Writing While Distracted

Complex Dimensions, the fourth book in the Rowan House series

Keys to Compelling Fiction: Crafting Characters

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Brenda

“The lovely thing about writing is, well, two things. One, writing fiction allows us to bring an order to our lives that doesn’t exist in real life. And two, it allows us to create human characters that we know better than we will ever know anyone in real life. ” Octavia Butler

I adore the above quote from Octavia Butler. Characters are, for most readers, the most compelling reason for them to keep reading. Readers may tolerate a mediocre plot and pacing that is a bit off, but if they don’t give a rat’s patootie about the characters, they will stop reading your novel. I know from discussions with both authors and readers I’m not the only person who misses fictional characters after we finish writing, or reading a book, in fact sometimes the only thing that pushes me to finish is a desperate desire to know how my characters’ stories unfold and because I write romance I want them to get to their happy endings.

How do you go about crafting characters that keep readers turning pages? Some writers fill out exhaustive inventories of personality questions, and character inventories, some authors write reams of backstory, and others wing it. I have one friend that draws Tarot cards and uses them to create her characters.

I have a few tools I use for character creation and thought I would share my favorites. I begin my character building by starting with generalities: what they look like, age, where they grew up, and what they do for a living. The next step is completing the Backstory Wound Profile tool developed by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman and available in their book, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma. I use The Emotional Wound Thesaurus to give depth to my characters, to provide them with reliable, understandable, and relatable reasons for their behaviors.

My next step is to complete a quick reread of Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goal Motivation and Conflict. Her short book is a concise explanation of why it is essential to understand your character’s goals, motivations, and conflicts. Dixon provides a GMC sheet that I complete as well using the information from the Backstory Wound Profile tool. If you don’t read any other book on this list, read this one. The third step in creating my characters is to research their occupations and culture. I use blogs, ethnographies, and in some cases, my travel journals to add details to my characters profiles.

Developing my characters is as much a part of my writing process as much as creating an outline. If I get stuck writing a scene or if the story is not flowing, I go back to my character sheets. Story flow problems are most often issues with a character’s growth arc. After rereading my character sheets, I’m usually able to suss out why my story is not working. After I address character arc issues, I’m ready to continue writing with confidence, knowing that my characters are moving along a believable path.

Writers, what are your favorite ways to craft characters? Do you have favorite tools and techniques you use? Readers, who are your favorite characters from fiction, the ones you still think about long after you close the book?

Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local tea shop and writing, she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted. You can find her on Facebook by clicking here. Sign Up for her email list here www.brendalmurphy.com

Books available at

Coming Soon

Complex Dimensions, book four in the Rowan House series. Preorders Available September 20, 2019

Make it Your Own

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Brenda

Tomorrow the kids are back a school and my work life is back on schedule. I moved my office over the summer and I had worked in it only a tiny bit because it just didn’t feel like my office. I couldn’t figure it out. I was restless, and edgy and not productive preferring to sit on the couch or in a coffee shop to work.

Why? My usual reason for discomfort is that change is hard for me, as it is for many folks with ADHD/ADD. Patterns and routines are what keep us moving forward, as much as we might rebel against them sometimes.

Last night as I not sleeping, because I struggle with sleep issues, I was thinking about my production schedule for the week. It occurred to me as I visualized sitting at my desk the arrangement was totally opposite from former office. Many folks would not care if their desk was on the east wall of their office or the west wall, or if the office door was to their left or right, or if they would have their back to the door while working, but it made a difference to me.

The impulse to fix my problem was so strong, only the fear of waking up the rest of my family and then trying to explain to them why three o’clock in the morning seemed like a good time to move furniture stopped me. Today with the help of my very industrious twins we completely rearranged my office in half the time it would have taken me to do it alone.

I haven’t always been this aware of my feelings of discomfort. For years when things were off, I would just ignore them or push through or abandon doing things because of my unidentified negative feelings. Because my kids both struggle with identifying their feelings and being able to articulate what is bothering them, I ask them, especially when they are acting out, or overly upset, “what is wrong?” and “how can you fix it or make it better?” I want them to know they don’t have to settle or deny their discomfort, and that their feelings are valid. Even if other people don’t understand. Especially if other people don’t understand.

Notice I don’t ask “how can I fix it?” I want them to understand what it took me years to figure out. If something is wrong or doesn’t feel right to you, stop and think, take time to check in with yourself. Fix it yourself if you can, and ask for help if you can’t or it’s overwhelming to do it alone. Such a simple lesson and yet so powerful.

Before I had the privilege of having my own office with a door I worked while sitting on the corner of the couch, or at my dining room table. In both places, I did little things that made it mine, and comfortable, even if it was only during the time I used them.

Are there things in your life that are making you uncomfortable or are the source of negative feelings? Have you abandoned your writing or creative space because it didn’t feel right or you were unable to be productive? Or have you never been able to settle into a creative space? Take a moment to check in with yourself, and then take the time to make your space your own, even if it’s a corner of a room or a place at the kitchen table do what you need to do to be productive and create. Now go make/write/do something amazing.

Brenda Murphy writes erotic romance. Her novel, Knotted Legacy, made the 2018 The Lesbian Review’s Top 100 Vacation Reads list. She loves sideshows and tattoos and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted. You can find her on Facebook by clicking here. Sign Up for her email list here www.brendalmurphy.com

Books available at

Rainbow Snippet August 17-18

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Brenda

Hello Snippeteers!

I’ve had a lovely break including a fantastic 10 day digital detox, and I’m ready to get back to work. This week’s snip is from a paranormal romance I’ve had on the back burner for several years and plan to finish this fall. The working title is Helen and Lucinda. This is a first draft so please be forgiving.

From Helen and Lucinda:

Lucinda relaxed her grip, tracing her claw down Helen’s face. “Not a threat. I have a gift,” sliding her hand to the back of Helen’s neck she gripped it hard. With her other hand she ran a nail across her breast. Golden liquid seeped along the line of the wound. Lucinda touched her finger to Helen’s lips “Drink and be mine. Forever bound. Blood by blood, lifetime by lifetime.”

“Why now?” Helen gripped Lucinda’s waist with both hands.”I have nothing to give you”

“You fear loosing me to Lilith. This is my pledge to you. Drink and know you are bound to me.”

Helen lowered her head and lapped the glistining drops of blood Lucinda offered. Sweet and coppery, Lucinda’s offering filled her mouth.

“Your gift to me will be freeing Lilith from the stone.” Lucinda pressed a kiss to the crown of Helen’s head

Helen sighed as she swallowed the last of Lucinda’s gift. A tendril of desire curled up from her belly spun out from her center and she pushed her body hard against Lucinda craving more of her dark gift.

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Back to Work

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Brenda

It’s the beginning of a new school year at our house — a time of new lunch boxes and backpacks and school supplies. My kids love school, and as much as I love our lazy summer days, I crave the structure that the school calendar brings to our lives. I have taken most of the summer off to reset and recharge, including an almost two weeks long social/screen sabbatical. During part of that, I took my kids’ camping for the first time, and it went well. The best part was the campground had no cell or internet connection, true freedom from 24/7 overload, and a fantastic digital detox. I am energized and well-rested and finally out of the blender.

What is the blender? It’s those times in your life when, just as you are getting settled, starting to get used to the new normal, something else occurs which requires you to change your plans, to find a new way to accomplish the five million and two things on your to-do list. And for those of us who struggle with our ADHD on a good day, and schedule disruption can send us right off the rails and destroy our ability to focus. The unstructured time of summer is both marvelous on one hand because I do like spending time with my kids, but I also struggle because I crave alone time to create. I coped this summer by using my bits of time to research and outline three projects.

Are things going to settle down now? Nope. There will be all the craziness that fall brings. But my kids will be busy at school, and I will have uninterrupted time for writing, or as I like to think of it, playing with my imaginary friends on paper. Now that my kids can read, and read very well, it is hard for me to work with them around and I can’t sneak in the time I used to when they were younger. The fall and winter are my most productive time, and last year, I managed to write two novels and a novella between September and March. I cheat a bit by doing NaNoWriMo every year, and that pushes me to complete a novel in a month.

This year my goal is to complete all three of the books I outlined by May of next year. Can I do it? I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to give it a good go, and having the framework in place makes me feel like I can. Not writing over the summer was super hard. Writing is essential for my mental health. Blogging, one of my favorite things to do, and the one thing I try to keep with, no matter what, has been hit or miss the last few months and that has made it much more difficult for me stay on an even keel. Writing, art journaling, and telling stories are my touchstones. The past four months have made that clear to me that no matter what I need to provide time for myself to create. Going forward, I’m getting back to work, knowing that when everything is wacky, and I’m in the blender, the one thing I can do to anchor myself, is writing. My advice, if you are a creator and you’re struggling, set aside a few minutes to create. Even fifteen minutes of writing/drawing/painting or whatever is your creative outlet, can make a difference, make time and create.

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Rainbow Snippet July 6-7

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Brenda

Hi all,
This week I’m busy doing laundry and packing for The Golden Crown Literary Society’s annual conference. It’s a short drive from my house to Pittsburgh, and I’m stoked to meet a bunch of folks in real life that have been so very supportive of my work. My fantastic publisher and the ever fabulous Natasha Snow have created another gorgeous cover for my next novel, Complex Dimensions, set to release in September.

I’ll be reading from the manuscript during my Author Spotlight so if you’re at the conference on Thursday, July 11th come on by and listen. I’ll be reading with four other authors, including Erin Zak and Carsen Taite.

This week’s snip is from Complex Dimensions.
Millie looked up and grinned. “You okay?” A tiny smirk twisted her mouth. “Have I stunned you with my Scrabble talents?”

Veronica laughed. “Dude, you have thoroughly spanked me. All I have left is Us and Ns. And nowhere to play them.”
Millie grinned. “You’re good. The last person I played with I beat by three hundred points.”
Veronica leaned back in her chair as a tiny flare of jealous ignited in her chest. Ridiculous. I am ridiculous. She’s not mine. So what if she played Scrabble with someone else? “Thank you. We played a bunch growing up. I’m rusty.”
“If that’s your version of rusty I better be prepared for our next game.” She stretched and her shirt pulled tight across her chest and Veronica had to look away before she embarrassed herself. “I hate to say it but I’ve got to go and try to get some sleep. I’ve an early pickup tomorrow.”
Veronica stifled her disappointment. “It’s okay. Maybe we can do this again sometime.”

Brenda Murphy writes erotic romance. Her novel, Knotted Legacy, made The Lesbian Review’s 2018 Top 100 Vacation Reads list. She loves sideshows and tattoos and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted. You can find her on Facebook by clicking here. Twitter here Sign Up for her email list for sneak peeks and more at www.brendalmurphy.com

Books available at

Rainbow Snippet June 29-30

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Brenda

A steamy Saturday here, and I spent the morning making dolmas from the grape leaves pruned from my backyard vines. A dear friend came over and shared his mother’s recipe and they were delicious. It made me think of all the wonderful food I wrote about in Both Ends of the Whip, my novel inspired by a trip to a vineyard in Northern Italy and so this week’s snip is a throwback from that novel.

Both End of the Whip is the second book in the Rowan House Series and was my first experiment in writing a poly romance. I hope you enjoy this snip.

From Both Ends of the Whip:

Vivian lifted her chin, her gaze steady. “I have the contracts here. They’re for six months. That should be enough time for all of us to decide if the arrangement is acceptable.” She lifted an elegant black fountain pen from the desk and uncapped it. With a flowing hand she signed her name to each document. She held the pen out, and Octavia walked to the desk. Her fingers brushed against Vivian’s as she took the pen, and a tingle of desire worked its way to her core. Octavia signed her name on the contract. Damn. Get it together. This is trouble. So much trouble. When she was finished, she laid the pen on the desk and glanced up into Vivian’s eyes. The tingle turned into a strong wave of heat. Looking away from Vivian, she stepped back.
Vivian picked up the pen and held it out for Bridget. With slow steps Bridget walked to the desk, her focus fixed on Vivian’s face. Octavia noted the small tremor that shook her hand as she took the pen from Vivian and the way Bridget lowered her gaze when Vivian looked at her. After signing her name, Bridget held the pen out with both hands, palms up, an offering. Vivian’s lips curved into a smile as she took the pen from Bridget’s uplifted hands.
She didn’t smile at me. What the hell is wrong with me? So what? Get it together. She’s our employer. Nothing more. Damn, she gets to me. And to Bridget.

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Hitting the Reset Button

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Brenda

If you follow my blog, you know that this spring was a difficult one. We lost my brother-in-law to depression in March. To say we’ve been on a spinning wheel of emotions is not an exaggeration. We are in the process of organizing a celebration of his life, and dealing with all of the feelings that accompany that: sadness, grief, anger, overwhelm, frustration, and disbelief to name the most often occurring ones.

In spite of everything I managed to finish and submit a novella I had been working on, and now have no deadlines to meet which feels odd at the moment. I’ve worked steadily since last September and was able to write and submit two novels, and a novella. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to take a break. That it’s enough for now. The photo at the top of this blog post also reminds me that writing is not a race and that maintaining a constant state of production is not healthy for anyone. It’s okay to sit and think for a while, to take time to plan and daydream and watch a storm from your porch. Slow progress is still making progress toward your goals.

My way of hitting the reset button and filling my creative well is home repairs and improvement projects. I have two rooms to strip wallpaper from, patch and repair and then paint. It may seem odd that home improvement projects are one of my favorite forms of self-care, but it is very relaxing for me to spend hours solely focusing on avoiding brush strokes and roller marks. I also keep a notebook nearby because more than once I have had to stop painting and write down story ideas that pop up while my focus is elsewhere. Never be afraid to hit the reset button and give yourself the time you need to fill your creative well. For you writers and creatives out there how do you hit the reset button?

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Rainbow Snippet May 25-26

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Brenda

Hello Snippeteers,

I’m celebrating this week because I submitted my erotic paranormal romance duology with Megan Hart to my editor at NineStar press. Today’s Rainbow Snippet is from my story in the duology, Shifting Flames.

Eve and Celeste have been two of my favorite characters to write and I expect that I will write more paranormal romances after dipping my fingers into the genre, so to speak. I’m taking some time off this summer to noodle my next series and spend some time with my family but I will keep up with snips. Be sure to check out the other fabulous snips from other others at #rainbowsnippets

From Shifting Flames:

After lunch Eve returned to the study. Celeste was standing at the window her hand against the pane of glass, staring out at the valley.

“Are you okay?” Eve placed the cup of coffee she had brought with her on the desk.

Celeste turned from the window and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry for before. I’m ready to work now.”

Eve sat and opened her laptop. “Why don’t we set some guidelines, map out what is most important to you as a storyteller, then we’ll work through the scenes and dialogue to make that happen.”

“Are you a magician? You think we can really tell the story in one-hundred ten scenes? I must have been mad to agree to this.” Celeste turned back to the window, her hands clenched into fists.

“Look at me.”

Celeste turned back to Eve.

“We can do this. It may not be exactly what you want but if you’re serious we can make this happen. Trust me. Please.” Eve held Celeste’s gaze. “Don’t give up on this.”

Celeste rested her hands on her hips and inclined her head toward the window and the snowstorm outside. “It’s not like I could send you away.”

In this group, you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexy times, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library and writing, she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted. You can find her on Facebook by clicking here. For news about upcoming releases, appearances, sneak peeks and giveaways sign Up for her email list at www.brendalmurphy.com

Books available at

Rainbow Snippet May 18-19

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Brenda

Hello Snippteers,

I just sent off my second round of edits for the Complex Dimensions, book four in the Rowan House series and thought this snip was perfect for this week. My kids only have seven days left of school and I’m trying to cram in as much work as I can before summer break. I hope you enjoy this week’s snip.

From Complex Dimensions:

Millie crossed the room and clasped the woman’s hand in both of hers. “Signora Rossi, so good to see you again.”
“And you as well.” The woman leaned in and kissed Millie on both cheeks. Her voice was warm honey laced with a hint of seduction. “And didn’t we decide you would call me Aurora?”
Veronica squelched the flare of jealousy that ignitied in her chest at the way they greeted each other.
Aurora turned and raked her gaze over Veronica. “Who have you brought me?”
Millie grinned and held out her hand palm up. “Veronica Fletcher meet Signora Aurora Rossi.”
Veronica held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Signora Rossi.”
Aurora took Veronica’s offered hand and held it tightly as her gaze traveled over Veronica’s body. “My pleasure. Call me, Aurora.” She dropped Veronica’s hand. “Turn for me, please.”
“Um, what?” Veronica gripped the seams of her jeans. Under Aurora’s gaze, Veronica had the sensation of being naked.
“Arms relaxed at your side, turn in a slow circle. I want to see your shape.” She murmured to herself in Italian as Veronica turned as she had directed.

“Millie, get the notebook out of my bag. Be my scribe.” Millie grinned and walked over to a burgundy leather case leaning against one of the chairs. Aurora fixed her gaze on Veronica’s face. “Now strip. I need to measure you.”

The brisk businesslike tone of her voice had Veronica tugging at the hem of her shirt to comply. “Everything?”

Aurora tilted her head at Veronica, a sly smile on her face. “As much as I would enjoy you completely naked, that is not what we are here for today. Leave on your underthings.”

Rainbow Snippets( https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/)is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).
In this group, you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexy times, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

Brenda Murphy writes short fiction and novels. She loves tattoos and sideshows and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library and writing, she wrangles two kids, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot. She reviews books, blogs about life as a writer with ADHD and publishes photographs on her blog Writing While Distracted. You can find her on Facebook by clicking here. For news about her upcoming releases, appearances, sneak peeks and giveaways sign up for her email list at www.brendalmurphy.com

Books available at