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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

“What’d I Do?”

by Chautona Havig · 3 Comments

My kids have been known to say this while I’m in the middle of writing.  Why, you ask?  I’ll tell you.  Because I write with expression.  Remember in elementary school when Mrs. Teachalots stood before the class, your reading book in her hand (but she had the super huge one that was the ominous-sounding, “Teacher’s Manual”) and eyes scanning the room for her next victim.  Bam!  The finger pointed to you.  You had to step forward and read aloud “with expression.”  I was good at it.  I liked it aside from the fact that a dozen other pairs of eyes were trained on me while I read.  That part was horrible.  There is a REASON I loved it when my dad moved me to A.C.E. schools with their wonderful independent PACES.  Oh, I did love those PACES.  No more classroom interaction for ME!  HA.

Well, apparently those expressive reading lessons translated into my writing.  As I sit here in my little corner of the couch, I pound out the words of my latest novels on my laptop, and as I do, my children wonder just what they’ve done now.  I frown, laugh, smile, drop my jaw, or any other reaction that my characters experience.  Sometimes, it scares me to think that someday they might hide a camera and record me.  Can you imagine the youtube comments?  EEEK.

Well, no one can say that I am not emotionally invested in my characters.  I am not a naturally emotional person, so it is a bit strange, I’m sure, to see so many flickering emotions across my face in a short amount of time.

So, I’m curious.  Now normal do you really think this is?  I’m kind of afraid to ask.  I have a feeling the answer is all too obvious.

*glances around to see if there are any hidden cameras*

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Previous Post: « Parody or Fan Fiction… That Is the Question
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Comments

  1. Rebekah says

    March 12, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    Heehee I do the same thing, only the question I get is usually “What’s wrong?” or “What’s so funny?”, from my sisters. :p

    That said, I think it’s normal… at least, for a writer. 😀

    To the KING be all the glory!
    Rebekah

    Reply
  2. Cathe says

    March 12, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    I think it’s just a natural extension of talking to yourself.

    Reply
  3. Dell T says

    March 12, 2012 at 10:40 am

    I tend to smile broadly when typing emails; especially openings or conclusions. I’d trained myself in smiling when answering and concluding conversations on the phone, and it carries over. My family’s always asking, “What’s so funny!” when I’m typing a greeting or salutation; or often just something in between….

    How normal do I think it is? No idea. But I do it; let that tell you what it may. 😉

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
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Episode 549: A Chat with Laura DeNooyer
byChautona Havig

I’ve been anxious to read this one since the moment I saw it. I mean, come on! Secrets are always cool but then Frank L. Baum? And The Pilgrim’s Progress? WHAT? Listen in as Laura DeNooyer and I chat about A Hundred Magical Reasons.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

The L. Frank Baum connection was a draw, but then she brought in The Pilgrim’s Progress, and it took the whole story idea to a new level!

I had a blast chatting with Laura and I’m excited to read this one. It’ll probably be my flight read tomorrow. EEEP!

A Hundred Magical Reasons by Laura DeNooyer

Some fairy tales don’t end when the story is over…they begin when the truth is finally told.

At eighty-eight, Charlotte Rose Gordon has spent a lifetime guarding secrets—burdens that have turned her into the town’s most notorious recluse. But before her story ends, she has one final quest: to set the past right and clear her husband’s name.

Even if it means facing the dragons she’s spent decades avoiding.

Carrie Kruisselbrink is fighting dragons of her own. Fresh out of college and desperate to escape the weight of her parents’ expectations, she risks everything to chase a dream that feels just out of reach.

An unlikely job with the reclusive Mrs. Gordon seems like a temporary solution. Until it becomes something much more.

As Charlotte begins to unravel her past—from a stifling childhood to an extraordinary friendship with author L. Frank Baum—Carrie is drawn into a story filled with imagination, loss, and long-buried truth.

But the deeper Carrie digs, the more she’s forced to confront her own fears, her own choices… and the cost of living someone else’s life.

Because some stories were never meant to stay hidden.

Spanning generations and woven with echoes of a beloved literary legacy, A Hundred Magical Reasons is a moving tale of courage, identity, and the kind of hope that only comes when truth, grace, and imagination collide.

Can two women from different generations find the strength to rewrite their stories—before time runs out?

Step into a story of secrets, second chances, and the courage to believe again.

Learn more on Laura’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads and BookBub.

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