It’s already halfway through the week… SO, what have you achieved this week. Me, I’ve managed to get in a couple thousand words on Safe in the middle of preparing taxes, accounting, cooking, and life. Safe is coming along nicely and even my editor is getting excited. I love that I can keep her in the dark until she starts editing a section, then I get a text or call saying, hey, what’s happening next. Tsk Tsk, not telling!
Make it the best day ever and stay warm. Sending prayers to all of those in the icy zones of the country. Warm wishes and thoughts…
It’s barely above 25 degrees this morning here in Georgia. So, burr… It makes my coffee that much better, if that’s even possible. Anyhoo, today we’re talking Show, Don’t Tell… What? Yes, that’s I said. So here goes!
Have you ever read a book and you felt like you were there? Why? Because the writer put into words what the character was seeing. Of course sometimes in our own imagination, we see the world the writer creates. But, it’s important for a writer to let us see their world that is being created with words. Help the reader take the journey with you. And as a writer, you know what I’m talking about. We see the story in our head, but the reader doesn’t unless we let them in on the whole thing, not just the words.
What do I mean? Well, if your character walks out and it’s bitterly cold, then you want your reader to shiver. But how do you do that? Let’s go through an example:
Telling: Rose walked outside and it was cold. She got the mail, then went back to the house to warm up. (Ok, so here in this example, the writer is telling you it’s cold outside, but you don’t know how cold or anything further than it’s cold. This would work, but let’s try this again.)
Showing: Rose opened the door to an artic blast hitting her as she stepped outside. The temperature had dropped to well below freezing and the wind seemed to slice through her thin coat. The walk to the mailbox was bone chilling as she struggled to keep her jacket tightly around her. When she turned to go back to the house, she looked forward to the crackling fire that was waiting for her. The moment she shut the door, leaving the bitter cold outside, the warmth of the fire seem to melt the ice from her as she held up her hands to give them a good thaw. (Now, you feel the cold, the wind, and the characters reaction to those elements. Not to mention, it was more wordy so you made more of a punch. See the difference.)
So, with that, think about how you express things in your writing. The reader doesn’t know the wall is red until you tell them. But remember, tell them the shade red, how the red makes the character feel, etc. Get it. Now, go out there and write up a storm, literally.
Coffee is my afternoon snack. And on this cold and rainy Monday, it’s needed in the worst way. So, I’m sending all of you a little coffee smile. Remember, you’ve got this, so hold on and we’ll get through this Monday!
What a dreary Monday! Monday’s are a struggle, but when you wake up to rain and bone chilling cold, well, it puts you in the wrong mood. So, let’s talk patience. LOL! Yep, that word that we’ve forgotten existed…
Patience by definition is the ability to take things in stride, not rush into something, without getting upset. In other words, even though you want to do something so badly that you hit the start button before you have everything ready. And that’s where you get into trouble.
Here’s what the Bible says: Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
And I know how hard it is to be patient, especially when you have a new release coming. Here’s an example: You’ve finished your current work in progress, but you need to edit, then send to your editor for more edits, then add those new edits, market for the new release, make sure the cover is ready, etc… You get the point. But the problem with all of this is that it takes time to do all of this, and all of this is important. If you jump into the pot before the grease is hot, well, you’ll just end up soggy.
It’s like putting a puzzle together. You can’t rush to the last piece without putting all of the other pieces together first. It’s impossible, so you have to patiently put the other pieces together. The same with publishing a book. One step at a time…
So, here’s my advice and believe me, I’ve been there and done that. Make sure to check all the boxes before you hit submit. You wouldn’t publish to Amazon before you had a cover, would you? Then don’t publish before you’ve got the steps completed in order to put out the best book you possibly can.
Patience is something we have to work on. Me included. If you feel like you’ve just got to do something, then start on the next project and market like crazy for the one you’re about to release. But make it right the first time and the patience will pay off.
It’s almost the weekend. Like only a couple of hours until it officially starts. And, it’s Valentines weekend on top of that. So, what are you planning for Valentine’s Day?
Maybe you’re going to stay in and just have a private dinner… Maybe you’re going out to a nice restaurant… Or maybe you don’t get into Valentine’s Day at all… Either way, it’s the weekend so celebrate by sleeping in, relaxing with a good book, or sitting by the fire writing…
As most of you know, I’m an accountant. So, tax season is a big part of my time right now. This means I’m spending a lot of time in my office. At least I have a coffee maker sitting beside my desk. There may be long hours and late nights, but with coffee and tea by my side, I’m good to go.
We made it to the halfway point. Tax season is now in full swing and my work days are getting longer, which means more coffee breaks. So, here’s to a great day for all and don’t forget to grab that cup of coffee to keep the day going strong.
As I sip my afternoon coffee, I’m thinking about the last nine years of publishing my work, I have to smile. This publishing life has been the best way to get all of my craziness out of my head. In 2012 I was unsure how it would be received, but wow, it’s been such a wild, wonderful ride.
Now, don’t take this as saying it was easy, but it has been fun. So, with another sip of my coffee I say thanks for all of the wonderful friends I’ve made during this wonderful time. And I look forward to many more years, publishing, writing, and blogging.
So, here’s to more coffee thoughts in the future… Meaning, everyday…
It’s turned into a beautiful day in Georgia, but my writing calls to me. As I sit here with a cup of coffee and my laptop, I’m in my happy place. Dinner is in the oven (roasted chicken with collard greens). I’m a southern girl, what can I say.
My current project is taking me to another realm of writing. I’m enjoying the nuances of these new characters. Both main characters have their own dark places and it’s fun seeing their developing characteristics. And it’s about to take a turn, driving them deeper into their dark feelings, but the fun part is, will they be able to stay above ground. The facts are somewhat skewed and up until the end, you won’t know who’s the bad guy or the good guy. It’s a team this or that, but I’ll let the readers figure that out.
It’s Groundhog Day! Let’s hope it doesn’t go like the movie. Anyway, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter. Whether you believe the groundhog or not, it’s fun to see what he does and if his predictions come true. But, whatever happens, we can’t do anything to change it, so life goes on.
Here in Georgia we’re finally seeing the sunshine this morning. As I sip my second cup of coffee, I’m reviewing two more chapters of Safe, my current work in process. With temperatures in the upper 20’s, this coffee helps warm me up. These hardwood floors are mighty cold this morning. But, one step outside and I’m reminded how warm it really is inside. The icy air hits your face like a ton of bricks. So, wrap up and stay warm today.
As for writing, this is the month for romance. The question of the day is this, can you squeeze in romance in a crime thriller? The answer is yes. Even a horror can have some romance element without taking away from the story line. For me, adding an element of romance just makes for a better story. Of course, that could be that I’m a romance writer and I try to put romance in everything I do.
With that being said, my new WIP is coming along quite well. It’s full of suspense, dabbled with excitement and a couple of spine tingling moments. I’m starting to really enjoy this new added genre in my romance books. The thrill of mystery keeps my fingers typing and my mind working. I was so enthralled in the story last night that the dog barked and I almost jumped out of my skin. But that’s what makes it fun, to get lost in the story.
In other news, I’ll have a featured article in the Southern Writer’s Magazine a couple of days before Valentines Day, so keep watching for it. It’s such an honor to be able to talk writing on such a wonderful platform. As writers, we need to be able to spread our wings.
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 