Saturday, March 10, 2012

Writing Craft Workshop ~ The Magic in Words

     Writers can work magic with words, and propel a reader into their story by capturing an ordinary moment and creating a realistic scene with scents and sounds. As writers, we rely on description to move the characters in settings with sight, but should also include sounds, smells and touch to enhance the picture. Taste is an immediate sense, normally used once a setting is already established. Here are a few tips to help transport your scenes in this example:

          The hotdogs sizzle on the grill. John inhales the tangy brown mustard as it oozes in a single line onto the roll. “There’s nothing better than baseball and hotdogs.” The baseball cracks off the bat and the crowd roars. The announcer screams, “Its going, going, the ball hit’s the foul pole and…!” John's elbow hits the antennae in the excitement, knocking the radio to the ground.

     We are with John at the ballpark, breathing in the scents, hearing the grill, feeling the crowd’s roar vibrate with excitement, and ready to taste that hotdog, but the scene is confusing.

     Do your descriptions place the reader in the story’s setting, or do your readers dangle on the edge, not engaged in the character’s activities. Transitional sentences ground the scene. Placing the setting after the action confuses the reader, robbing them of a connection with the character. If the descriptions follow in sequential order with a transitional sentence, the reader can experience the journey with the character.

           John adjusts the radio to the baseball announcer’s continual chatter and places the old transistor on the Adirondack chair’s armrest. The hotdogs sizzle on the grill. John inhales the tangy brown mustard as it oozes in a single line onto the roll. “There’s nothing better than baseball and hotdogs.” The baseball cracks off the bat and the crowd roars. The announcer screams, “Its going, going, the ball hit’s the foul pole and…!” John's elbow hits the antennae in the excitement, knocking the radio to the ground.

     The character’s activity, enhanced by sensory perception, engages the reader, there is an understandable sequence of events to support the scene, and the story can generate from this point.
Many of us learned these tidbits, but sometimes a reminder can regenerate a sentence. For those who are hearing about transitional phrases for the first time, I hope you reached that “ah ha” moment, and have more clarity on another writing rule.

Happy writing ~ Diane

No comments:

Post a Comment