Kids (& Characters) Just Wanna Have Fun

I'm working on a long-belated project - digging out photos of the miniatures that are mentioned in my book, Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. Okay, call it a "forgotten" project, coming soon to a blog near you.

This got me thinking about the kinds of things we do in our spare time for fun. Characters, too. After all, who wants to read about someone that does absolutely nothing? BO-RING!

Being curious, my character, Sam and her bff Lita, find themselves enjoying their search for the missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night." (That's it pictured. Yes, it's a real oil painting done by an artist. See some other Van Gogh related things in miniature at my blog).

When they finally get into the cranky housekeeper's home by a ruse Sam thought was pretty clever (at first), they discover a whole new world, okay, a small world.

You see, the housekeeper Mrs. Drake is a dollhouse miniatures collector. Why? Because I the author am, too.

The fun of writing is being able to share your own interests, and let the characters - and you, the reader - explore new places, things, and ideas. Even the characters get to have fun and "play" a little.

Life - fictional and real - shouldn't be all work, and no play. So, don't forget to have some fun today, okay?

* Your Turn: What's your hobby? What do you like to do in your spare time?

-- Christine Verstraete is author of Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery

You can buy the book by clicking here.