Tag: Shonda Rhimes

Friday Fifteen

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Happy Friday, guys! It’s been a while, but I’ve been working on site updates and I’m happy with how things are starting to shape up. I’m still tweaking (and trying to adjust things based on stuff I’ve been learning in my web design class), so let me know your thoughts on how things look so far.

Also, it seems like a great time to share some thoughts about what I’ve been reading, so let’s start the weekend with some book reviews in fifteen words or fewer.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
Rhimes is a refreshing combination of confident and honest about her fears in this memoir.

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake
Very A Summer Place. Love how Hadley and Sam respond to their respected flawed parents.

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey
Engaging take on why we’re haunted by ghost stories. More cultural study than horror.

Quote of the Day

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Shonda Rhimes

(ABC/Image Group LA) SHONDA RHIMES

“I don’t even know who a character is until I’ve seen how they handle adversity.”
—Shonda Rhimes

I’m reading Rising Strong by Brené Brown right now, and she includes this quote from an interview she had with writer/producer Shonda Rhimes. Brown uses this quote to talk about how we all deal with adversity and how it can demonstrate who we are, but I think this is also a great quote for writers to keep in mind. We don’t know a character until we see them face a major challenge–and this is when the story has to start. It’s gotta be on the day when everything changes for them, when they face the biggest challenge of their lives. Otherwise, how do we really know them?

When do you feel like you really know your characters? Share in the comments!