2018 Holiday Blog Tour Stop #4: Getting into Character with Angela Ruth Strong

Welcome to Mountain Brook Ink's 2018 Holiday Blog Tour! We're so excited you've decided to join us on this journey of family, friends, traditions, and memories over the next month. You as our reader have done so much to pour into our lives, and this season we want to give back to you with insights into our lives AND some giveaways. The more days you follow, share, comment, and engage with us, the more entries you'll have toward a Kindle Fire Grand Prize (available in the U.S. only) or one of three Amazon Gift Cards!

Tomorrow, you can visit with Susan Page Davis here.

Find more information on the tour here.

Thanks for joining me today!

Since my Christmas novel Finding Love in Big Sky has been optioned for film, I've started taking screenplay writing classes. The last book I read said that many screenplay writers started out as actors. The expert claims this helps a screenwriter understand character at a deeper level.

Now I've never been an actress (except for that one play in 8th grade when I thought I was going to be discovered and end up on Beverly Hills 90210), but I can see how being able to put yourself into every character's shoes will make for stronger stories.

I do act out scenes while sitting alone in front of my computer. It helps me figure out what kind of gesture a character might make or what kind of tone they would use.

I'm not afraid to dress up either. Especially on holidays.

For example, this is how we celebrate New Year's Eve--at a Roaring 20's party.

Then there's birthdays! For Jim's, I bought Star Wars masks. For my fortieth, I wore a tiara of course. For my niece, we dressed up like Disney princesses (and Flynn Rider).

Spring Break took us to the Oregon Trail Museum with my kids.

We had a wild west Father's Day with Jim's kids.

Movie premiers are like holidays too, right? (It is for me when my debut novel, Finding Love in Sun Valley, featured an actress who plays Wonder Woman.)

Okay, I don't really need a holiday to dress up. I just need a photo booth.

Though Halloween is a GREAT excuse. I even got Jim to do a whole cheerleading routine for this one.

And here's proof that Princess Leia really IS Rey's mom.

Sometimes we even dress up our cars and win prizes for Trunk-or-Treat.

Okay, I won't bore you with any more cheesy costumes--yes, I did dress up like cheese one year.

I just want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving! (This year I'm thankful that since I'm hosting our family dinner, I won't have time to run the Turkey Day 5K with my parents again.)

Both Santa Strong and I want to wish you a very merry Christmas!

If you want to add more ho-ho-ho to your holidays, my first book in The CafFUNated Mysteries is a Christmas story sure to make you spit out your hot cocoa in laughter. This was a fun one to get into character for.