I’m superstitious.

I’m not picky about where I get my superstitions; I mix and match them. I knock on wood, toss salt over my shoulder, rub Buddha’s belly, and utilize Feng Shui design in my office. I have lucky numbers, and have been known to wear stones for their reputed properties. I don’t walk under ladders. If a black cat dashes across my path, I wince and look for trouble coming. I love wishing fountains and good luck charms. Some superstitions I had to change because they worked backwards for me. That whole “see a penny, pick it up” thing for good luck? Brings me bad luck every time, so I avoid pennies on the ground like the plague.

I read my horoscope, both Western and Chinese. On a recent writers’ retreat, my laptop’s operating system died. Faced with the dreaded blinking cursor on a blank screen, I didn’t think, “Well, the darn thing is a little over three years old.” No, no, no. I thought, “Damned Mercury Retrograde!” I’m certain MR is the reason why my runs-like-a-top desktop computer has had a few fits this past week. And MR is definitely why it took me a week of searching support forums to learn that the utilities disk required to use the Windows re-installation disk (a disk to use another disk, yeesh) has to be snail mailed to me, because Dell doesn’t have it on their site to download. I’m going to use this opportunity to justify adding a netbook to my arsenal of writing implements, but I’ll wait until I get back from Lora Leigh’s RAW next week… when Mercury will be in direct motion again. (Appliances and equipment purchased during retrograde are supposedly doomed. *cue creepy music*)

Some of you will read all this and think I’m nuts. Hopefully, most of you will think I’m just quirky. Regardless, my fondness for superstitions is one of the eccentricities that make me ME. It’s one of things that defines me and makes me unique.

I starting thinking about traits and quirks and eccentricities while trying to deepen a character I’m working on. Formerly a supporting cast member, she’s now moving to center stage. I need readers to know her well. I need them to care about her and see her as unique in all the world. A woman with quirks that make her non-cookie cutter. Does she laugh when she’s nervous? Can she hold her liquor, or is she a lightweight? Does she raise her voice when she’s mad, or does she speak with dangerous softness? Does she listen to the radio and watch TV at the same time? Is she a good driver, or does she run over curbs?

I read a story once where the hot-as-hell alpha hero, a man who faced death every day without a shiver of fear, was afraid of heights. Absolutely brilliant the way it was executed. That phobia breathed life into the characterization and made a huge difference in how I related to him. And so my desk is covered with papers that detail my progression to uncovering my heroine. When I’m done with her, I’ll do the same for my hero. I can’t wait to figure out what his quirks are!

How about you? If you’re a writer, what’s the most unique quirk you’ve ever given a character? If you’re a reader, is there a favorite character of yours that has unusual eccentricities? And confess, are you superstitious?

©2010 Murder She Writes. All Rights Reserved.

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The winner of a copy of Annette McCleave’s DRAWN INTO DARKNESS is Leslee!!

September 1, 2009

Congratulations, Leslee. And thanks to everyone for welcoming Annette to MSW!

©2010 Murder She Writes. All Rights Reserved.

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First off, thanks so much for welcoming me to Murder She Writes as a guest blogger. I’m honored to be able to share my debut release excitement with such a fabulous group of writers.

Follow Your Dreams

I had a different post written and ready to go when I realized that the day it would be posted – today – would have been my brother’s fifty-second birthday. That gave me pause, because my older brother was my inspiration and he passed away ten years ago this month.

Annette McCleave

He wasn’t a writer, nor did he ever read one of my manuscripts. So, why was he my inspiration? He left me the legacy of Follow Your Dreams.

My brother was a gifted man—bright and capable and visionary. He gazed up at the stars, thrived in nature, and reveled in the sheer physicality of life. He had the same curiosity children have and expressed a similar, uninhibited joy at new discoveries. His patience was incredible—he could easily spend an hour coaxing a chipmunk to take a peanut from his hand or waiting for a family of deer to venture from the shadows to visit the feeder. He never walked past a homeless person without offering a dollar, even if it was his last one. Helping others was a huge part of who he was, and at various times in his life, he served as a lifeguard, a ski patroller, and a volunteer for the Coast Guard. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but if there’s one thing that could be said about him, it’s that he defined the word potential. Possibility radiated from him.

Unfortunately, my brother died before he could realize his full potential. Oh, he did a lot with the time he had, but some of the things he wanted to experience never happened—like finding the girl of his dreams and getting married. The usual roadblocks, like finding himself and making ends meet, got in the way and his time ran out.

It’s terribly easy to lose sight of your dreams. Behind such weighty words as responsibilities, mortgage, and promotion, they can disappear from view. Mine certainly did. And time. Where do we find the time to do frivolous things like chase dreams? The lawn needs mowing, kids need help with their homework, and the boss is demanding more every day.

September 1, 2009

I don’t know what my brother should have—or would have—become. I think about it every now and again, and feel a pinch of sadness, but that’s not really the point. His passing was a wake-up call. It reminded me that dreams are vital to who we are. Each and every one of us.

Because of my brother, I took a good hard look at the outward trappings of my supposedly successful life … and then I looked inward. Because of him, I found the discipline to rise an hour earlier each morning and do what I’d always longed to do—write. Because of him, I finished my first romance manuscript and submitted it. Because of him, I not only acknowledged my dreams, I pursued them. And this month, my boldest of dreams came true—with the arrival of Drawn into Darkness on store shelves, I became a published author.

Would chasing my dreams have been worthwhile if I’d never gotten published? Yes. Absolutely. Because the struggle to reach my dreams has been much more satisfying than any promotion I ever received, and I’ve passed down the one lesson I hope my daughter will never forget: Follow Your Dreams.

There is nothing like a dream to create the future. – Victor Hugo

I’m offering up a copy of Drawn into Darkness to one random commenter today, so tell me what your biggest inspiration has been. A special person? An enlightening event? Or did the inspiration come from within? I’d love to hear.

p.s. This is also a stop on my “Cross into Darkness” blog tour, so feel free to visit my website at www.annettemccleave.com for a chance to win the tour grand prize. If you’ve been following the tour from the beginning, here’s the clue….

Murder She Writes clue: Home to the Campbells responsible for the Glencoe Massacre

–Annette McCleave

©2010 Murder She Writes. All Rights Reserved.

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