Bernadette Benda

There are just some things I love to write (and some things I hate too…like oh gosh if characters have to kiss what do I do). Some things that show up because I WANT IT. (some things just don’t show up enough in my opinion though my stories sometime have their own).

So here are five things you shouldn’t be surprised in my stories (in fact, you should almost expect them). Pull up a lawn chair and a glass of iced tea if it’s warm enough out. (not here, it’s going to snow this evening though I’m pretty sure that’s illegal)

1

FIGHTS. ALL THE FIGHT SCENES. *explosions* *stabs* *punches* *bing* *bang* *boom you’re an American hero* I honestly sometimes have too many fights. Oops.

2

Weird houses. Weird houses are just so thematic?? Like, super old huge houses or ludicrously fancy mansions. Giant paintings on the walls. Small houses. Maybe a sentient house??? (one of these days!!!!)

3

Running/escaping/chase scenes. Running through the woods, riding a horse, running through a weird house while fighting. I feel like there are sooo many good scenes like this in books. I particularly have a memory of Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman where Honor is running in the woods during a storm and she gets scraped and muddied…(wow those were ye olden days when YA dystopia was IT.)

4

Weather. Weather. has. so. much. to. add. to. a. story. Like what would the Battle of Helm’s Deep be without the rain? Give me dramatic sunsets and wind and snow and storms and yellow sunrises. Just basically I want everything to be as gorgeous as this shot:

5

Super powerful girls. ’nuff said.

*drum roll* and there you have it folks. I struggled for hours staring at a blinking cursor to come up with this (this whole quarantine thing is doing something to my blogging creativity). If you have anything you want to hear from me (things about writing, my life, fun facts, whatever) drop in the comments below!

(Though I do feel a little bit of a ranty blog post coming together in my head.)