Connecting with my characters February 15, 2008

Have you ever been searching for something on the Internet, click one link and see something that catches your attention, so you click on that link? The cycle continues and pretty soon you can’t remember what you were looking for in the first place. Most times when I do this it’s a big waste of time, but today’s web adventure led me to the website of Gwen Gorby. 

Gwen was a finalist in an art showcase hosted by a national home décor retailer. Gwen’s entry Treasures of Her Heart and the corresponding description caught my attention, so I clicked on her website. My first thought, “wow, she’s good”. I scrolled through her gallery until one particular piece leapt from the screen shouting “It’s me—Bo”.

Alone With Him reminded me of a scene in my latest manuscript where the main character (Bo) is incarcerated and his only possession is a Bible that someone has given him. I could feel the anguish and frustration of the man in the painting, thus giving me a deeper understanding of how my character must be feeling. That’s no doubt that I’ll use this painting for inspiration to finish my story (now I don’t have to spend a night in jail).

If you’d like to find out more about Gwen and her artwork, click here.