Dana Mason | Updates

Can we talk about characters?

Dana Mason — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mine are not cooperating.

Specifically, Mae is not cooperating.

I've always planned her as soft spoken, reasonable, quiet, not meek, but strong and steadfast. More subtle in making her point and communicating with people.

Well... she's still strong and steadfast, but she's not quiet. She's become quite outspoken and vocal with her opinion. There's nothing more strange than losing control over a character as you're writing and having them determine their own personality. Mae will not fit the mold, and it's making for some very interesting writing.

She's not afraid to speak her mind honestly. She curses like she doesn't care, and, really, she doesn't. lol She just doesn't care about what people think about her. She's a free spirit who was raised by a single mom. She is creative and colorful, and she feels very strongly about women using their voices. I think I'm in love with her. :)

I hope you all like her, too.

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Do you remember Mia, my mighty protector?

Dana Mason — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mia just turned 15. She's older but no less feisty. She's also currently living with cancer.

We've decided not to treat it. She also has a heart condition, and with the advice of our vet, we're going to just do a wait-and-see. With her age and other health ailments, we don't want to put her through any major treatment. She's not in pain, and she's still a good eater. She gets a little exercise, and she's still happy, so we're just letting her live her best life--with cancer. It sounds scary, but when you see her, you just know she's okay. She gets regular check-ups at the vet, and they monitor her health very closely. So, for now, I'm just keeping her comfortable and happy.

That being said, I'm not sure what I'll do when she's gone, so I'm just trying to enjoy and appreciate every day I have with her.

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Where I've been...

Dana Mason — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Yes, I took a break. A long break. It wasn't a choice; I just struggled a lot with my writing after the pandemic. I started many projects but finished none. I would get about a third of the way through, and my brain would shut down. I tried everything. Meditating, taking long walks, less caffeine, more exercise, and even drinking. lol

Nothing helped.

I also backed away from social media for a long time to protect my mental health. And I was dealing with some physical health issues. If you've ever dealt with cluster headaches, you know. If you haven't, consider yourself lucky.

If you gave up on me, I understand. If you stuck around, thank you! I'm going to do my best to stay connected.

For those of you who are still here, I'm happy to announce I've finished book two in the Lake Tahoe Romantic Suspense series. I think I'm naming it the Tahoe Nights Series. Book two is Wade's story, and it's a good one. I'm not about halfway through book three, which is Lucas and Mae's story.

I pushed myself past that quarter mark in the book and just put words in print. That was the key: writing even when I wasn't sure it made sense. I just kept writing, sort of like the old NANOWRIMO way. No plot, no problem. I just vomited words out and made sense of them later.

It created a mess to edit, but I think I've got it in pretty good shape now. I just need to beg my old critique partners to take a look at it for me. Hopefully, they still want to read Dana Mason stories.

Eventually, the story came to me. Eventually, my characters started talking to me again. It feels good. Since August, I've determined that writing is excellent for my mental health, but not great for my physical health. I've been drinking more caffeine, taking fewer long walks, and doing less exercise, but my writing brain is working again, and it feels good.

Maybe one day I'll be able to get my body and my brain in sync; until then, I'll just keep working on it.

Also, for more about what I've been up to, check out my latest newsletter.

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