Behind the Curtains (part 2)

In preparing to write my novel, Defiant, I had an image in my mind of how I wanted my main male character, Gabriel, to be. However, I wanted to make sure it was an accurate portrayal of how a soldier would move and think.

I watched so many military and action movies to get a sense of a variety of soldiers, I lost count. I tried to focus on movies where the actors worked directly with the actual soldiers they were portraying, hoping to get a better sense of what a soldier does and how they thought during tense situations and moments of focus during chaos.

As it turns out, watching these military movies came in handy for writing my third novel, From Across the Sea. However, a completely different kind of research went into preparing for that novel, which I will expand on in a later post in this series.

Some of the movies I watched include Act of Valor, American Sniper, The Bourne Identity, Lone Survivor, Unbroken, Zero Dark Thirty, 13 Hours, and many more. My husband was very pleased with my movie selections and we had a good time watching them together. However, my heart is sometimes too tender for war movies, and I always end up crying. I can tell you now that the more I learn about the United States military and what it takes to be a soldier, I am more grateful for the place I live and the people willing to keep it as the land of the free. It is because of their character and sacrifice we can honestly call this country the home of the brave.

Please note, the movies listed above are appropriately rated for the intended audience. If you decide to watch any of them, do so at your own discretion.