Lights. Camera. Action.

Missing an entrance cue can mess up the whole story. That’s why good actors wait in the wings, listening for their cue, ready to take the stage. The characters in our fiction writing are a lot like anxious actors. They fidget in our minds, waiting for just the right moment to take their place in our story. If we allow them to come in too soon, no one else on the stage is ready for them. The tension has not been put into place to heighten their appearance. Come in too late, and the tension has fizzled. Knowing when to cue a character’s entrance takes practice and sometimes sheer luck.

Likewise, knowing when to make an appearance on life’s stage takes guts. Today, I’m making my first blog appearance. Pretty gutsy for the technically challenged. Having spent the last twenty years helping people excel on the stage, I’m going to use this forum to help writers glean stage tips that can help them flesh out three-dimensional characters. We’ll be taking a look at everything from body language to vocal inflection.

Stop by regularly. Better yet, sign up for the feed.

If all the world’s a stage, then may the nuggets dispensed here garner the applause of heaven.