Second Banana...But Not Necessarily Second Best

Where would Scarlet be without Melanie?  Harry Potter without Ron Weasely?  Luke Skywalker without Han Solo? Skipper without Gilligan?  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  Now and then our heroes and heroines…well… get by with a little help from their friends.  

Call them what you want: the best friend, second fiddle, second banana or sidekick, but I like to think of these characters as seasoning—too much can ruin the taste, but the right amount can truly enhance the flavor and heighten the experience.  Whether you love or hate creating them, secondary characters are a vital part of your hero and heroine’s journey.

Maybe what makes these characters so much fun—to writers and readers alike—is the freedom they offer.  Since they don’t have to be heroic, there’s no pressure to make them perfect.  In fact, they can be as delightfully flawed as your imagination will allow.

A lot has been said about whether it’s okay to use the PV of a secondary, and when it’s appropriate.  I can only offer my take on it, and my preference for what we see in the historical department.  But here it is:

Secondary characters are a necessary tool to impart information to the reader.  Most often this is done through dialogue and interactions with the hero or heroine –we can learn a lot about our characters by who they call friend, after all.  It’s not often, but there are times when our second fiddle needs to step up to the plate.  A case in point: our heroine has been kidnapped by the villain (whose PV it is appropriate to use) and our hero has been knocked unconscious.  Who is going to drive the story?  Enter the second banana. Or—our heroine is delirious with a fever and our hero is miles away.  Who will carry the next scene forward?  Cue the sidekick.

When is it not okay to use a secondary PV? When your hero or heroine is present in the scene.  If they are present, alert and conscious, they really should be the focal point-- after all they’re the star of the show.  (Again, this is only my take on the use of secondary PV’s, other editors may feel differently.  If you’re currently working with an editor, it’s a good idea to ask his or her thoughts before adding in the PV of a secondary character.)

Another time the use of a secondary character PV wouldn’t work –and again, this is just my opinion, other editors may feel differently—is when the character is new to the reader.  Throwing in the PV of a secondary character whom the reader has not “met” before and won’t see again is never a good idea, IMO. Readers want to get to know your characters and relate to them, not be thrown into the PV of a stranger for a few paragraphs on page 150 and then back out.  Use of a secondary PV in this type of situation doesn’t do anything to move the story forward; it’s a detour that takes us away from the actual story.  If you find yourself doing this, ask yourself—what am I trying to impart here? That the hero’s second cousin’s maid of honor thinks he’s hot?  If that’s all, then it’s unnecessary. (A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, take it out!) But if there is vital information to be shared, find another way –or another character-- so it won’t be so jarring to the reader.

Be warned, though, if your hero or heroine’s best friend starts leaping off the page at you or you find yourself adding them into scenes more and more or creating situations just for them…you might soon find yourself writing a second story, this time with your second banana in the lead role. Today’s sidekick may very well be tomorrow’s hero!

Who are some of your favorite secondary characters from popular fiction or movies?

Why Bother to Write? By Betty Hanawa

Originally Published in the Wild Rose Press Greenhouse

Why Bother to Write? By Betty Hanawa

The air is sweet with perfume of springtime blossoms. There's a cool breeze blowing no longer holding the sharp bite of winter. It's time to be enjoying the outside before Summer's heat and humidity makes everything miserable. The last thing you want to do right now is sit at a blasted keyboard and try to write a book.

Why bother?

On the other hand, you've dealt with cranky co-workers all day, came home to a family who has the audacity to demand supper and clean clothes. The last thing you have time for is to write on a book that odds say is never going to be published anyway. So why bother?

But wait! The Muse showed up with a perfect scene. You finish cleaning up the supper dishes and head to the keyboard. The words are flowing. But the youngest kid leans against your shoulder and you realize he's got a fever. The teenager screams from the family room that the dog just puked up all the corn chips the teenager thought it was fun to toss so the dog could catch them. Naturally, you have to clean it up because the teenager will puke herself if she attempts the job. Now you've got a headache. You might as well go to bed after taking care of all the family's needs. The Muse will be gone anyway.

Why bother to try to write?

Because you have to do something for yourself.

Everyone needs a creative aspect in their life to make their soul sing. You're reading this newsletter because your soul needs to write, whether it's a journal you keep for your own self-pleasure, articles for newsletters, or a story with characters you've created and love.

But how do you get time for yourself to create with the Muse?

There's not much you can do about the cranky co-workers and the day job, except to firmly remind yourself what happens at the job, stays at the job. You're not paid enough to worry about the dratted day job on your home time.

Household chores - a teenager and a spouse can each make a dinner meal once a week. A four year- old can set the table and help with clean-up. And, yes, teenagers and spouse can be introduced to Ms. Washer and Mr. Dryer and be responsible for laundry. Everyone lives there. Why are you the only one doing the household chores? The teenager made the dog sick, she can clean it up - then clean up her own mess.
Granted a feverish kid needs your attention. But once the kid is dosed up and put to bed, there's no reason for you to provide entertainment. A sick child needs sleep. Check on him once in awhile, but it's amazing how quickly a child gets well when bed rest and nothing but bed rest is enforced.

To fill your own creative need, you must get back to the Muse

Now here's the thing about the Muse. If you make the time to show up at the keyboard, the Muse shows up, too. It might take awhile. You might have to force yourself to write garbage for a while - which is really hard if you haven't discovered yet how to kill that stupid Internal Editor who sneers at any imperfection. But, if you write enough garbage, eventually the Muse gets curious, comes back, and says "Here, let me help."

The Muse always, always appears when you sit down to write. You've all heard of the tools to help you write while away from the computer. In addition to a laptop, there's the AlphaSmart and its companions The Neo and The Dana. If those are out of your price range, there's always the standard yellow tablet and pen or pencil.

The Muse needs the invitation to join you.

The invitation gets issued when you sit to write. If you deny your creative urge to write, you'll get frustrated, then resentful, and you become the cranky one your coworkers and family complain about.

For your own peace, for the peace of those who love you, take time from each day to write. They'll complain at the beginning, but don't give in. Your coworkers and boss need to learn that your time away from the office is your time, not theirs. Your family will not only learn to respect your private time, but gain their own self-respect by learning skills that will serve them in their own lives.

When you don't grant yourself the self-respect to value your writing, how do you expect respect from anyone else?

Spring is the time of new life. Give your writing a new life. Set writing goals of pages per week and make those goals despite all the distractions life throws at you. Be firm and make sure the family and friends respect your time for yourself. Getting them in the habit of leaving you alone now makes it handy when you're published and have unmovable deadlines.

And if the warm Spring breezes and blooming flowers are completely irresistible?

Take your writing tablet and pencil outside and invite the Muse to join you. Start writing and the Muse will come.

Visit Lobster Cove - A New series from the Wild Rose Press

Lobster Cove Series Guidelines

Word Count:      No particular word count but would prefer stories to be at least 20,000 and up

Deadlines:           Holiday Stories – May 31, 2014 (So they can release for Holiday 2014)

                                For other stories, there is no deadline at this time.  However, we will be announcing one

                                at a future date.

What is Lobster Cove?

                Lobster Cove is a fictional small town on the coast of Maine, near Bar Harbor. It is quaint and quirky with a colorful history, a friendly population of charming residents, and a vibrant tourist business. It is home to research scientists and small shop owners, grumpy cops and sassy chefs. Back in the day, it was a bustling fishing town and home to many immigrants, from both the state cabins and the lowest decks.

What are we looking for?

                The Wild Rose Press is looking for well-written, engaging manuscripts from across all of our lines, from Historicals to contemporary. Stories can be romance or mainstream and can be sweet or erotic or anything in between.

Submissions must take place in Lobster Cove and also meet the guidelines for the individual line, including heat level and tone. For example, a paranormal must meet the guidelines for Black or Faery Rose and take place in Lobster Cove.

For instance: (These are just examples to get the creativity flowing!)

Contemporary

Crimson – FBI agent has been tracking a serial killer up Route 1, straight to Lobster Cove. Can the grumpy local sheriff help her finally catch the killer?

                Sweetheart – The local dog walker has had a crush on the cute second grade teacher since high school. Helping his class with their project for the annual Lobster Crawl finally gives her the opportunity to ask him out.

                Champagne – The ferry boat captain isn’t getting along with the historic lighthouse’s new owner. They fall for each other’s charms, but can they charm the old lighthouse into working again?         

                Yellow Rose - She left her family’s Wyoming ranch for a new start leading tourist rides around the area, but what happens when her cowboy comes looking for her?        

                Last Rose of Summer – After her divorce ten years ago, a sassy chef was too busy running her tourist magnet bistro and raising her teenage daughters. Now that they’re in college, she can finally cook up something with the fishing boat captain.

Historical

American Rose – The Revolution hasn’t quite reached sleepy Lobster Cove, so what’s going on between the British soldier and the magistrate’s daughter? Which one is really the spy?

                Cactus Rose – He’s sure his fortune is in the Wild West of California, but to earn his way, he’ll have to protect the coach of a wealthy arranged bride the whole way there. If they can ever get out of Lobster Cove.

                English Tea Rose – A shipping magnet brings his society daughter to their new home in Lobster Cove. Can she and the brash American ever get along?       

                Vintage Rose – An ER doctor is sure she’s treated every type of wound, from freak shark attacks to car accidents, but can she heal the wounds the town bad boy comes home with from the first Gulf War?

Paranormal

Black Rose – He lives in the creepy old mansion and runs the morgue. Is there any way this guy isn’t a vampire?

                Faery Rose – She runs the apothecary shop that draws locals and tourists alike. He’s only passing through and needs a gift for his mother, so why is he still there a month later?

Erotic

Scarlet Rose – A Navy SEAL has no idea what he’s going to do in Lobster Cove, until he finds out the oceanographer is as sexy in just her glasses as she is in a wetsuit. Or maybe something like this—no one knows quite what the mysterious woman is doing with the old speakeasy, but there’s a whole new kind of tourist in the area.

Mainstream

In a cozy New England town, there’s bound to be a wine club, a ghost walking an old rampart, or that almost forgotten mystery surrounding the missing child.

Submission Process

For authors who are already published with Wild Rose Press, the query process is the same as always. You may query your editor about writing a story for the Lobster Cove Series. Your editor will work with you and the line’s Senior Editor, as well as the coordinator of Lobster Cove (Lori Graham) to ensure your story fits within the guidelines of Lobster Cove.

If you are new to TWRP, please submit your story using our submission guidelines. Make sure you indicate you are writing for the Lobster Cove Series. Your story will be sent to the appropriate editor who will work with the Senior Editor and the coordinator (Lori Graham) on the story. http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=214

To maintain continuity across the stories, a basic layout of the town and names of landmarks and streets will be created. Once stories are selected and editing has begun, changes may need to be made to the stories for continuity of character names, events, etc.  As more information about this is decided, notifications will be posted so everyone is on the same page. A yahoo loop will be created for writers serious about writing for this series. Please do not ask to join the loop if you are not serious about writing for this series.

Anyone with further questions should contact coordinator Lori Graham directly at lori@thewildrosepress.com. She will answer you directly or get you the answer you need.

Welcome to Lobster Cove and we hope you enjoy your stay!

Swat that Fly!

One of my authors recently called me Stacy "The Fly Swatter" Holmes, and I couldn't help but laugh.

It is true though, and I am sure all my authors will agree, because one thing I do my best to catch them on is 'the Fly.'

I'm sure you've heard of Telling versus Showing.  Telling is when the information is almost narrated from that of an impartial third party...or what I like to call a Fly on the wall. Showing involves using Deeper Point of View—staying within the main point of view character’s perceptions/descriptions. 

 

By describing things as if in the head of the main character—only things he/she can see, hear, touch, smell and know—keeps the reader engaged and empathetic to your character and living right with them in the moment. 

 

Here are examples of a few “buzz” words/phrases that signal the Fly narrative needs to be swatted in order to show a Deeper Point of View:

a)        Overuse of proper names—especially that of the main character. 

The overuse of proper names signals a third party Fly perspective—especially an overuse of the main POV character’s name, because most people don’t think of themselves in the third person.

These can easily be reduced by changing just a couple instances (no need to change all) and using descriptives or revising the sentence structure.  The same goes for the overuse of secondary character names--changing a few here and there to perhaps a nickname or descriptive from the specific POV character, as if being in their head versus just telling what a Fly sees, ie: his daughter, the cook, the annoying man, Miss Scaredy-Pants, Mr. High And Mighty etc, depending on the tone and mood of the scene.   Also, changing an instance to an action using appearance descriptives can be another way to avoid the repeated names and give the reader a visual of the character instead, ie: Her sleek fingers wove through the mass of blonde hair.

Here is an easy highlighting technique for a quick visual reference of the overusing of proper names:

i) Select all text in the chapter(s) that you wish to work with.

ii) On your toolbar, go to Edit—Find—Type the name in the field—click the box next to‘Highlight all items found in’—click Find All.

iii) You will now see all instances of that name selected. Now, click on the Highlight button on your toolbar and all should be highlighted that color.

iv) Save.

v) Repeat for the next character’s name, using a different highlight color for each. If you don’t have a highlight button already on your toolbar, simply review the Help section of your word program for assistance.

 

 b)        Use of a parent’s proper name by the child.  Unless it is set up that the child specifically refers to his/her parent by the full or proper name for a reason, then most children think of their parents as father, mother, ma, pa etc, and thus, when in the child’s POV, the use of parental proper names signals the Fly’s impartial perspective.

c)        Using ‘they’ or a collective such as ‘the women’ or ‘the siblings,’ and which includes the POV character.  This is often done when transitioning from one scene to another.

Example: They slowed their pace because the ground was uneven.  The wind blew around them and made the hike hard.

           These instances should be rewritten in the specific perception of the POV character where sensory and physical details can be added to show things from the personal experience of the moment, such as how the uneven ground specifically affects the main character or how she interprets the slow pace—is she frustrated by the hike or glad for it.  Even a simple notation of her pulling a wind-whipped strand of hair from her face would keep it in her specific perception rather than that of the impartial Fly telling the basic action. A possible revision could be something like:

           Cassandra huffed out a breath and slowed her pace once again for the older women to catch up.  The wind whipped her hair in her eyes, and she tugged the errant lock away from her face in order to see the narrow, uneven path ahead.

d)        Telling/Passive phrases are yet another Fly reference.  Whenever possible, take direct action and/or use a more active verb from the specific character’s POV.

Telling Fly POV:  Her eyes opened.

Active Character POV: She opened her eyes.

Telling Fly POV: He leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder.

Active Character POV: His hand clamped on her shoulder, and she cringed against the pain.

Important note: it is not necessary to reword in large masses of description, sometimes a simple adjustment of the sentence to an active verb can make a HUGE difference.


So, how many Flies do you think you can swat from your manuscript? 



(the above is copyright © Stacy D. Holmes 2014)

Who Are My Characters? By Myla Jackson

Originally posted in the TWRP Greenhouse

Who Are My Characters? By Myla Jackson

Before I begin a new story, I lay out all my characters so that I know what they look like,who they are and what makes them act the way they act. Let's take one step at a time...

 What do they look like?
 Hair color, style, length
 eye color
 Height
 body structure
 clothing style
 age
 skin (color and texture)
 scars (location & why)
 Sometimes it helps to cut out a picture from a magazine or print one from online of a person you picture as that character. That way you have a clear picture in your mind when you put the description into words.
 Where do they live?  Apartment  house  ranch  city  state  country  description of abode
 Who lives with him/her?
 Where a person lives tells a lot about that individual. Getting to know where they live and with whom, gives you more insight into your character. Does the woman have a roommate? Does the man still live with his mother? Does your heroine live in a homeless shelter?
 Does your hero live on a ranch?  

Getting to know the outside of your character is important, but more important to your story is what's on the inside. What makes them tick? Why do they behave the way they do? How do they react to different stimuli? One of the steps in getting to know your characters is a basic understanding of their goals, motivations and conflicts. A good book to have in your arsenal of writer's weapons is Debra Dixon's book Goal, Motivation & Conflict. If you get a chance to see her workshop, do it! It's worth every penny spent.
Here's my interpretation of what these three words stand for and how you find them in your characters:

Goals

What does he/she want? A lot of the time, a character believes he/she wants something at the beginning of the story only to find out by the end of the story, that's not what he/she wants anymore. This morphing-of-the-goals comes from character growth. What does he/she learn along the way? So when you start your story, identify what your character thinks he/she wants. Then identify what he/she really needs. For example, your hero might think he needs to be the richest man in town and in acquiring his wealth; he squashes everyone in his path. What he really needs is to move on and forgive.

Motivations

Why does he/she want it? It's not good enough to know your character's goals. You have to dig deeper and understand why he wants what he wants. If your hero's goal is to be the richest man in town, why does he want this? Is it because he was born on the wrong side of the tracks and he's determined to punish everyone in town for turning their noses up at him when he was growing up. Or is it because the rich town mayor wouldn't let him marry his daughter and now he's out to prove he's good enough? Either way, the motivation will help you to understand why he thinks he needs what he wants. It will also help you to understand what he really needs.

Conflicts

Why can't he/she have it? A story without conflict is a boring story. Every reader wants to cheer the hero on. How can you do that if everything in his life is hunky-dory? He doesn't need a cheering section. The reader will get bored with him and go look for someone with real problems she can invest herself in. She wants a character that reflects the real world. How many people go through life trouble-free? Not many. We like to know others have problems and we cheer them on to overcome their issues so that they can triumph in the end. Think about the time you went to a football game and you were on the side of the winning team, but they were winning by such a longshot that you started cheering for the losing team. Give your characters conflicts!!!!!! If you love them enough, you'll torture them and hurt them and make them cry. How you do this is by creating conflicts that get in the way of them attaining their goals. Make it relevant by hitting them below the belt in their motivations. Hero thinks he needs to be the wealthiest man in town and squash everyone in his path. Put obstacles in his path. Make those obstacles matter. Make them show him how wrong he is to want to hurt others. By the end of the book, he will see that he no longer wants to be the richest man in town. He didn't know it, but he only ever wanted to belong. (Like in the Scrouge).

Get to know all your characters. Even your villain. The more you know them, the more you will discover ways to introduce them to your reader and show how they will grow and overcome their problems.

****

Reprinted with permission from http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/.

How to Email Query By Roni Adams

Originally posted in the TWRP Greenhouse

Submissions: How to Email Query By Roni Adams

In this age of email and instant access to editors and agents, should your email query letter be as formal as one sent through postal mail?

Of course it should. Even though email is a more informal means of communication, your first representation of yourself and your work should always be completely professional. A query letter doesn't have to follow the same format as a written letter, like we learned in high school business class. You don't need to provide an inside address, a proscribed number of spaces, the date and a formal salutation and closing, but the letter should contain formal attributes.

Email Address should reflect you as a serious writer

To back up one step, one of the most important things in an email query should be your own email address. Is it professional? Does it reflect your writing career, such as roni@roniadams.com or is it something like toohotforyou17@hotmail.com? Which one sounds like a serious writer working towards publication? An email address should be an extension and should include your pen name, if you have one. Another thing my email demonstrates is that I have a web site where they can go to discover more about me.

Do you need a web site? That's another whole discussion, but if you have one, you should definitely advertise the fact by using that email when querying or in any correspondence with editors or agents. If you don't have one, you do need to get an email that's professional. Either with your given name or your pen name.

Okay, so now you have a professional email address. Do you have the name of the editor you are querying? If you do, then you should certainly address that person by name in the email the same as in a regular letter:

Dear Ms. Jones.

If you don't know the editor's name or you are querying a general email submission box such as querys@thewildrosepress.com then no salutation is needed. For some, the greeting, "Dear Editor" is too generic. Choose to start your query like: "After reading your submission guidelines, I would like to submit the following to your erotic romance line." Then a space or two and then the next line: "My story is about two actors caught in a timewarp on an old west stage. The two loves wind up in a series of…" You get the idea. Make your query only a few paragraphs, hit the highlights of your story the same as you would in a printed query letter.

In the final paragraph say something to the effect of, "I have included my synopsis following this query letter. I look forward to hearing from you soon." Close the note with a formal signature and your contact information, including snail mail address. I always add my phone number. The last thing you want is an editor who would like to request your story but can't find you.

The Synopsis

After your contact info, make three *** to indicate a break between the query and the synopsis. Start with the title of your book, the page or word length, and then, if appropriate, which line in the publishing house you are targeting. For example:

"To Love and Lose"
55K words
Champagne Rose Line
No attachments, unless requested

One of the most important things when emailing an editor is to never, never, never attach anything unless you have been invited to do so. In this day of virus and SPAMS, editors have been instructed by their IT departments to never open attachments they aren't familiar with and to delete them without reading.

Brief Synopsis

Keep your synopsis brief. Make it appeal to the editor and generate interest. Your goal is the same as it is in a snail mail query; you want that editor to respond positively and ask for more.

Once you have that editor's email, you may be tempted to simply shoot them a note and ask them if they received your query. Editors are very busy people. They receive hundreds of emails weekly, sometimes daily. Most will send an email verifying receipt of your query and will be in touch after their review. Sending your email with the "return receipt" button turned on is generally acceptable.

When to Inquire

So you know your query was received and several weeks have passed. How long do you wait before contacting the editor and asking for a status update? The worst thing you can do is email an editor a week after you've sent your submission. Just because email is instant and quick doesn't mean the reading or reviewing of email is any faster than reading a printed letter. Give the editor time to do his/her job.

How to Inquire

So how long do you wait? The same as you would a snail mail submission. First refer to the publisher's submission guidelines. Is a timeframe stated? Some houses request no additional contact for at least six months, etc. If no details are given, use the guideline of three months. Again, be professional. Do not become a pest to this editor and be tagged as such. Your follow-up should be short and to the point. Something along the line of:

"On February 1, 2007 I emailed a submission for my story, "On Bended Knee." I am following up to see if I can provide additional information on this story. I am still very interested in your opinion of this time travel western, and I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience."

That's it. Again, give your contact info, etc. Remember, the fact email is friendly and informal doesn't mean you have that type of relationship with this editor. Even if you've met at a conference, had lunch or exchange greetings in the ladies room, do not assume they will remember you. Keep things professional, and you will begin what is hopefully a healthy business relationship on the right foot.

****

Reprinted with permission from http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/.

A Synopsis That Gets Noticed

Originally posted in the TWRP greenhouse.

The Synopsis: A Synopsis That Gets Noticed

Your synopsis can be a winner if you follow these tips:

1. The synopsis tells the entire story. Make sure it has a beginning, middle and end.

2. Don't give your synopsis a hook ending like "for the rest of the story read..." The editor won't read the book if she doesn't know that the ending is satisfactory. You need to give her all the facts.

3. Your synopsis must be written well. It must have proper margins, spacing and fonts. If your synopsis is difficult to read because the type is too small, the editor will not read it. Make sure the synopsis is grammatically correct and that there are no typos. Use strong, evocative language.

4. If this is a synopsis for a romance, you need to focus on the romance. You need to make sure the reader understands why this hero is so important to this heroine or why this particular heroine is the perfect mate for your hero. It's a lot more than saying he's a rich, single bachelor. Keep in mind things like "soul mate", and why this man has remained single all this time until he meets "her". You need to show the changing and developing relationship between the hero and heroine in the synopsis.

5. Marketing Hooks. If your story contains some of the tried and true like, marriage of convenience, secret baby or cowboys - get that in there. Make sure that stands out. If you think your story has something less attractive (suppose your hero is an ex con or a football star) keep that low key, write your synopsis around that so you downplay it. It might work great in the actual manuscript but could scare an editor if she/her thought it wouldn't work.

6. You need to know your characters and get that across to your readers. You need to know their motivation and their goals. You need to get that in the synopsis without giving too many details. Not an easy task! Your synopsis should be straightforward, not much room for backstory.

7. Make sure the tone is appropriate to your story. If you're writing romantic comedy, your synopsis needs to contain humor; a romantic suspense story synopsis needs to be filled with intrigue, etc.

8. A synopsis is one of the hardest things you'll ever write, but it will make writing your novel easier because it’s your guide to what happens. You will know what's going to happen and where your characters will end up. Even writers who write the book first and then the synopsis, always have a synopsis even if it’s in their heads.

9. Can the actual manuscript ever change from the synopsis? Yes and no. Not in a major way but certainly in some smaller not as important events. If you think your change will make the story stronger, you need to do it no matter what is in the synopsis, but then go back and rework it so when you send it to the next editor, it’s true to the story.

10. The standard length of a synopsis for a category length romance novel is 2 pages single spaced or 5 double. Some historical or regencies novels allow a 10 page synopsis. For a short story you wouldn't do a synopsis at all.

Bringing in the Senses By Beverly Oz

Originally Published in the TWRP Greenhouse

Sensory Detail: Bringing in the Senses By Beverly Oz

Ever run across the sweet, heady smell of honeysuckle while driving in the country? Can you close your eyes and visualize the vibrant reds and pinks of a sunset, or the pale greens of a newly budded tree? Can you imagine the brush of a feather against the backside of your knee? When you think about licking a freshly cut lemon and allowing its tangy juice to linger on your tongue, does your mouth water? Does the sound of honking of horns and screeching of tires make you cringe?

Can you smell it?

Can you taste it?

Can you hear it?

Can you see it?

Now think about what you've just read and how those words affected your senses? Did you smell the honeysuckle? See the reds, oranges, and greens? How about that lemon? Could you almost taste it?
Sensory Response

The human mind reacts to sensory suggestions, even suggestions taken in through written words. After a person experiences a sound, touch, taste, etc., the mere mention of the experienced sense can quickly evoke a sensory response.

For a writer, like myself, this is powerful information. Why? Because I know I can control what my readers see, smell, taste, hear, and feel simply by choosing one word over another. For example, consider the impact of changing just a few words in the following sentence.

Can you feel it?

I rubbed my hand against the furry softness of the cashmere sweater.

I rubbed my hand against the slick, almost wet, skin of the snake.

I opened the door and was nearly knocked down by the oppressive heat and humidity.

I opened the door and was nearly knocked down by the frigid north wind.

When I write, I carefully sprinkle in sensory words to achieve greater reader involvement. I want the readers to experience what my heroines and heroes experience and become immersed in my story. If I can coax the people who buy my books to completely lose themselves in my books' make- believe worlds, maybe they'll come back for more.

****

Reprinted with permission from http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/.