Pen Dames Pointers! Tips to Jazz Up Your Writing 2024-1-8

 

A passion of Pen Dames is to help other writers by sharing tips and insights we have learned along the way. We hope you will find the pointers beneficial to your writing process.

Loretta C. Rogers

Read Recent Books in Your Genre

Avoid modeling your story after a book written 10 years ago or you may find that your novel is hopelessly out of date. When you research the market for the genre you plan to write, definitely study the classics, but also read books with recent copyright dates to check out the newer story lines.

Katherine Eddinger Smits

Sensory Details

Readers want to be immersed in a book, to become so involved in the fictional dream they forget where they are and feel like they are living the story along with the protagonist.

How do authors create that experience for them? By using sensory details in description. Sensory details include what the character sees, hears, smells, tastes, feels (both external and internal), and anything they perceive, filtered through their own unique personality, mood, and circumstances.

What does your heroine notice as she runs through the woods? 

It depends. 

If she’s Little Red Riding Hood trying to escape the Big Bad Wolf, she may only pay attention to the distance remaining to Grandma’s cottage, the weight of the basket thumping against her legs and slowing her down, the blur of tree limbs as she passes by, the wheeze of her breathing: only those things immediately relevant to her dire situation. 

What if she is Belle, running through the woods to warn Beast that Gaston is on his way with the torch-bearing villagers intent on destroying him and all those who dwell within his doomed castle? Her heart will be thudding with fear for him, not herself. She’ll spot every root and branch which is about to trip her up or delay her progress. The howling wolves are circling. And the pounding footsteps of the townspeople get louder as they gain on her. 

Or what if she is Katniss Everdeen before she volunteers as Tribute? As she runs through the forest, she concentrates on the hunt; her belly grumbles for something to eat; she focuses on the trail of the animal she plans to bring home to feed their family. Small, rustling sounds in the brush indicate where her prey hides. She imagines the aroma of the meal roasting over the fire, and she salivates as she anticipates the meaty, savory taste.

Place your protagonist in a critical scene. Then, consider the sensory details he or she experiences in the moment. Describe two or three of the most evocative ones to your reader, and your story will work its spell on them!

Barbara Cairns

Write What You Want to Read

When you create a story that you love yourself, it comes through in the writing. It will read as if in the words, and your protagonist and characters as a whole, pop off the page instead of being flat. It will also be much easier to write, and you’ll get excited about your story or topic. Picking the right genre for your book matters as you progress on your writing journey.

Jennifer Taylor

Honor Your Accomplishments

Making New Year's resolutions? There's nothing like making a fresh start at the beginning of the year. Some years I am as ambitious as a squirrel in a peanut factory. I leave no to-do stone unturned. At the end of the year, when I look back at what I'd written, I laugh like a maniac. There is no way a thousand Nora Roberts could have accomplished the writing goals that I had set out to do (and let's face it, one Nora Roberts is pretty formidable in her ability to produce stories). Now, there's nothing wrong with aiming high, and good for you if you can accomplish every goal you set out to do. And this applies to all life goals. But if you didn't, give yourself Grace. 

Even the most realistic writing goals can get derailed by life's unexpected events. For example, you're working like a house afire on that 5,000-word-a-week goal that you had set on January 1, and Pestilence hits the house. Take the Kleenexes that you've stuffed inside your runny nostrils to keep working and go lie down for a nap. We all need to remember Self-Care. You'll be up and running (and hopefully not your nose!) again soon.  

At the end of the week/month/year, take a look at what you were able to accomplish. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back. You made it through and now you can begin again. Maybe you'll even get an opportunity to get a few extra thousand words in.

Whatever your goals, be it writing, getting in shape, or learning a new hobby or skill, remember there are people who care about you and who will cheer you on. Just reach out. And most of all, have a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Flossie Benton Rogers

Sequential Action vs Consecutive Action

Be careful not to show actions happening at the same time when it's impossible for the actions to be anything but sequential. (Exception: Keep in mind that writing style is a factor, and allowances are sometimes made to show a rapid, seamless flow of action.)

Error: She walked into the room, taking a seat beside her friend. (She can’t walk and take a seat at the same time.)

Fix: She walked into the room and took a seat beside her friend.

            

Error: Sitting down, she sipped tea from the ornate cup. (Sitting down and sipping tea at the same time may be physically possible but would be awkward.)

Fix: She sat down and sipped tea from the ornate cup.

       

Possible exception to show rapid, seamless action:

The Marshall whipped out his gun, blowing the bad guy to Kingdom Come.

Did these suggestions resonate with you? Let us know, and also tell us of any writing questions you have and topics you’d like us to cover in these Pointers.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy writing! Cheers from the Pen Dames.

Pen Dames Pointers! Tips to Jazz Up Your Writing 2023-7-1

 

A passion of Pen Dames is to help other writers by sharing tips and insights we have learned along the way. We hope you will find the pointers beneficial to your writing process.

Barbara Cairns

Do you like writing historical fiction?

World building makes a historical fiction book more authentic and gives readers a reason to keep reading. Include details about daily life in the time period you’re writing about. Use only historical information that will advance your story, including places, people and events.

Jennifer Taylor

Don't wait on "the Muse." The inspiration will only appear when you sit down and start writing. Give it a try!

Flossie Benton Rogers

Use the five senses to liven your prose: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Let the reader see how your point of view character experiences the world. It not only gives the reader external information but also provides insight into your character’s emotions and internal landscape. If she walks into an antique store, does she quickly scan for an impression of the whole and conclude it’s cramped, dusty, and cluttered with old furniture? Or do her eyes light on a coveted red velvet Victorian loveseat that only needs a brisk cleaning? When she arrives for a class reunion, does she hear the excited murmuring of old friends, a cacophony of voices, or zone in on the strident tones of her archrival? 

Some writers like to demonstrate all five senses at some point during every scene. Although you don’t have to go that far, do make sure to use a variety of sensory impressions. It will go a long way in keeping your reader interested in what’s happening, involved with your characters, and immersed in your story.

Loretta C. Rogers

Keys to Great Characterization

1. Create characters that you fall in love with.

2. Make sure your hero and heroine react sensibly and heroically to outside events.

3. Make your characters strong, but give them a few flaws to make them interesting.

4. Give your characters goals to strive for.

5. Avoid stereotypes by understanding what motivates each character.

Katherine Eddinger Smits

Write what you love! Write the books you want to read about, the characters you want to live with and through. It doesn't matter if they are sexy, young singles, mature adults with fascinating lives in spite of or because of their age, or mermaids, witches, and other fantastic creatures in fantasy worlds. If you love them, they will jump off the page and into your readers' hearts. 

Don't chase market trends. They move too fast to catch, but like a brightly lit carousel, they come around again in time, and what was passé yesterday will be tomorrow's hottest genre.

Write what you love. Write your passion and your vision. Your words are your legacy to the world. Write the ones that bring you joy.

Did these suggestions resonate with you? Let us know, and also let us know of any writing questions that you have and topics you’d like us to cover in these Pointers.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy writing! Cheers from the Pen Dames.

Pen Dames Pointers! Tips to Jazz Up Your Writing

 

A goal of Pen Dames is to help other writers by sharing some of the tips and insights we have learned along the way. We hope you will find the pointers beneficial. 

Loretta C. Rogers

Write what you love. By writing what you love, you will always write stories that are powerful and that mean something to you. Your energy and love will then become evident to readers.

Kathy Eddinger Smits

Make a firm commitment to yourself that you will complete at least a first draft of whatever project you begin no matter how awful you think it is, because at some point, you WILL think it is horrible and want to quit. Don't quit! Every author doubts every project sometime during the process. Published authors are the ones who don't let that stop them.

Barbara Cairns

Write to inform and to inspire! Help readers to enjoy learning while enjoying a good story.

 

Jennifer Taylor

A great first step to developing your novel is to write in a journal-consistently-whether it's a mere ten minutes a day or an hour. You can write about anything--issues you're experiencing in your life, or any story ideas that pop up at random. You can puzzle out your story issues. The important thing is to let your mind wander. Write it down, no matter how far-fetched or crazy your idea is. I can't tell you how much a journal has helped me write my books. Amazing things pop into your head once you put your pen to paper. Basically, you're talking to yourself, whether you choose to do it on your computer, phone, or on your favorite notebook. And it's a great way to give yourself a pep talk when you need it most. You can do this. 

Flossie Benton Rogers

Be flexible with your writing process. What worked best at one time in your life or with one genre or book may now need a tweak. Do you write your rough draft and then edit? Do you write a day’s worth and start the next day by editing before moving on to new words? Do you write sequentially or skip around? Do you write the end before the middle? Start with what feels natural and try new ways if needed.

What do you think of these suggestions?

Thank you for joining us. Happy writing!