Fragrance and Love can never be hidden.: #writing

Saturday, June 25, 2016

How Emotionally Involved Are You In Writing Scenes?

Thank you Robin for this month's topic.

How emotionally involved are you in reading or writing some scenes?

"A story must engage the heart as well as the head; a story cannot just play clever games with language or structure or generic expectations but must have a beating, emotional heart at its core."

~ Stephanie Friedman

My novels are character driven. Therefore, an emotional-driven expedition.

Emotion- driven. It's not about the plot, it's about how the plot affects the protagonist.

When I read a scene in a novel, even a well-crafted scene, if it fails to have the all-important quality of 'emotional resonance,' it is a shell. Where are the emotion elements? The intensity? The responsive chord in the reader?

We read textbooks to comprehend; we read literature to feel.

To quote Gordon Lish, "It's not what happens to people on the page; it's about what happens to a reader in his heart and mind."

I strive to layer the details. Since many of my stories deal with social issues, may very intense. The reader must feel the rain and react emotionally. The key is knowing where to linger, inviting my readers into my world and allowing them time to feel.

When writing I pay attention to things in the world that speak to me, moments that resonate with me. I take notes, often with my iVoice app. I gather those bits into a folder (physical or cyber) to later fuel my writing.

As the editors remind us: Give us characters we identify with or care about.

Happy Reading & Writing
Connie

Please visit these participating authors blogs:

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Heather Haven http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/
Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
Dr. Bob Rich https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/emotion-in-writing
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Confrontations Creates Drama #Round Robin #5/21/16

This month's topic: Confrontation creates powerful drama. This month I am posting one scene that I've written that shows confrontation between characters in one of my novels.

Welcome everyone, and thank you Rhobin, this writing topic.

This scene in from "Lynx" Rodeo Romance.

There was an undercurrent of Lynx's statement that made Rachel feel like a branding iron was placed on her body. "You told your mother about Carson, didn't you?"

Lynx frowned at her. "Of course I did. Dad had already made the connection."

Rachel wrapped her arms around herself to still her trembling and stepped away from Lynx. Betrayal vibrated through Rachel's body and her voice shook with anger. "How could you? You told them without even asking me if it was okay? What else do they know?" she demanded.

"That this is important to me, that you're beautiful and sassy and--"

A bitter, sour note left Rachel's throat. She felt lightheaded and angry--angrier than she'd ever been in her life. "So everyone's putting on a good show for the poor, unwanted rodeo orphan, is that it Lynx? If you're really lucky, one of your father's friends will tell everyone about Carson's drinking binges. Should we talk about that at the barbecue, too?"

"Or how about the time Lauren left me wandering the streets of Lordsburg, New Mexico, and Child Protective Services had to pick me up? How would that be for meal time conversation?"

This scene is the dark moment in my contemporary romance novel. This is the scene where Rachel Scott must confront the man she loves, Lynx Maddox, with what she preserves as his betrayal.

Please follow the links and to these talented author blogs!