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This week: Observations Of The Neighborhood Edited by: Fyn-elf  
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Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor's noisy party than being there.~~Franklin P. Jones
Love your neighbor as yourself; but don't take down the fence.~~Carl Sandburg
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.~~Sam Ewing
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"That guy is quite a character." You've heard the phrase. Chances are, your neighbors are 'characters' too! Here are folks you may know well, but even if you don't 'know' them, you know of them and have noticed things about them that are cool or annoying, quirky or drive you nuts! Your neighbors are a veritable rogue's gallery for you to pick and choose from.
Don't get me wrong. I live in a truly awesome neighborhood, the sort where impromptu block parties are the norm and everyone would help anyone who needed it. (At least I like to think so!) BUT.
For example. Across the way is a household that everyone else refers to as 'dysfunction junction.' They supply all the drama a neighborhood could ever use. And then some, unfortunately. For a while four generations shared the same house. From Grandmother to daughter (her three kids and boyfriend), granddaughter's three kids and assorted boyfriends. 70 years down to a newborn. Lots of yelling, histrionics, tons of vehicular traffic and drama out the wazoo. Nice people in small doses. Individually. Together--not so much. At least one of them--not at all. Oh, but as characters?
Then the one guy who defines the meaning of self-serving, chauvinistic, selfish and more I could come up with. Doesn't treat his girlfriend anywhere near as well as he should. He can be sweet, loving, and a fantastic neighbor, except, when he isn't.
On the other side of us are 'the crazies.' She wanders around in a tee shirt. JUST a tee shirt. A short one. Her teen-aged kids scream and screech at her and each other like someone was dying.
Across the way are two of the nicest, truly good people you'll ever meet. Sweet, loving, helpful, awesome parents. Even their kids are truly good kids. (Yes, they have their moments, but they are super good kids.)
Then there's us. (Whole 'nother story! *grin*)
Characters all. Good, bad, ugly, charming, funny, lazy, users, helpers. It takes all kinds to make the world or a neighborhood or to people a book. In any setting, there is much the observant person can glean to create living, breathing characters.
A pet peeve of mine is to read a book and all the characters seem to be cut from the same cloth. Sure, their hair and eye color might differ, but character-wise, with perhaps one minor difference, the bad guy, the hero and the heroine are all interchangeable. With so much to pull from, there is no reason for it.
When you think of the people you know: neighbors, friends, family, exes, in and out-laws, co-workers, cashiers, (when you get gas or milk on your way home) --all those people are cannon fodder for your books. There's some truth to the saying about, "Be nice to me or I'll put you in a book!" Of course,
using characteristics doesn't mean copying Joe down the street exactly, but picking and choosing bits and pieces, mixing and and matching to fit.
Of course, you will often also have to do research if your character is a specific type as in her job, his mental issue, her disability or his unique hobby. Then there will be additional nuances to add, change or mix up.
A really successful character is living and breathing, someone you'd really like to know (thereby be able to root for them) or alternatively, cross the street in broad daylight to get away from them. They need to eat, sleep, catch colds, have dreams and/or nightmares, get thirsty, run out of gas, have change in their pockets at the end of the day and have to search for the sock that the dryer ate. They need to feed the cat, take the dog for a walk, overcook the hamburgers and run out of milk or coffee. They need to forget anniversaries, be embarrassed by surprise parties, oversleep, lose their car keys and mow the grass. They need to feel let down, disappointed, excited, tired, sexy, or proud of themselves. They need to have to do the dishes, get the mail, and possibly fire the maid, clean out the belfry, collect flowers, pick apples, saddle their horse or change a flat tire. Let them cry or cough or sneeze. Let them trip over a dog toy or step on a bone going down the hallway in the middle of the night. Let someone turning on a light when they aren't awake make their eyes rocket off the back of their skulls. Let them snore, talk in their sleep and hog the covers.
In other words: Let them live. Make them real.
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Anthology News:
Submitted Pieces are now in the Judging phase.
We have hundreds to read through!!!
We expect the judging to be completed by the end of July.
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Mrs. Nixie Clause  writes:Your newsletter is a lesson in active storytelling. The images created were vivid, and I liked the way you got into the customer's and author's heads. The last paragraph read like prose, and last sentence was fantastic. You showed us the quiet after the chaos; the lightning bug signaling was brilliant. You adeptly brought the scene to closure. 
monty31802 says: You did a fine job of writing an interesting News Letter.
Kai Rajaniemi  adds:This was very interesting to read. You've done a very good job with this newsletter! :)
Thanking you all!
Valenchia comments: I've taken a video of my husband snoring with my phone, just to show him how loud he is! I love real life! People are so interesting and fun, aren't they! I'm going to start taking notes!
Good for you. I don't dare do that to my hubby...I DO NOT want him returning the ... ah ... favor! *grin*
brom21  adds: Thanks for the captivating, detailed narration of your experience. I wish I could have been there, except for the heat. There is enough of that here in Vegas. I find that at places like that you sometimes end up buying stuff you’ll eventually put in the closet. Like you said, one must get out and experience the world to understand and develop the art of writing. I need to do this because I only get out to go to the gym and attend college. Anyway, The Art in the Park gathering sounded like fun. Great newsletter. Kudos!
Elfin Dragon-finally published comments:An Art Fair. Something I would enjoy and, if I could get the courage up, sell my own artwork or even writing. But as you say, it depends on the crowd and who likes what. Me? My artwork is fantasy, mostly dragons because I can do anything with them. Same with my writing.
Any time you can get out where you can experience anything you can use in artwork or writing is a good thing, indeed!
Quick-Quill  says: I loved this analogy. You have a wonderful way of telling a story and your detail about the event and what went on took me right to the place! I wish I could have been there, but my ms is at the publishing house or (chop shop) as some call it. Here's to hoping I'll be out there peddling my book soon.
Congrats!!!
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For Authors: July 02, 2014 Issue [#6407]
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