We’re exactly 2 weeks away from the letter Z. It’s hard to believe that means we’re more than halfway through the alphabet and the challenge. In between posts, I’m working on my contemporary, paranormal, romance suspense novel, Listen to the Stones. I’m about two-thirds through the plot and things are starting to come together although I hope the reader has begun to put the clues together, too.
Today’s letter is N, and I’m going to talk about NATURE and HUMAN NATURE and how they influence my writing.
Nature is easy. Whatever goes on around me can end up in a book. I have numerous books set in the winter, especially if we’ve had a terrible snowstorm and I can build on that. I’ve set stories in the middle of tornadoes, rain storms, and the fall with its changing leaves. I can use whatever nature is tossing at me to add atmosphere to a story–bad storms on dark nights? Who doesn’t like working with those?
The other kind of nature reflected in my writing is human nature. As one source put it, Human nature comprises the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally.
To that definition, we can add the four basic personalities: pessimistic, optimistic, trusting, and envious. To these add the universal traits: Intuitive, Self-Centered, Emotional, Motivated, Social, and Hopeful. Of course, you have the theory of ID, Ego, and Superego, but I’m not going there now. Suffice it to say I try to create well-rounded characters with both qualities and flaws. My pessimist may grow to be motivated and hopeful. My envious person may become less self-centered and more social. My optimist may need to realize the importance of emotions, and my trusting individual may have to accept that not everyone serves blind trust and needs to listen to his intuition.
Trust, love, envy, jealousy…they’re all part of human nature and since I started the week with music, here are a few songs dealing with human nature!
Well that’s all I have for you today. Tomorrow we’re going to look at the letter O
Check out blog posts from other participants here: https://tinyurl.com/w54yupwe
Living the Dream 
I almost chose nature too! Love all your descriptors of human nature. A useful list to have when developing characters. Plodding along with you on A to Z! I’m not on the list because I made an error and I caught it too late. Wow is me!
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I’m enjoying your posts. I hope you’ll stick around after the challenge is over.
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Love the musical numbers you have included.
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Finding them was fun.
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Fingers crossed this works, Susanne. I am enjoying your posts and loved your musical selections.
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I suppose we can look us in our daily lives for word inspiration.
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Sounds like you use human nature intentionally while writing your characters.
Ronel visiting for N: My Languishing TBR: N
Boggart
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I certainly try to do that. Hopefully, once in a while I succeed. Have a great day.
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