tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post7044905833652686237..comments2024-02-22T05:38:23.109-05:00Comments on Out on a Limb: Being a Bad MotherRuth Schiffmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-19235861839340689992012-03-29T23:22:44.580-04:002012-03-29T23:22:44.580-04:00Hi Ruth, I have not written enough to know this fo...Hi Ruth, I have not written enough to know this for sure, but in my WIP I think over-mothering would fit what I was doing. My main character is too nice, her best friend almost fell but saw the light, her boyfriend is a super nice guy... and on it goes! Can you say B - o - r - i - n - g ! Yes, I have to stop that! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-30312102612054754152012-03-27T21:44:21.171-04:002012-03-27T21:44:21.171-04:00Nope. I make 'em suffer. (But, in the end I ki...Nope. I make 'em suffer. (But, in the end I kiss the booboo and make it all better.)Susan J. Reinhardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07461276857852409546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-83587740754592035282012-03-27T16:58:43.504-04:002012-03-27T16:58:43.504-04:00Yes, I do mother my characters. I think I'll c...Yes, I do mother my characters. I think I'll copy the quote and post it as you have.Sara Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17347650970912643036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-47773511691836552892012-03-26T14:47:50.757-04:002012-03-26T14:47:50.757-04:00Hi, Ruth,
I've gotten to the point where I r...Hi, Ruth, <br /><br />I've gotten to the point where I realize that making characters suffer isn't a bad thing in fiction, no matter how badly it makes me feel. That's why I mostly go for happy endings.J.L. Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05666634455836834179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-59729406743279563712012-03-26T14:45:03.811-04:002012-03-26T14:45:03.811-04:00I don't think I over-protect my characters, bu...I don't think I over-protect my characters, but I think this post is certainly going to make me reevaluate my writing. Thanks for sharing!Sherry Ellishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844837212122243321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-68020923257337389312012-03-26T13:12:05.471-04:002012-03-26T13:12:05.471-04:00Hi Ruth, tagged you for the Lucky 7 Meme Award - ...Hi Ruth, tagged you for the Lucky 7 Meme Award - I don't know if you had received before.Peaches Ledwidgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13406881743264774589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-31595217259584904722012-03-25T19:24:01.950-04:002012-03-25T19:24:01.950-04:00I used to over-protect my characters. Then I reali...I <i>used</i> to over-protect my characters. Then I realized how much I love writing those scenes that are so chock-full of emotion, and those scenes only come when I let things happen that I'd really rather protect them from.Peggy Eddlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10241451940725996650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-80625097576462372902012-03-23T09:19:36.244-04:002012-03-23T09:19:36.244-04:00That's great, Marcia. Sounds like you've f...That's great, Marcia. Sounds like you've found that elusive "middle ground."Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-85221069107059321752012-03-23T09:18:56.431-04:002012-03-23T09:18:56.431-04:00I like the way you put it, Lynn "tripping the...I like the way you put it, Lynn "tripping them up" and "throwing monkey wrenches at them." A good reminder that we need to give them little stumbling blocks as well as major obstacles.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-56494208098022885012012-03-23T09:13:45.674-04:002012-03-23T09:13:45.674-04:00I love that, Karen - redemption instead of revenge...I love that, Karen - redemption instead of revenge. I'm an optimist as well!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-73604301482021187322012-03-23T09:11:51.485-04:002012-03-23T09:11:51.485-04:00Hi Alyssa, thank you so much for your kind words. ...Hi Alyssa, thank you so much for your kind words. You made me smile this morning =) I'm so glad that you've enjoyed reading my stories. I had a lot of fun with the all-dialogue piece. Dialogue has always been a bit of a struggle for me, so I need to continually stretch that muscle. It's great that you are so comfortable writing dialogue. It can make for easy flow in a story.<br />Thanks for following!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-84813432720310720902012-03-22T21:44:51.960-04:002012-03-22T21:44:51.960-04:00You know, I've asked myself that, and I'm ...You know, I've asked myself that, and I'm not entirely sure of the answer. I think I lean in that direction, without progressing to total smothering. :)Marciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006966091789130047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-16150117747306603702012-03-22T16:52:05.028-04:002012-03-22T16:52:05.028-04:00That's a really cool quote. I don't usuall...That's a really cool quote. I don't usually over-mother my characters anymore. It really does make the story better to trip them up and throw more monkey wrenches at them! Although in my YA WIP, there's one awful situation that I couldn't let my MC suffer through. It almost happened, but letting her suffer that would take the story in the wrong direction, so it is what it is. Sometimes these things are difficult decisions, aren't they?LynNerdKelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04167392990015741278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-60218978203749649202012-03-22T11:54:38.652-04:002012-03-22T11:54:38.652-04:00I write humorous mysteries, so I have to put my ch...I write humorous mysteries, so I have to put my characters through the wringer whether I like it or not! It's never easy though, I have to tell you. :-) One thing I have trouble doing, is killing characters - even the bad guys. In fact, I have a tendency to transform bad guys into good guys. I'm a hopeless optimist I guess. Nice blog! I loved the topic and question!Karen Cantwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08816080274154836206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-8280569535499340902012-03-22T02:09:26.847-04:002012-03-22T02:09:26.847-04:00Thank you for following my blog! I was really surp...Thank you for following my blog! I was really surprised when I realized that you are Mrs. Ruth Schiffmann! You see, I have admired your freelance writing website from afar :). I like looking at the magazines that you have been published by and I have submitted to some of them myself! <br /><br />I just read a story of yours that was written in dialogue alone. It was interesting! I know that I tend to write too much dialogue and not enough description in my writing...when I was younger, I used to write almost-all-dialogue stories by accident...it's something I have had to work on :). I can also relate to not wanting my characters to suffer too much. Or I make them get into a tough spot and then rescue them too quickly. <br /><br />It's nice to "meet" you and your blog! I am a new follower :).Alyssahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12725503719829562362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-56852256738874172342012-03-21T22:22:24.526-04:002012-03-21T22:22:24.526-04:00My favorite interpretations are written by Andrew ...My favorite interpretations are written by Andrew Harvey. Have studied with him. A friend of mind set some of Rumi's poetry to music and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra devoted an entire concert to the music. Rumi is very deep spiritually. Hope you check him out.Patricia T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10673204828383998897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-65394659587975244422012-03-21T14:15:00.745-04:002012-03-21T14:15:00.745-04:00Thanks, Cynthia. Maybe that's why I'm stuc...Thanks, Cynthia. Maybe that's why I'm stuck on my current WIP this week. It's time to beat up my characters, and I'm resisting!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-78154269995421056892012-03-21T14:08:11.975-04:002012-03-21T14:08:11.975-04:00Thanks, Karen!Thanks, Karen!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-30857459060880120882012-03-21T13:24:53.177-04:002012-03-21T13:24:53.177-04:00Wonderful post. It's hard to beat up character...Wonderful post. It's hard to beat up characters, but as writers, we must. I really like the spin you put on this though--growth comes from hard times. So true. If I keep this in mind, maybe it won't be as tough to be hard on my characters. : )Cynthia Chapman Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12408985785062180536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-9141064622014063932012-03-21T11:00:55.698-04:002012-03-21T11:00:55.698-04:00Great post!
On another note, I have tagged you fo...Great post!<br /><br />On another note, I have tagged you for the Lucky 7 meme, if you have a WIP floating around.<br /><br />http://karenwojcikberner.blogspot.com/2012/03/lucky-7-challenge.htmlKaren Wojcik Bernerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12824421839546160653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-47070502152942447102012-03-20T18:33:27.916-04:002012-03-20T18:33:27.916-04:00Well said, Celesta!Well said, Celesta!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-72305381862981164992012-03-20T18:33:08.460-04:002012-03-20T18:33:08.460-04:00Torture?! I'll bet your books are very grippin...Torture?! I'll bet your books are very gripping!Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-78505904622293736392012-03-20T18:32:33.065-04:002012-03-20T18:32:33.065-04:00Sounds like you are a fast learner. I am getting b...Sounds like you are a fast learner. I am getting better, the more I remind myself of the issue.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-21446099480376104592012-03-20T18:31:56.838-04:002012-03-20T18:31:56.838-04:00Hey Joshua, I'm sure your stories are better f...Hey Joshua, I'm sure your stories are better for that lack of fathering. No worries.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068659764096530244.post-53175035058244105932012-03-20T18:31:05.014-04:002012-03-20T18:31:05.014-04:00Hi, TF, thanks for stopping by.Hi, TF, thanks for stopping by.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.com