Considering the craziness going on right now, a chill chat with coffee sounds pretty good.

I thought now would be a pretty good time for the next post in the Coffee Talks series. I figured it’d be nice for you all to have a nice, relaxing post and having the opportunity to share your thoughts.

If you’re new here, Coffee Talks is a series where I pretty much just ramble. I’ll just say a bit of what’s on my mind, invite you to do the same, while we’re all sipping on imaginary coffee…

Of course, now it’s time to set the scene for our fourth Coffee Talk…

Okay, imagine this…

We’ve just a fun-filled day at the beach. Laughing, surfing, swimming. But now the sun is setting, casting vivid hues across the cloud-streaked sky. We sit in the soft sand, still slightly warm from the sun, scooting closer to the fire’s warmth. The wood crackles and pops along with the hushing sound of the waves. A flock of birds fly silently overhead. We hold warm thermoses of hot drinks, enjoying comfortable silence and quiet chats. 

Take a deep, slow breath.

Relaxed? Good.

Something I decided to try differently with this Coffee Talks was to include a few questions from you all. I wasn’t able to include all of them, but I tried to pick at least one from each person that had a question list. These questions will just be scattered around the post. 🙂

Q: What book has had the most impact in your life?

A: (besides the Bible) I’d have to say the Out of Time series by Nadine Brandes (didn’t see that one coming, did you?). I’ve been inspired by Parvin’s spiritual journey. I don’t usually want to underline in novels, but in this series I did want to.

So…let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? 

Yes, I’m talking about the coronavirus. This thing has effected the whole world, drastically changing our lives. It can be kinda scary, when you think about it. But I’ve been trying to focus on the positive side of this. I’m not trying to take away from the fact that this is a serious situation, that people are getting sick and dying. And I pray for them. I just want to encourage us all to stay positive. We’ll get through this.

Some positive things I’ve seen through this is that families are spending more time together. Everyone’s schedules have been cleared to some degree and we have more time to spend with our families. I’ve also seen a lot of people taking the opportunity to walk outside, go for jogs, and just generally enjoy the outdoors more. I also think that this is an opportunity for us to evaluate our lives, see what’s become too important to us, and listen for what God wants to tell us through all this.

Q: If you got your own dog what would you name it?

A: For some reason, I’ve always wanted a black dog named Shadow. I don’t really know why. And lately I’ve been really liking Dutch Shepherds.

Q: Favorite caffeine beverage?

A: Lattes! Especially caramel lattes. <3

As I work on the outline for my sci-fi/futuristic story, Skyracer, I’ve discovered how much fun it is to have a protagonist that is the exact opposite of you. Skyracer’s MC, Renna, is fierce, outgoing, a little reckless and spontaneous, and a fighter (literally…she does kickboxing). I’m more quiet, introverted, predictable and I do not do kickboxing for sure. Creating a character that is almost nothing like me has forced me to discover what other personalities are like. 

It’s also forced me to learn some kickboxing for research but we’ll not talk about that struggle.

Anyway, if you’ve never done it, I encourage you to try to create a character that is the opposite of everything you are. It’s fun. 😉 

Q: What was the last non-fiction book you read?

A: Non-fiction I’m currently reading would be The Shallow by Nicholas Carr, Story Genius by Lisa Cron, and Fight Write by Carla Hoch. As for the last non-fiction book I completed, it was Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado (great book!).

Q: Who’s your favorite character you’ve created?

A: This is a cruel hard question. I mean, I’m choosing between my children!! But…currently, it would have to Renna Starr from Skyracer. 

I have finally started reading the Narnia books! 😀 I am so ecstatic because before now I had been calling myself a Narnia fan, just because I watched the movies. *face palm* A shameful moment for this booknerd. Anyway, I’ve been enjoying the stories so much! I wish I’d read them sooner. Now the movies are becoming that much more meaningful and deep.

Q: What’s your preferred way of developing your characters?

A: I’ve been using the How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method book (by Randy Ingermanson), which helps me develop both plot and character. And…also a lot of imagining the characters in movie-like scenes. 😉

I hope you enjoyed this fourth part of the Coffee Talks series. I hope that it gave you a chance to relax and breathe. I pray for all of you, that you’ll stay safe and healthy. Thanks for reading! <3

One last thing…on Thursday I’ll be doing an introductory post for my futuristic WIP, Skyracer. Besides aesthetic collages, the blurb, and mock cover, it will include a Q&A. So drop any questions you may have for this WIP in the comments!

What are your thoughts about the coronavirus? If you had your own dog, what would you name it? Got any questions for the next Coffee Talks?