What are the elements of communication, and how do they apply to your characters?

I'm sure you have some ideas about what communication is that you have gained during a lifetime of talking to people, and writing them letters (and now, texting  them, e-mailing them, and so on.) by now, you are probably pretty good at getting your message across.

What about your characters?

Most of communication is non-verbal. How do you portray that non-verbal aspect in what you write? Do you? Or do you just not worry about it?

How do you handle a scene where, for example, a character is sayng "I love you," but he's thinking "I want to strangle you, you bitch." How do you make the reader understand the two messages, through body language? And what about the effect on the person the message is going to?

What about two characters getting ready to fight, and one of them is thinking, I'm not afraid  of you. I've dealt with you before. How will your character's body language convey that?

Just a few thoughts. For most of us, the character's dialogue will be the majority of the message. But there are other ways to communicate, so why not take that into account?

I am tentatively scheduled to be interviewed on Alan Dale's blog on the 20th of June. He is interviewing five writers a day, every day, during the month of June.

Here is the link: http://alandale.wordpress.com/

On Monday, I shall begin the final rewrite of Jane Doe. This shouldn't be too extensive. There are some scenes I need to add, and some other scenes that need tweaking. I am still on track for a June release.

I do find myself torn about making this post; on the one hand, I want to keep readers updated, but on the other hand, it's been all promises, promises, promises.

So you probably won't hear much more until I can announce the actual publication of Jane Doe. I may or may not write a few words on other topics in the meantime.

Also, look for announcements of blog interviews in the month of June. I hope to have further information next month.

The edits for Jane Doe are finished. I still have to tweak it, as there are a number of improvements to be made. I hope to have everything done within the next few weeks. My goal is to publish Jane Doe not later than the end of June, and I am on track to meet, and even to beat, that date.

And I think I will write no more about impending releases for a while, as I am getting tired of writing: nothing yet, still working on it. The next time I mention Jane Doe on this site, it will be to announce publication on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

In the meantime, I have a number of other projects on tap. Taylor Made, the first novel featuring my P.I. character Charlie Rowe, is ready for beta reading. I hope to send it off this week. I willalso need to start looking for cover art soon.

I also have a novelete, a horror story called Skinny Dipping. I am not certain when I will publish this, or even if I will. It is ready for another draft, but it is also third on my list of priorities. I want to refine the language, expand some scenes, and fiddle with characer dynamics. The basic story involves four girls and how they react to stress. This might not get published for some time.

In addition to those stories, I have several other ideas. Evil Twin and False Witness are stories that also feature Charlie Rowe. Those Who Have Not Swords is likely to be a nightmare of a project that involves politics, gun control, and crime. Slings and Arrows is another Charlie Rowe novel. The Other Woman is a serial killer story that requires at least one rewrite. It is farthest on the list.

I also have some short stories to work on that I can sandwich in amongst my novels and novellas, as well as some ideas for novellas.

The possible order of publication is:

Jane Doe

Taylor Made

Skinny Dipping

False Witness

Evil Twin

Those Who Have Not Swords

This is subject to change, of course, and is currently only a tentative order of publication.

I have enough work on my plate to keep me busy writing, revising, and publishing for probably the next two years. I also have other concerns in my life, such as the fact that my studies to acquire a Paralegal degree are coming to a close, and I will soon need to prepare for graduation. Then will come looking for a job. Except for some mobilizations with the U.S. Army, I have not worked since 2008. I hope I can get back into good work habits. I also will be looking into moving within the next year or so, and after that, I want to buy a house. I will also need to replace my car sooner or later.

All in all, there is much going on in my life. But, at least everything is going in a positive direction.