I’m fooling myself if I type anything other than, I’m obsessed with Mars. If you’re not aware, Perseverance, the latest Mars rover landed successfully on the red planet earlier today. This comes at a crucial time, I’m writing the final chapters of Red Rock Redemption. Truthfully, everything is falling apart. The characters are a mess. We have love triangles, the upcoming landing and out of nowhere, someone has developed an unexplained power. The landing was supposed to be a calm backdrop to all the tension and chaos that’s been building in the last twenty pages. However, after watching NASA’s live stream of the landing today, it seems the seven minutes it takes to move from the top of Mar’s atmosphere to the soil is a fiery, unpredictable nightmare. Welp, I need to figure this out. I’m pretty sure after what I witnessed today, they’re going to need a heat shield and a parachute. No one is supposed to die this early. Should I reconsider?
Adding a Character
I’m cooking a character in my mind. That’s what the process is like for me. He’s male, nameless so far, but suddenly- crucial to the plot line in Red Rock Redemption. He knows things my main characters don’t. No one will like him. He knows things that will result in people dying but justifies it in his mind. He makes a lot of money, but so do the people working above him. My dilemma has become his association with a beloved character. I feel my beloved General Stone is hiding information, too. It only makes sense now that I see the final chapters of the first book in this series unfolding. What exactly does Stone know and how does he live with it? His understanding of Red Rock’ s mission has always been clear. Humans need another planet to hold the volume of our species and Mars, well- it just makes sense. The people getting cancer treatments have been away from earth for over a year. The data points to radiation poisoning. In walks unknown man. General Stone…open your eyes, sir.
Books can inspire the world!
My puppy is pulling on my pajama leg so this may be a short rambling. Each day on my way to work, I let myself be pulled into an audiobook. Its like my glazed donut or triple shot latte- a fabulous treat. Recently, have been listening to The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. I dread the sight of my turn into the school parking lot because this book pulses through my veins as I listen to it. The premise is remarkable. An old man, lonely and somewhat defeated, decided to write a short brutally honest synopsis of his life in a notebook and leaves it to be found. His last words in the notebook prompt the finder to share their “real” life with the world via the notebook and keep the cycle going. I am three characters deep into this novel and absolutely love it-already inspired to tell the truth about my life to myself each day! Here is one truth I can share with you. I am a reader before a writer. If I am short on time you will find me listening to audiobooks over writing another chapter in my books. Perhaps this is not wise but if fills me with hope and inspiration. I highly recommend this book, it brings me joy this week.
All my best~Penelope