I know the saying says once, but I won’t try anything once. That’s just nutty! I could list at least twenty things off the top of my head that I would never, ever try.

Candy isn’t really one of them. Unless they’re candy coated once-alive things, like the roaches and crickets and things you sometimes here about in the news. Not trying that, thanks!

Cake is another thing I would try, but I HATE Guava, and it’s a popular Hispanic filling. So popular that sometimes, people don’t think of it as a filling. It’s a horrid thing to be surprised with, I tell you. So, with caution, I would try most cakes.

Juices too. And cookies. Most pies.

With writing, almost every story is a preferred treat.

Reading too!

How often have you read a recommendation to be disappointed, but stumbled upon a real gem on your own! I love that! I love finding books in book stores and taking a chance on them. Even the ones in the Dollar Stores, not the romance ones – but kids books or the second or third book in some series. (Why they never have the first book in the series is a mystery!) For a dollar, I’ll try out the book. If I like it, what a great buy. If I didn’t, it wasn’t such a great loss – and I could easily donate the book to goodwill.

Writing is a bit different.

There are days, where you feel as if anything you do is a complete gem. You get a lot of writing done on those days, even if a lot of it will likely end up in the can. Getting a reaction out of your character is a wonderful thing. Having them try new things is a wonderful thing, too. Having experienced the thing that the character is trying will allow you to give the situation more detail, but it’s not a necessity.

I doubt George Lucas has traveled through space. Just saying.

Writing is a lot about taking risks though! I haven’t gotten to a character yet that likes guava -and I’m not looking forward to it. But if by some chance it occurs (and I certainly know a heck of a lot of characters that don’t do what I want them to do, but what they want to do – so it’s possible), I won’t get into the detail of it, but mention it casually.

Why is it that characters get a mind of their own, when they’re your creation? I like to think of it as children. You have kids, you can’t always control what the do/say/want/play/see/learn/hear/eat, etc. I like to think of pets too. They’re amazing, but they have a mind of their own!

It’s fun to have unexpected things come up about your characters. How will you know your Jane has deadly allergy to strawberries if she never tries them. Or that while Joe and Bob are identical twins, Bob is afraid of heights – unless you get them climbing mountains and getting to the top of Lady Liberty? Poor Bob, but what a moment!  I certainly wouldn’t wish a panic attack on a real person, but trying it out on a character can be a nice catalyst, while not the whole focus of the story.

And while it might be a bitter experience, it makes for sweet reading! And I’ll try anything sweet once!