I bought a brand new condo on March 28th and moved in on April 7th. The last few weeks have been stressful and . . . amazing. Even though I’ve neglected working on The Runner (and publishing newsletters), the experience has triggered ideas and insights into how I can craft characters and plot stories. For instance:

Even a joyful event can be stressful. Weave that stress it in.

My stress:

Will the bank give me a mortgage? I’d contacted a bank back in December and told the agent about a potential issue. He said he never heard of it, so it wouldn’t be a problem. Then, three weeks before the March closing, the underwriter decided it definitely was an issue. No longer confident the lending agent could get the job done, I switched banks. It was touch and go for a bit, but we closed as expected. While stressful, this made the closing even more poignant.

Timing. Of course, there was the major issue of acquiring a mortgage by closing, but that wasn’t the only ticking time bomb. Would my daughter and I get the bedrooms painted before the movers came? We did. Would the tiler be able to get the kitchen backsplash done before Best Buy installed the appliances? He did. Would they find someone to take over my apartment lease? They did.

The address changing hassle. Changing addresses should be easy in this digital age, but things are so much harder. With multiple phone calls to AT&T (one lasting an hour and half) and WE Energies and hours online with the DMV’s, assorted credit cards’, and professional organizations’ websites, not to mention stops at the post office and bank, it’s no wonder I haven’t written anything. But I relieved some of this stress by taking in all in stride. For instance, I knew the phone call to AT&T would be a long one, so during holds, I answered emails on my computer and when the representative came online, I asked how her day was going. We got to be pretty chummy.

How will I incorporate stress into my stories? By adding wrinkles into the event to make the outcome more poignant, including that ticking time bomb, and showing how my characters handle a stressful situation. Will they berate everyone they talk to during the ninety-minute internet call, or will they make the best of the situation?

People can make or break a situation. So should my characters.

After the closing, I stopped by the condo to meet the AT&T technicians who would install my internet. Soon after I arrived, a van pulled up and a middle-aged man stepped out. He said he was assisting the technician who would be along shortly, then complained about the layout of the tubing, the distance to the transformer, and other things I tuned out, wishing the man would do what he had to do and leave.

The second van pulled up and a thirty-something man hopped out. His first words were, “Wow, what a beautiful place. I never knew these condos were here. Such a pretty area.” He was sincere in his praise and enthusiastic in everything he did. Immediately, my demeanor changed. I wanted to take him out for a beer.

It hit me how profoundly people’s personalities affect those around them. To some extent, I’ve instinctively shown this in my characters: Leo Townsend in Carpe Diem, Illinois and God on Mayhem Street does make women (and some men) swoon, after all. But now that I’m more aware of this effect people have, I’ll find interesting ways to use it.

A place can influence people. Settings should influence characters.

I enjoyed living in an apartment where I could walk to my favorite coffee shop or my daughter’s apartment and be in either place in under ten minutes. I liked the gym on the first floor and the view from my top-floor apartment. But, I got tired of the activity across the street (the fire station), the community garage, and having to either climb up and down four stories of stairs or walk down the long hallway to the elevator. And half my stuff was in storage. I felt incomplete, adrift.

I’ve only been in my new place for a few days, but already I’m completely in love. I can’t believe it’s mine. I walk into one room and think, this is my favorite, then I walk into the next and think the same. There are windows everywhere, an open floor plan, and my very own garage. Plus, hiking trails and a clubhouse with a gym, pool, and bocce and pickleball courts. And all my stuff is here. My mood has changed. I feel complete and grounded.

Keeping these feelings in mind, I will craft settings that don’t just create interesting scenarios, but that affect the mood and well-being of my characters, too.

So, while I didn’t physically write during my big move, I gained valuable insights that I will incorporate into my stories. A win-win in my book.

How about you? Have you moved lately? Moved often? Never want to pack boxes again?

I’d love to hear all about it!

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I was featured on the Voice Lessons Podcast with Jill Quist!