Author: Betty Kuffel
Through the Lens of a Writer
Writers have a special way of looking at things. Envisioned scenes are painted with feelings, smells, sounds and touch. Delving into a character’s thoughts with interior dialogue adds depth, revealing desires and motivation.
Smells are a strong part of memory storage. A recalled odor conjures up acute memories of time and place. If the wind blows from the wrong direction across a Montana landscape, the smell of a nearby feedlot might drift to a beautiful outdoor wedding and overwhelm the sweet smell of flowers carried by the bride. When her marriage turns bad, she may recall the smell of manure on that fateful day. Or the sweet smell of pipe tobacco may instantly bring to mind the image of your loving grandfather.
Using comparisons and stark contrasts enhance description:
+My pet rat’s sandpaper tail wrapped beneath my chin as her silky body snuggled against my neck like a miniature kitty.
+Moonrise inched over the Rocky Mountains slashing the black slate of Flathead Lake.
Coloring your writing:
Cinnamon hair
A fiery sunrise
Pomegranate jewels
Unique colors descriptions produce immediate images in the reader’s mind.
Using background music when you write adds to setting and feeling:
Many writers use music to set mood when writing scenes. Free internet sites allow you to choose specific songs, genres and themes to write by (Pandora, Spotify). Novels set in a certain era bring popular songs to mind and can be used to solidify and enhance a setting. Playing the songs can get you in the mood to write about the period in your novel.
“Without music and dance, life is a journey through a desert.” ― Pat Conroy
Additional quotes from Beach Music written by Pat Conroy, one of my favorite authors:
Touch and feelings:
“The water was pure and cold and came out of the Apennines tasting like snow melted in the hands of a pretty girl.” ― Pat Conroy
“My own tears seemed landlocked and frozen in a glacier I could not reach or touch within me.” ― Pat Conroy
Write scenes as if painting a picture. Happy reading and writing.
Thanks for stopping by.
Betty
Montana Women Writers 