I scanned the nearby pond and lawns. Empty.
HONK. SQUAWK. HONK. The racket continued without flocks flying overhead.
Jogging around the corner, I discovered the early morning culprits. Two geese stood on the tip-top peak of a two-story house.
Geese? Their webbed feet are supposed to swim on lakes or waddle along grassy areas, not perch on steep roofs.
Writing Tip # 1: Ask questions to unlock ideas.
Why were geese on the roof? What were they honking about? The questions kicked up a story:
“There’s no sign of him.” Spencer ruffled his wings. “If your gosling sneaks out again, I’m grounding Flop from migration.” As the flock’s ace navigator, he needed to concentrate on flight plans, not straddle roof shingles and search for a delinquent.
I stopped to catch my breath and gazed at the noise-makers. Why would a gosling leave its nest? More questions stirred my imagination.
Gertie ignored the peeved Canadian leader and strained her long sleek neck to peer beyond the adjacent backyard. “It’s your fault.”
“What?” Spencer’s shrill honk ricocheted off a nearby chimney.
Gertie stiffened. “His name is Flap. You called him Flop.”
Writing Tip #2: Ask what motivates your characters and why they respond as they do in situations.
What led Spencer to sit on the rooftop with Gertie? Was it guilt for calling the gosling Flop? Or is he secretly in love with Gertie and hopes to help her to win her affection?
Amanda Cabot, best-selling author of over 35 novels, says she stays in a question-mode when she plots. She states, “Writers are analytical. They ask questions.” Cabot writes short summaries for chapters, filling in details as she writes. Throughout her writing career, Cabot has coached writers and led critique groups with insightful questions. Check out her website: http://www.amandacabot.com/
Writing Tip # 3: Who…what…why…when…where…how? These are a writer’s best tools. As you write, never shy away from asking and wrestling with questions. They help me develop plots and characters, and they surprise me with ideas.
The roof-top geese continued their racket, and I resumed my morning jog with another question: Do I purse this half-baked goose story? Hmmm.
Wishing you a summer blazing with books and writing!
Blessings! Gretchen