Civil War and ethics

Been doing more research on the Civil War and it really got me thinking.  At what point does a person abandon their friends and family to fight in war against those they love?  I would have to feel that the cause I was fighting for was more important than my loved ones.
     That isn't an easy thing to do.  The only way I could fight against my family is if I honestly believed that they were doing something so evil and wrong that they had to be stopped. Luckily, I have never been put in that position.
     Reading letters from the Civil War has been fascinating and emotional. It is easy to forget that wars are fought by individuals who  have a personal lives. Every soldier had a mother; they were once small innocent children.

I really want this dining room

This dining room is my dream room.  I love the colors, the ceiling lamp and the sunny windows. 

Creating characters that are real and interesting

    I admit it, I'm obsessed with my main characters.  I am beginning to feel like they are real people. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Of course not.  It means I am being a detailed author. (I am not insane, so stop saying that).  So, what have I done lately to better grasp my Main Character's personalities?
     First off, my main character, Paul, is short. He's 5'2" and knows that he isn't going to grow much taller.  How does he deal with that?  In order to better understand how he would feel, I went searching on forums and blogs for posts from teenagers who are of smaller stature. 
     It was helpful to read personal experiences from guys who are in a similar situation to Paul.  I also picked up useful information that I wouldn't have thought about, like buying clothes and shoes for men who are the same size as boys.  
     'I've also spent time deciding what types of foods he likes, what does he do when he has free time, what does he really dislike, what does he love?  It all helps to make are more rounded character. 

I am a Patient Person, Honestly

I understand, I live in Oregon. We get a lot of rain here, especially in the Spring.  But I am so tired of not seeing the sun.  It has been an abnormally wet year.  There is moss growing in my hair, and everyone thinks I am tan, but it is actually rust.
     Seriously, I am ready for some sunshine and heat.  I have my garden planted, but it won't grow without sunlight.  Please Mr. Sun, come out and play soon.

Lewis Thornton Powell

I have been reading Alias "Paine"  by Betty Ownsbey. It is about one of the men who conspired to kill President Lincoln.  From what I have read, he started out a gentle, kind person. So what caused such a man to become an assassin and attempted murderer?  Once again it makes me ponder what atrocities will a person perform when they feel they are morally justified?

Here is a picture of Lewis Powell

Reading about the Civil War

I've been reading about the Civil War to help me in writing my book.  I wanted to understand how families could choose to fight against each other in battle. A person would have to feel that what they are fighting for is more important than their own family.  It has been a fascinating study.  I think I will have to watch Shenandoah again.

Character appearances

Someone mentioned that they used the candybar doll maker to simulate the appearances of the characters in their books so they could remember what they looked like.  I of course had to try this.  I had too much fun dressing my characters up.  I had to mess with heights since one of my characters is quite short.  Here is the finished product.

Because Writing a Novel is not Enough

I love to punish myself. Since spending a gazillion hours working on a novel is not enough writing for me, I have also decided to start a blog.  Since it is my blog, I will write whatever I want.  But I promise to keep it clean, fun, and frivolous.
Laurie