I’m currently interviewing Calista Marie Stephens. I’m not actually going to post it…I’m still working on it. But I wanted to tell you my FAVORITE part of this interview process – Calista doesn’t exist!

She’s a character in one of my novels. I’ve been getting to know her the past two month. First with the help of Jeff Gerke (The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction) and now by the hand of Brandilyn Collins (Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist can Learn from Actors).

I MUST endorse these books! I know that everyone has their own learning styles, and these two really speak to me. If you are like me in any of these areas, then I suggest picking up these books:

1) Dominantly left-brained (odd, I know. I’m a musician too, and still left-brained)
2) Visual learner
3) Hands-on learner
4) Short attention span (the chapters/sections are brief)
5) If you’ve ever ridden in a car to a destination a dozen times, but when asked to drive yourself you still need directions (because you don’t remember it if you don’t do it)

I am all of the above. It’s hard for me to grasp concepts and ideas…I need to see it in action (and some how I’m a Christian. Yes, I know…I’m one big paradox). These books have managed to take the strategies people have been telling me about and lay them out for me to see and understand. I’m SO grateful! (And I should thank Jeff Gerke and Mary DeMuth for recommending them…thanks!).

So there’s my plug – I hope this helps someone out there!