truer words were never spoken, and while its probably an old adage, with today’s internet exposure, these words take on a new meaning.  Once spoken, words can never be reclaimed and who hasn’t suffered the sting of a cruel word, intentional or otherwise?   But once in print, the damage can be even more far reaching and lasting.  So……

  

Before You Speak – THINK

T – is it   True

H – is it  Helpful

I –  is it  Inspiring

N – is it  Necessary

K – is it   Kind

Here’s to warmer week and hey, spring is now only 48 days away!

Cheers!  (and good luck tomorrow Mr. Ground hog)

Liz