Author Archives: Chris Benedict

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo

Not like that!

(This is me in Dalaran, posing in my Hallow’s End costume. Scary! Notice the rolling eyeballs in my shoulder armor? Okay, maybe my fashion sense isn’t the best…)

What I meant was, I’m getting ready for NaNoWriMo –figuring out a plot, building a fictional world, auditioning characters, and deciding between first person multiple viewpoint narration, or third. All the little pieces that turn a rough idea into a story.

I’m not really prepared — I haven’t even named half my characters. But then, I rarely am. Only when I spin it out on the page does the story come alive in my mind.

On a good day I’m full of ideas, and the words flow easily. But Nanowrimo isn’t really about that — it’s about writing the words that aren’t easy — writing on the days when you’d rather be doing practically anything else.

And ultimately, that’s what separates a successful writer from the rest of the pack.

Nature comes tapping

New Mexico's vibrant wildlife, the plucky roadrunner pays a visit to the author.

The Plucky Roadrunner visits

I’ve been visiting my family in the beautiful state of New Mexico, and marveling at the different wildlife that flocks around. Hummingbirds chase each other from the feeders, a kestrel dives and soars. Buzzards circle in the hot azure skies. Lizards turn suspicious eyes up at me wherever I walk, darting for cover. Butterflies flutter by the dozens, and dragonflies zip past on a mission. Tarantulas and scorpions and vinegarones wander the night. It’s an active and vital place.

But perhaps my favorite, a plucky roadrunner. Tap, tap… I open the blinds to discover who is making the noise. There he is, perched upon the bird feeder and challenging his own reflection in the wide picture-window. What a beauty he is, with his sharp-curved beak and a vibrant sweep of red, white, and blue behind his eyes. He plucks up a dying beetle and, as he speeds away, I see the iridescent green sheen of his long feathers. “Come again,” I call as he recedes into the distance.