Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Sensory Science-Final-Part 4: SENSE OF TIME, w/Jeanne Marie Leach-Writing Talk Tuesday

let's-talk-writing-purple-banner-Jeanne

USING SENSORY SCIENCE FOR DEEPER DESCRIPTIONS


© 2015 By Jeanne Marie Leach


The dictionary defines the “senses” as any of the faculties involving sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. These five senses are the ones everyone learns about in school, and writer’s groups remind you to be sure to utilize them all.

However, in the scientific world there is no solid consensus among neurologists regarding the actual number of senses because of differing definitions of what actually composes a sense. Humans are considered to have at least six additional senses that include:

  • · Balance and acceleration

  • · Temperature differences

  • · Muscle and joint motion

  • · Pain

  • · Sense of time

  • · Direction


After researching these further, I’ve come to the conclusion that these extra “senses” are a valuable part of descriptions used in fiction stories, so as a fiction author, keep these in mind. Most of them are usually mentioned naturally as the need arises in a story, but a couple of them could easily be overlooked. Using these senses will definitely enhance the word pictures you create and will deepen the characters.

This week, I am focusing on the sense of time.

Sense of Time


One field of study within psychology and neuroscience is time perception, which relates to the sense of time. The sense of time differs from the other senses in that time cannot be exactly apparent. Humans can perceive short periods of time, as well as durations that are a significant portion of their lifetime. Many experiments have noted the relationship between perceived and measured time.

Although psychologists often agree that time appears to go faster with age. One day to an eleven-year-old would be approximately 1/4,000 of their life, while one day to a 55-year-old would be approximately 1/20,000 of their life. This is perhaps why a day would appear much longer to a young child than to an adult.

It is important to note this in our writing. Most of us have written about a moment in time that felt like hours had passed, when it was only a minute. Keep in mind that this particular sense occurs more and for longer periods of time the older the character becomes. Younger people would tend to experience these moments in real time. These people think it is unnecessary to make plans.

Another illusion of time can best be illustrated by two people each taking a journey that takes an equal amount of time. The person who covers more distance will appear to take longer than the journey covering less distance, even though they took an equal amount of time.

Some researchers attempt to categorize people by how they differ in their perception of time.

People with a present perspective of time have a tendency to believe that the actions in the present do not significantly affect the future. They don’t think an action taking place in the present will affect the probability of a future outcome.

People with a future perspective tend to believe that an action taken place in the present increases the probability of a future outcome. These people are very goal-oriented, with a high capacity to make conclusions about future results. They usually prepare task lists, use a calendar, and tend to wear a watch.

Time urgency refers to the need for a swift response or action to reach a particular goal. It can be described on an axis with a scale from high to low.

These two dimensions generate four types of personalities.

  1. Organizers -- high time importance and future time perspective. High awareness of time. Illustrated by scheduling tasks and activities and striving for higher-than-average achievement.

  2. Crammers -- high time urgency and present time perspective. Characterized by high awareness of time. Must wield control over deadlines. Very competitive, determined to achieve. Impatient.

  3. Relators – Low time urgency and present time perspective. Not given to care about deadlines or passage of time or taking risks. Acts impulsively, focuses on present tasks and on relationships.

  4. Visioners – Everything the same as relators, except they don’t focus on present tasks or relationships, but concentrate on future goals.


Writing application


I’ve already mentioned many ways you can apply the sense of time more effectively to your writing. When fleshing out our characters, be sure to include their time perspective. There will no doubt be a moment or many moments when their perception of time will be important to the story. Keeping the character true to themselves will create solid, three-dimensional characters.
Final note: This concludes the series that takes us beyond the five senses when writing our stories. By paying closer attention to these six “deep” senses, you’ll infuse better action and closer attention to details into your book.

 Thank you for this opportunity to unveil my latest discovery in the world of writing fiction.   Jeanne

 And we thank you, Jeanne, for sharing all this fascinating information with us.


Readers, if you missed the first three parts of this series, click on the links below:




About Jeanne:

JeanneMarieLeachJeanne Marie Leach is a multi-published author and freelance editor specializing in fiction and teaches courses on editing fiction. She is coordinator of The Christian PEN, a member of the Christian Editor Network, and member #46 of The American Christian Fiction Writers, where she received the 2012 Member Service Award. She teaches 32 weeks per year to editors on how to edit fiction and continually keeps abreast of current market trends and hones her knowledge of fiction writing and editing through classes and conferences.

-->>> For a special treat, please come back again next Tuesday for a discussion about REPEAT POLICE. I, for one, can’t wait to see what that’s all about.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

TWEETABLE:

[bctt tweet="#sensoryscience 'Sense of Time' #writingtalktuesday with author Jeanne Marie Leach. A great writing tip. Check it out!"]

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

To Do. . . or To Don’t

to-do-list-graphic

Have you ever found yourself with such a huge ‘to do’ list you don’t know which thing to do first…so you do nothing? You just sit there and stare at that list and sigh, or cringe, growl and gnash your teeth, want to scream, start pulling at your hair, try to ignore it, or all of the above?

The thing is, they’re all important, and they all need to be done. now, if not yesterday.  That list can not, and will not, be ignored.

This time of year has a particularly demanding ‘to do’ list, but I find myself with this type of issue quite often through the year, not just at holiday time.

So, what to do about it? No, I’m not offering some wise, sage advice. If I had any, I wouldn’t be writing this . . . I’d be whacking away at that list. Either that or I wouldn't”t have such a halacious list to begin with.

I’ve always had a problem with time management, as well as knowing how to separate the urgent from the important.

Knowing this, my creative mind has come up with the perfect solution.

  • I get a giant spinning wheel like the one on The Price is Right, or Wheel of Fortune.
  • I put one of my to do items in each of the slots around the wheel. If I still have room left, I duplicate those items until the wheel is filled.
  • Then I spin the wheel, and wherever it stops, I do that chore/item. Simple, huh? But wait…what if I don’t want to do that one? I just spin it again, right? Wrong.
  • This wheel is special. Wherever it stops, it locks up…no second spin allowed until that task is completed. Okay, I still don’t want to do that one, so I just walk away, right? Wrong again.
  • This magical wheel has the power to force me to complete the task it landed on. If I try to walk away, decide to do anything else, or deviate in any way, it ZAPS me. Hard!
  • It also knows exactly when I’m done, and will unlock the wheel for the next spin.
  • Oh, it also know if I have more time in the day to do another task, and makes me spin again, repeating the whole process.

Some gadget, huh?

On second thought, I think I’ll just figure out a way to manage those tasks on my own. The above sounds a bit drastic. So much for a fertile imagination.

Thoughts?

Silver_Christmas-white

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Sensory Science Part 3: PAIN, w/Jeanne Marie Leach

let's-talk-writing-purple-banner-Jeanne

USING SENSORY SCIENCE FOR DEEPER DESCRIPTIONS

© 2015 By Jeanne Marie Leach

The dictionary defines the “senses” as any of the faculties involving sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. These five senses are the ones everyone learns about in school, and writer’s groups remind you to be sure to utilize them all.

However, in the scientific world there is no solid consensus among neurologists regarding the actual number of senses because of differing definitions of what actually composes a sense. Humans are considered to have at least six additional senses that include:

  • · Balance and acceleration

  • · Temperature differences

  • · Muscle and joint motion

  • · Pain

  • · Sense of time

  • · Direction


After researching these further, I’ve come to the conclusion that these extra “senses” are a valuable part of descriptions used in fiction stories, so as a fiction author, keep these in mind. Most of them are usually mentioned naturally as the need arises in a story, but a couple of them could easily be overlooked. Using these senses will definitely enhance the word pictures you create and will deepen the characters.

This week, I am focusing on pain.

Pain


Physiological pain signals near-damage or damage to tissue. The three types of pain receptors are the skin, joints and bones, and body organs. Recent studies show that pain is registered in a specific area of the brain. The main function of pain is to warn us about dangers. For example, we avoid touching a sharp needle or hot object or extending an arm beyond a safe limit because it hurts, and thus is dangerous. Without pain we would do many dangerous things without realizing it.

Writing application:


We’re talking about the physiological pain, not emotional pain. Both are used in fiction writing, and until now, authors mostly described pain as being sharp or dull or constant or terrible, and innumerable other basics of pain. Imagine how deeper your descriptions will become when you mention the receptors in your description.

Example: Due to sticking her arm out the car window for two hours, the skin on her right arm inflamed and each nerve ending shot miniscule bullets to the reddened forearm. She cradled her forearm close to her, but it did nothing to assuage the pain. Why hadn’t Daren awoken her earlier? Didn’t he notice her arm burning in the sun? Now they’d have to make a stop to get some aloe cream . . . the sooner, the better.

Instead of having someone get a “sharp pain in their side,” have them pinpoint the exact area. I’ve experienced kidney stones, an inflamed appendix, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. To this day, I can tell you exactly which one of these pains I’m having. By lying still and concentrating, I can pinpoint where inside of me the pain is coming from. I can tell if it’s high (kidneys) or low (bowels) or unusual (appendix). Not all of your fiction characters will be able to do this because they haven’t experienced these specific pains before. But they will be able to tell you if it’s deep inside them on the right side, whether it’s high or low, whether the pinpoint is radiating pain across the whole midsection, and many other specifics. These details will take you deeper into the POV character’s experience and will make it more real for the readers.

let's-talk-writing-purple-Jeanne

Jeanne Marie Leach is a multi-published author and freelance editor specializing in fiction and teaches courses on editing fiction. She is coordinator of The Christian PEN, a member of the Christian Editor Network, and member #46 of The American Christian Fiction Writers, where she received the 2012 Member Service Award. She teaches 32 weeks per year to editors on how to edit fiction and continually keeps abreast of current market trends and hones her knowledge of fiction writing and editing through classes and conferences.

 

If you missed the previous posts in this series by Jeanne:

Find Part 1 HERE

Find Part 2 HERE

Be sure to return next week for Part 4: Sense of Time, the final post in this series.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

COTT's Oct/Nov 2015 Champion!







Thank you to our viewers, fans, and voters—this was a near record-setting post view for our five authors. Congratulations to all of your and thank you for participating. Some of the comments you received include:




  • Thank you for producing such amazing Christian fiction!

  • All of them are beautiful covers.

  • The world of writing may be hard, but you all have already done more than many people dream of doing by finishing and publishing a book. Keep writing, and best of luck.

  • Keep on writing and telling your stories!

  • Keep writing! Keep believing!

  • Love these covers, all!

  • All look like great books, but the cover of Sound of Silver really grabs me the most.

  • Voted for After! A lovely book inside and out.

  • Love the covers of "After" and "Love's Christmas Past" but am most excited to read "Sofia's Tune" first. Who doesn't love a good secret? Excited!

  • LOVE your work, Rachelle!

  • Good for you, Janet Sketchley, for having your book included here.


 Certainly all wonderful, but...there

 

                          Can


                                    Be


                                           Only


                                                      One

 
Congratulations to this month’s Champion, Cindy Thomson, and Sofia’s Tune!


Released November 1, 2015

Ebook - $4.99

Print: $14.99









In Sofia’s Tune, we meet Sofia Falcone, a young woman who has been living in New York only a short time when she is stunned to discover a family secret, one that soon sends her beloved mother into a mental institution. Scrambling to keep her job and care for her mother, Sofia is convinced confronting the past will heal all wounds, but her old world Italian family wants to keep the past in the past.

 

During this time, she encounters Antonio, a Vaudeville pianist with a street-smart dog, seeking to discover why his father was mysteriously killed. Their crossed paths uncover a frightening underworld in Little Italy. Bringing the truth to light may cost Sofia’s mother’s sanity, Antonio’s career, and the livelihoods of countless immigrants. Change is on the horizon, but it may not bring what they expect.

 











Q & A With Cindy


·       Sofia’s Tune has a musical theme. What can you tell us about the meaning of “tune” in this story?


Antonio is a vaudeville pianist who dreams of becoming an accomplished concert musician. His dog resembles Nipper of the “His Master’s Voice” advertisement for gramophones. There is plenty of music in this story, but the title refers to changing your tune, finding a different path for your life, as both Sofia and Antonio must do.


·       Tell us about the dog on the cover.


Luigi is Antonio’s faithful companion who keeps reminding people of the dog listening to his master’s voice on the recording, as I mentioned. He’s well trained and a good judge of character. I really enjoyed adding a canine character to the story. Dogs are such an important part of many people’s lives. He is Antonio’s dog, but he really likes Sofia, as you can see on the cover!


·       What’s next?


Sofia’s Tune is the final novel in the series. However, I am planning on a novella, a sort of  prequel, which will tell Mrs. Hawkins’s story. Mrs. Hawkins runs a boarding house for immigrant girls. Her story is told very briefly in Annie’s Stories. This novella will be free exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. (You can sign up on my web site.)

Next summer I will be releasing the sequel to my first novel, Brigid of Ireland. The stories are set in 5th century Ireland, and weave in a bit of fantasy and adventure. They are somewhat different from the Ellis Island series, but are still representative of our ancestors’ stories that should be passed down for us to carry on their legacy of endurance, faithfulness, and wisdom.


And speaking of wisdom, Sofia’s name means wisdom, and I hope readers will be inspired by the music in the book trailer, written by my friend from Northern Ireland, singer/songwriter Andy Rogers.



 
Cindy Thomson is the author of seven books, including her newest novel, Sofia’s Tune, the third book in her Ellis Island series. She also writes genealogy articles for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today magazines, and short stories for Clubhouse Magazine. Most everything she writes reflects her mission of “Writing the stories of our inheritance." Visit her at www.cindyswriting.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cindyswriting and on Twitter: @cindyswriting



Friday, December 18, 2015

Julie Arduini has a great Christmas deal for you!

I am pleased to welcome author Julie Arduini to Whispers in Purple today. She is here to share some news about her recent writing endeavors. Take it away, Julie!

purplebar2_ltbkg

THE HEART SEEKERS SERIES NOW IN PRINT JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

When readers ask me what do I like most about working with a publisher, my answer always is I appreciate being part of a team. Write Integrity Press authors are known and respected for marketing each other, not just themselves. That means a lot to me.

One of our team projects is THE HEART SEEKERS SERIES. These three novellas are comprised of A DOZEN APOLOGIES, The LOVE BOAT BACHELOR, and UNLIKELY MERGER. What was so fun about the stories I was involved in (THE LOVE BOAT BACHELOR and UNLIKELY MERGER,) was that we posted our chapters online and had readers vote for the heroine and hero they wanted to see close out each story. Even though my characters didn’t “win,” I can share that all of us authors were as excited to learn the ending and just as conflicted as to what character should win.

With Christmas a week away, THE HEART SEEKERS SERIES is now available for the first time in print. Anyone that purchases either the Kindle or print version not only receives those three stories, but updates on all the characters. Also included is the #1 bestseller, THE CHRISTMAS TREE TREASURE. It’s a perfect Christmas present for the romance reader on your list.

My hope is a new crop of readers will come to love the characters and settings across the USA and Caribbean. In THE LOVE BOAT BACHELOR, I was able to write Nora Laing, a caregiver on a cruise as part of a compromise. For years Nora stepped in and helped her sister and her nephew, Jimmy. With her sister newly married, they are all struggling with their new roles. So much so, Nora’s asked to go on the honeymoon cruise with the whole family. Meeting Pastor Brent Teague and listening to his wise counsel gives Nora the courage to start to find life for herself.

My heart is to write surrender issues and chocolate, so I love Nora because she has to surrender what’s comfortable and take steps beyond what she can see and trust God has the perfect plan for her. Not only did I love Nora, I loved where they were docked, Cozumel. Her shopping excursion with Brent was based on my own shopping experience with my husband.

In UNLIKELY MERGER, Landon Gates runs Lakeview Inn, located in the Finger Lakes Region of Watkins Glen, New York. He’s trying to expand the activities the inn offers as well as transform it into a training place for young adults with special needs. Because he care-gives for his sister, it’s important to him to make the place attractive to tourists and home for his sister, Kaili, and her peers. It’s more than he can handle, and he has to ask Lacewell Limited to consider taking the inn on as one of the business ventures.

Landon was my tip of the hat to my family and the area I lived in before moving to Ohio. My nephew’s name is Landon, and woven into my chapter are places and foods I miss and long for readers to love as much as I do.

I would love for everyone reading today to consider THE HEART SEEKERS SERIES for their loved ones, and for them, too. Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

To purchase THE HEART SEEKERS SERIES, click here.

About Julie:

september2015ja

Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the Amazon bestseller, ENTRUSTED, and co-author of THE LOVE BOAT BACHELOR and UNLIKELY MERGER. She also shared her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities at JULIE ARDUINI: SURRENDER ISSUES AND CHOCOLATE.

11223792_942478115817837_8109467507573719711_nEntrusted FRONT Cover_edited

Thank you Julie, for sharing with us. It’s been  a pleasure hosting you today.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Her Candy Cane Christmas, by Bonnie Engstrom

clip_image002Devastated by her fiancé’s abrasive treatment, Noelle cancels her wedding, including the flowers from florist Braydon Lovejoy. Can love bloom again in California? Will a Santa propose to her?

Noelle Day finally has the courage to break off her ill-fated engagement with her volatile fiancé and cancel their Christmas wedding. It’s embarrassing, and she has to share the humiliating reason with her friends The Candy Canes. The other five girls were to be her attendants in red taffeta gowns.

When she faints and falls into the arms of Braydon Lovejoy, the now former wedding florist, Braydon is confused by her abrupt manner. Who is this beautiful woman with the sepia hair and the huge brown eyes? Is she a damsel in distress as he suspects? He prays for an opportunity to find out.

Then he backs his delivery van into her precious red car, and he’s sure she would never go out with him, especially since he was hired to deliver a huge bouquet of roses to her from a secret admirer.

Noelle is confused how to respond when Bruce, the school principal, physically forces himself on her. After all, he is her boss, and she’s just a first year English teacher.

She finally accepts a lunch date with Braydon, and he takes her to Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar, California where she learns he is the local rose expert. But, Noelle worries their friendship is happening too fast and calls a respite.

One of the Candy Canes has a tragic accident, and the women bond together. But Braydon, who is not sure why he is involved, becomes their anchor.

Will Braydon’s prayers heal the hurts, physically and emotionally? Will the injured Candy Cane forgive the woman who caused her accident, the woman who is related to Bruce the principal? Will Noelle ever have her California Candy Cane Christmas?

A little bit about this book: Her Candy Cane Christmas has been festering in my heart for over five years. It started out as a possible story in a novella collection. The primary author dropped out because she didn’t like that I wrote about abuse, even though it is all off stage and gets resolved. Thus, the collection did not happen. However, I like to write about real problems that often happen in real life. So, what began as Candy Cane Roses became Her Candy Cane Christmas. It is still set in Newport Beach, California where it began. And, it does have a happy ending with all problems and distress resolved. It is a story that I believe needed to be told. I hope you do, too. Life has many struggles, but with God, faith can overcome them.

Please give me personal feedback, especially in my email. Just put BOOK in the subject line. Thank you.

My email address is: bengstrom@hotmail.com.

Please read my other stories on Amazon.com using my name Bonnie Engstrom to bring them up, or the titles of my stories:

  • Butterfly Dreams

  • A Winning Recipe

  • A Cup of Love

  • Her Culinary Catch

  • Her Candy Cane Christmas


Most of them are FREE if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited. A great value.

About Bonnie:

clip_image004

Bonnie Engstrom and her psychologist husband, Dave, live in Arizona near four of their six grandchildren. The other two live in Costa Rica where they surf. But, they share their Arizona home with Sam and Lola, their two rescued mutts in charge of the household.

She used to bake dozens of Christmas cookies in November and freeze them so she would have a lot to pass out to neighbors. Now … well, that was a long time ago. Instead of cookies for Christmas, she writes. Her Candy Cane Christmas story set in Newport Beach, California, where her family was raised and where they have many fond Christmas memories, is perfect for gift giving. Or, for just cuddling up by the fire for an inspiring romance read.

She hopes you enjoy it and also gift it to special women in your life. Don’t forget to leave an honest review on Amazon.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Sensory Science Part 2, Writing Talk Tuesday, with Jeanne Marie Leach

let's-talk-writing-purple-banner-Jeanne

USING SENSORY SCIENCE FOR DEEPER DESCRIPTIONS

© 2015 By Jeanne Marie Leach

The dictionary defines the “senses” as any of the faculties involving sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. These five senses are the ones everyone learns about in school, and writer’s groups remind you to be sure to utilize them all.

However, in the scientific world there is no solid consensus among neurologists regarding the actual number of senses because of differing definitions of what actually composes a sense. Humans are considered to have at least six additional senses that include:

  • Balance and acceleration

  • Temperature differences

  • Muscle and joint motion

  • Pain

  • Sense of time

  • Direction


After researching these further, I’ve come to the conclusion that these extra “senses” are a valuable part of descriptions used in fiction stories, so as a fiction author, keep these in mind. Most of them are usually mentioned naturally as the need arises in a story, but a couple of them could easily be overlooked. Using these senses will definitely enhance the word pictures you create and will deepen the characters.

This week, I am focusing on muscle and joint motion and direction.

Kinesthetic sense (Muscle and joint movement)

Definition/Explanation:

The kinesthetic sense provides the sensation of movement or strain in muscles, tendons, and joints. This can be termed muscle sense and is the awareness of the position of one's body, including weight, muscle tension, and movement.

You use this sense in situations like closing your eyes and touch the tip of a finger to your nose. If your muscle sense is working properly, you won’t lose awareness of where your hand actually is, even though it is not being detected by any of the other senses. Muscle sense and touch are related in subtle ways, and their injury results in unexpected and deep shortages in perception and action.

Writing Application:

A large, upscale department store hires a woman and her team to dress their windows for the spring season. As the team works on staging light and airy scenes behind the windows, the owner of the firm requires help from one of her team, and a handsome, young man volunteers. With two step ladders facing each other, she climbs up one, and he goes up the other. While someone else hoists a large placard upward, the two on the ladders nudge it into place, their hands touching each other’s hand, and the woman becomes deeply aware of how close the man’s torso is to hers. She can “sense” his nearness, even though she’s focusing all her attention on the placard.

Direction

Directional awareness, most commonly noted in birds, is also found to a limited extent in humans. While bees and birds and animals like cattle possess a directional instinct with regard to the Earth’s magnetic field, man does not. Humans must rely on scientific findings in order to navigate their way in the world. While most people depend upon compasses and maps, there are occasionally people who can stand in a certain spot and instinctually “know” which way is north. Scientists disagree on whether this is a true scientific phenomenon or simply a fluke of nature, but they cannot deny the existence of this occurrence.

Writing application

When you create characters, you can determine whether they are one of the “unusual” people who have a keen sense of direction or if they must read a map in order to get out of a situation. Remember that reading maps, or noting the position of the sun or stars is a learned technique.

Example: You have a female protagonist from New York City who is on a first-time camping trip in the woods with her cousins. She needs to go to the bathroom, so she must walk a short distance before she can make sure nobody will see her. When she finishes, she walks back the way she came there, but somehow manages to miss the campsite. Not wanting to look stupid, she turns and keeps walking. Then she calls out for help, but nobody responds. What does she do?

You must determine if she has any survival skills. Does she know how to use the trees as a directional guide? Does she know how to tell direction using the sun? If she does know these things, then it must be written into the story somehow where she learned these tools. If she’s one of those unusual people who has a basic “knack” for finding her way, then that too must play into the story. You cannot just have her find her way through the woods without having established how she knows these things. Without this information, the story won’t be believable. A New York City gal who can find her own way back to her cousins just doesn’t sound right. . . unless. . .

Be sure to come back next week for Part 3: Pain!

If you missed Part 1: Balance and Acceleration, go HERE

About Jeanne:

let's-talk-writing-purple-Jeanne

Jeanne Marie Leach is a multi-published author and freelance editor specializing in fiction and teaches courses on editing fiction. She is coordinator of The Christian PEN, a member of the Christian Editor Network, and member #46 of The American Christian Fiction Writers, where she received the 2012 Member Service Award. She teaches 32 weeks per year to editors on how to edit fiction and continually keeps abreast of current market trends and hones her knowledge of fiction writing and editing through classes and conferences.

TWEETABLE: [bctt tweet="Sensory Science: Kinesthetic sense and directrion w/Jeanne Marie Leach, #writingtalktuesday, #whispersinpurple #writing"]

Monday, December 14, 2015

Subtle Changes

Those of you who have been following my Whispers in Purple blog for a while have witnessed numerous changes in themes and colors, among other things.

Such is the case today. WordPress (.org) has updated the theme I’ve been using, but it’s a subtle change. So I thought it would be fun to see if any of you can detect those changes. Unfortunately, because of the update, the old version is no longer visible.

But give it a try, anyway, and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

For some more fun in detecting subtle changes, below is a picture of the Little Debbie logo since 1960.

 

Little Debbie

This is just for fun. You won’t win anything Winking smile

List the changes you see in each of the three logo changes fro  1960 to 2013, and share them in the comments section below.

If you wish, you can post one comment for whatever changes you can come up with in the blog theme change, and another comment for the Little Debbie changes.

I thought I’d put this up for something different, and maybe provide a bright spot in your “Oh, rats . . . it’s Monday” kind of day.

Have fun with it Smile

Tomorrow is Writing Talk Tuesday, with Jeanne Marie Leach and Part 2 of her ‘Sensory Science’ series.

If you missed Part 1, just click HERE

Blessings,

holly_peg_cup-white

Merry Reading Stocking Stuffer Christmas Clash!



 
 
The Happiest of Holiday Reading to you!
 
This month we share five books and
 
seven authors with you -- some old friends and some new.
 
Voting starts today, December 9 and goes through
 
Midnight December 15, CST.

Vote now and leave the authors a word of encouragement both here and on the survey form. Share with other book lovers, and Come back Thursday
 
December 17 for the Clash of the Titles champion.
 
Which cover tickles your fancy? Which book would be next for you?
 
Scroll down to find the voting form.



Sixty thousand people watched Candace Rodriguez literally fall off the stage while performing the national anthem, wrecking more than her self-esteem. Will her new faith in Christ be strong enough to bring her to an After she could only dream of in her music, health, and love?
 
***
 
Three in One special shorter reads of romantic Christmases Past for the busy holiday season. From the nineteenth century Wisconsin farm family to a small town doctor fighting a flu outbreak to Medieval Britain lords and ladies...all need a Christmas miracle.
 
***


In 1903 New York City, Italian immigrant Sofia Falcone learns a family secret that sends her mother to the brink of insanity. When she meets a Vaudeville pianist whose own struggles cross hers on the streets of Little Italy, change is on the way, though it may not bring what they expect.

***


The stalwart saint fights for faith... the redeemed rebel, fights for honor. After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile and hope is not as easy as it may seem.
 
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What if the plane crash that killed Amy's fiancé was no accident? Some questions need to be asked.
 
 






Monday, December 7, 2015

Sensory Science Part 1, Writing Talk Tuesday, with Jeanne Marie Leach

let's-talk-writing-purple-Jeanne

USING SENSORY SCIENCE FOR DEEPER DESCRIPTIONS

© 2015 By Jeanne Marie Leach

The dictionary defines the “senses” as any of the faculties involving sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body. These five senses are the ones everyone learns about in school, and writer’s groups remind you to be sure to utilize them all.

However, in the scientific world there is no solid consensus among neurologists regarding the actual number of senses because of differing definitions of what actually composes a sense. Humans are considered to have at least six additional senses that include:

  • · Balance and acceleration

  • · Temperature differences

  • · Muscle and joint motion

  • · Pain

  • · Sense of time

  • · Direction


After researching these further, I’ve come to the conclusion that these extra “senses” are a valuable part of descriptions used in fiction stories, so as a fiction author, keep these in mind. Most of them are usually mentioned naturally as the need arises in a story, but a couple of them could easily be overlooked. Using these senses will definitely enhance the word pictures you create and will deepen the characters.

I will focus on these “new” senses each week for the next four weeks.
Balance and acceleration

Definition/Explanation:

Balance or equilibrium is the sense which allows us to perceive body movement, direction, and acceleration, and to reach and maintain postural equilibrium and balance, gravitational force, head rotation, linear acceleration, and the direction of gravitational force.

Writing application:

There are times when balance and acceleration are both blatantly important to describe in your story, such as a skier going downhill. Without proper balance, this activity is impossible, so it is going to be a huge part of the imagery.

Then there are the more subtle times when these senses are used, and this is when good details will enhance your writing. For example: think about a person fleeing on foot from the police. They run around a city block. Everyone knows when a person has the momentum of running in a straight line, a sudden turn will throw off their balance. As a result, they will compensate for it by slowing down to make the turn, putting their arms out to maintain their balance, possibly stumbling, or grabbing hold of the building corner to keep themselves from falling over.

Just a quick mention of the sense of balance will take your description to a deeper level and give the reader a word picture that they’ll definitely “see” in their minds.

Be sure to come back next week for Part 2!

About Jeanne:

JeanneMarieLeachJeanne Marie Leach is a multi-published author and freelance editor specializing in fiction and teaches courses on editing fiction. She is coordinator of The Christian PEN, a member of the Christian Editor Network, and member #46 of The American Christian Fiction Writers, where she received the 2012 Member Service Award. She teaches 32 weeks per year to editors on how to edit fiction and continually keeps abreast of current market trends and hones her knowledge of fiction writing and editing through classes and conferences.

 

[bctt tweet="Balance & Accelleration: Using sensory science #sensoryscience in your #writing with Jeanne Marie Leach, Part 1."]

Sunday, December 6, 2015

December Thoughts with Carole Brown

It’s December

Desktop Wallpaper, December 2015. Virginia Tech.It’s December, and a busy time of the year it is. Plenty of time for writing, right? Not! What with the shopping, decorating, cards and cooking, plays and pageants, cantatas and practices, visits and schedules--hectic-ism (my word! LOL) abounds. And if we let it, there’ll be little time for writing.

Not good.

Or is it?

I realized several years ago, I needed to make a December change in my life. I could NOT accept every invitation, attend every play, spend as much, and do everything that was offered. It was too stressful, and the peace and joy and happiness was missing because of it. So here’s how I dealt with it:

  • Scale down and back. On the spending, our family was growing. As much as I adore them all, I had to set reasonable limits to how much I could spend and pretty much stick with that goal. Besides kids already have everything! Lol.
  • My attendance is not required at every December function! I’m a loving, caring person, but I’m NOT--as much as the world wants us to portray that picture--a super woman. Yes, I do a LOT of things, and yes, God is all powerful and willing to give me strength. But he also gave me a mind. I had to CHOOSE what is the most important and what is the most attractive to me and mine. Less is more during December.

By doing those simple things, I’ve found I’m still plenty busy, but can also find time to write, edit, research or plot. Best of all, I’m left with the peace and joy that comes with a simple and laid back schedule for December.

A few simple tips for your December writing goals:

  • Give yourself permission to “go easy” if necessary. Things ALWAYS come up. So be prepared and accepting that you might not get 10,000 words written every week. Shoot for less and do more if you’re able.
  • Adjust your work. In other words, if you can’t write more words in your manuscript, then edit or do a little research or some promoting.
  • Give yourself frequent breaks to relax, have fun, enjoy the kids or grandkids, or whatever else keeps you smiling!
  • Treat yourself to a simple or easy or cheap special that you seldom enjoy! You’ll come back to work better for it.

Most of all, realize what the season is all about. God gave us a very special gift. Now let’s give back to him: our hearts and our talents, by being all we can be and at our very best.

Merry Christmas!

Carole’s Featured Book:

Sabataged Christmas1 front cover3

Toni DeLuca, the Italian owner of DeLuca Construction, finds herself confronted with doubts about her father and his possible deceptions--all because of the mysterious pink notes she’s receiving.

Relations with Perrin Douglas who has a troubled history—but the first man in years who’s interested her--is building to a peak. Yet Perrin‘s own personal problems and his doubts about women and God, keep getting in the way.

Gossip, a Spanish proposal, an inheritance, and a sabotaged construction business all converge to play a part in ruining Christmas for Toni’s employees. Will the mysterious person behind it all succeed in pulling off the biggest scam Appleton, West Virginia has ever seen?

Will this culprit destroy Toni’s last chance at happiness with the man of her dreams?

Buy the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sabotaged-Christmas-Appleton-Romantic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0186GF4GY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

About Carole:

CaroleAug14 (14) cropped

Brown not only has her award winning (2015 Winner of the USA Best Books Award, 2015 Small Publishers Book Award, RWA International Digital Award finalist, Clash of the Titles Laurel Awards finalist, Selah finalist; Genesis semi-finalist) debut novel, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, available for purchase now.

A companion book called West Virginia Scrapbook: From the Life of Caralynne Hayman, filled with tidbits of information about West Virginia, quotes, recipes from West Virginia and from Caralynne’s life, pictures and discussion questions for the novel is also available.

The first book in her Denton & Alex Davies mystery series, Hog Insane and Bat Crazy, the second book are fun, lighthearted novels that not only deal with the mysteries the Davies land in, but relationships too.

The first book in a new WWII Spies Romantic Suspense series, With Music In Their Hearts are nostalgic, warm-hearted books that place readers firmly in that era. Three red-headed sisters. Three spies. Three stories.

This month, Brown is releasing the first book in a new series, The Appleton, WV Romantic Mysteries: Sabotaged Christmas.

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Dialogue Techniques, with Leann Betts

My sincere apologies to Leann, and to my readers. This article was supposed to have appeared on Wednesday…but I totally spaced it. Partly due to computer issues, but that’s another story.

Anyway, please welcome Leann Betts as she shares:


Let’s Talk -- Dialogue techniques, By Leeann BettsDialogue-Wordle

Dialogue breaks up the narrative, the exposition, the description. Dialogue is a great place to show conflict, set up foreshadowing, and fill in backstory.

Let’s take a look at each of these purposes for dialogue.

  1. Show conflict: we don’t need fight scenes to show that two characters are at odds with each other. We can also do that through dialogue, both verbal and internal. Here’s an example:


Sally paused in the doorway. “Oh, Bob, I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you doing?”

Bob glanced up from his newspaper then returned to his crossword puzzle. “And why shouldn’t I be here?”

“I thought you were out of town this week.”

He peered at her over the top of his glasses. “Did you have something special planned while I was away?”

In this example, neither one answers the other’s question directly. Both seem suspicious of the other. Bob’s rude treatment by continuing his puzzle and then looking at her over his glasses implies something is going on, but their words could stand alone and you’d know there was some tension between these two characters.

Let’s use internal dialogue to show conflict:
Sally paused in the doorway. “Oh, Bob, I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you doing?”

She already knew the answer wouldn’t be good. Why do I even bother?

Bob glanced up from his newspaper then returned to his crossword puzzle. “And why shouldn’t I be here?”

“I thought you were out of town this week.” That’s what he’d said yesterday. Not that she could ever trust him to be honest with her.

He peered at her over the top of his glasses. “Did you have something special planned while I was away?”

In this example, we see the exact same dialogue, but now we hear a little from Sally. She sounds weary of the conflict, whatever it is, and she doesn’t trust Bob.

  1. Set up foreshadowing: foreshadowing is the technique of alerting the characters and the reader that something is going to happen, or might happen.


Marcus slumped in his chair. “I knew this day would come. And I knew I wouldn’t be ready for it.”

“Don’t be such a prognosticator.” His wife rubbed his shoulders. “Sometimes I think you’re the Grinch in disguise.”

He glanced at the empty mantel. “The kids are going to hate me.”

“And why should they do that?”

He buried his face in his hands. “I feel like I’ve stolen their Christmas.”

We see here that although his wife doesn’t realize it, he feels like he is the Grinch who stole Christmas. Using this dialogue builds the tension in the scene until we get to the reveal.

  1. Fill in backstory through dialogue, but never use “as you know” or over-explain the situation. The reader will get it.


Maggie sat. “What aren’t you telling me?”

How was he going to explain without telling her his entire life story? Again. “I went to see at eleven.”

She nodded. “I know.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “What you don’t know is that I died that same year.”

She gasped.

“And I was reborn.”

“How?”

“I recreated myself.” He sat back. “Our lives are based on a lie. And someone besides me knows the truth. Which means we’re in danger.”

In this example, he starts with one thing she already knows, then progresses rapidly into six facts she didn’t know: he died, he was reborn, he took on a false identity, he isn’t who she thinks he is (their lives are a fabrication), somebody else has found out, and they are in danger.

Hopefully you’ve seen some new ways to use dialogue in your writing. It doesn’t matter what genre you write, these techniques will enliven your dialogue and keep your readers turning pages.

Author Bio:

IMG_6534  Juggling the books -midsizeLeeann Betts pens contemporary mysteries and suspense in Denver, Colorado, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, writes historical suspense. When they aren’t writing about dead bodies, you can find them at www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com or www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Leeann has book 1 in a mystery series out, No Accounting for Murder. Donna has a short story collection, Second Chances and Second Cups. Together they penned Nuggets of Writing Gold, chock full of articles and essays on the craft of writing. Their books are available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Thank you so much, Leann! I have to say I learned a few things from this article.

[bctt tweet="Learn new #dialogue techniques in your writing with Leann Betts @bettsleann on #whispersinpurple."]