Writing my third novel, Somebody Like You, felt like a series of virtual “Mother, may I?” giant steps. You know, the ones where you s-t-r-e-t-c-h your leg out in front of you as far as you can … and lean a little farther … praying you won’t fall flat on your face on the cement sidewalk before you plant your foot on firm ground again and move ahead. And then you repeat, repeat, repeat as you advance to the finish line.

Yep. Writing Somebody Like You was all about stretching and balancing what I knew with what I was learning. And praying that I — and the story — wouldn’t fall flat.

Taking on the high concept story — Can a young widow fall in love with her husband’s reflection? — was one thing. But the decision to up my game as an author and layer in stronger emotions backed me into a corner more than once.

Why? To conquer it I had to get personal.

It’s one thing to endow imaginary characters with hopes and dreams and Dark Moments and Wounds, Lies and Fears. It’s something else all together to go mucking around in my oh-so real hopes and dreams … and hurts.

If we want to write real characters who make our readers laugh out loud or cry as they turn the pages of our books, then we have to delve into our hearts and remember the events and the people who made us laugh out loud and cry behind closed doors — or in public.

In Somebody Like You, my heroine is a military widow. My husband Rob was in the military for over 20 years, so I understand that life, including deployment. While I haven’t been widowed, several close friends have been widowed at young ages.

My strongest connection came as I wrote my hero, Stephen, who is estranged from his identical twin brother Sam. I have a twin sister (not identical). And I am also in an unexpected season of estrangement with my extended family.

The estrangement in my novel was a carefully orchestrated and researched plot point.

In my own life? I’ve wept. Ranted to silent walls and a few trusted friends. Ached so deep in my soul there are no words to describe it. Lain on the floor before God and left this eSTRANGEment in his hands, again and again and again.

Could I write Stephen’s story?

Yes. To meet my goal and layer in true, honest emotion, then I had refuse to mute my own emotions. I know exactly how my characters feel. I want my readers to experience Somebody Like You in a strong, visceral way. At times I wrote a scene where Stephen wrestled with the years of distance between him and Sam even as I cried about my own situation. I let my emotions fuel my writing.

When have you let your emotions fuel your writing?

Do You Ever Get Personal with Your Readers? Click to Tweet

Let Your Emotions Fuel Your Writing Click to Tweet