I’m borrowing from The Sound of Music there, and of course I hear the song when I typed that! I was thinking about what makes characters interesting, and mostly (to me) it’s how we get into their head and feel their dreams and conflicts, and see through the eyes of a different person. Characters need to make us feel, but it’s also fun when they’re quirky, unique people with interesting likes, hobbies, beliefs, etc. I’m in the beginning stages of a couple different novels, which explains why this has been on my mind. I often draw from things I like or things I want to know more about so I’m listing some of my favorite things:

fuzzy animals, especially babies
fuzzy caterpillars (fuzzipitters)
frogs
bumblebees
turtles

Cheesecake
salmon (most seafood!)
berries
white whine
Bree cheese with apples and crackers

cycling
reading and writing of course!
hiking, canoeing and other outdoor activities
traveling
making jewelry
watching the kids play sports – I can really get into a game then!

My all time favorite thing is spending time with my family, which is probably a given for most people. Well, it’s Saturday and the sun is out, so I’m off and running! (Well, cycling as the case may be.)