Tuesday Museday tells a story

I've had a busy month. First my kids and I went down to visit my parents for 2 weeks. I had my audition for Jeopardy!. Then we went back East to visit my extended family for 2 weeks. You probably didn't notice I was gone because I scheduled all my posts in advance. Tricky!

My seven-year-old loves the pool at my parents' house, but insists on wearing a life preserver because he doesn't know how to swim. I told him we'd have to teach him how so he could feel safe in the ocean when we went to Maryland.

"The ocean?" He was very interested. Both he and his brother (age 4) were suddenly giving me all of their attention.

I took advantage of it, and told them all about seashells, boogie boarding, and salt water. I told them about the boardwalk at Ocean City, eating cotton candy and Boardwalk Fries, and playing mini-golf. They were spellbound.
For like, five minutes, which is a record for them.

Storytelling is powerful. When your characters choose to tell stories in your work, it likewise can be a powerful experience and an effective way to give backstory without feeling like an info dump.

Use it wisely. Use it well.

I've missed doing critiques this summer! If you'd like fresh eyes on your query letter or Twitter pitch, speak up in the comments! I'll choose a few commenters for critiques.