Make A Living Writing Romance

I’ve recently finished reading another Ilona Andrews novel. The husband and wife writing duo has one of the most enjoyable writing styles I’ve ever come across. They’re particularly talented with their ability to describe a scene perfectly. Metaphors and vivid imagery help the reader envision the unique worlds the characters live in.

I have a more dialogue heavy style which doesn’t rely on too much description unless it’s part of the dialogue. However, I believe that everyone can benefit from practicing and improving their descriptive skills. Imagine your readers being able to become gracefully enveloped into your story and forget their reality for a short while. That’s what we all want, right?

So here’s a fun way to broaden your descriptive skills and step outside of the sensory box.

http://www.bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/Blue_Cats_and_Chartreuse_Kittens_Rel.html

Are you familiar with the concept of Synesthesia?

It’s actually a condition where the senses mix up.

According to Synesthete.org  “Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”

For example, a person may hear a color or taste a sound. Interesting, right?

So here’s the fun exercise:

Write down the colors of the rainbow on a piece of paper. ROYGBIV, right?

Then next to each color write down what the color would taste like? What would it smell like? How would it sound? Have fun with this exercise, let your imagination go with this.

Once you’ve covered the basic colors consider broadening your horizons. Get out one of those 64 boxes of crayons. Pull a crayon out of the box and imagine what the color would sound, feel, smell and taste like.

Take a moment today to perceive something with all of your five senses (and maybe your sixth sense too.)

Try perceiving something that you love and then try it with something that you’re not so fond of.

For example, I love being outside in nature. With this experiment I’d step outside and smell the air, feel the temperature on my skin. The air is warm but the wind is cool on my arms. I’m bare footed so my feet are icy. I’d explore the environment with my eyes and try to notice all the small details like a maple seed flying through the air or the waves of electricity shimmering off of the power lines. I might also stick out my tongue and try to taste the air.

I hate changing the kitty litter so when I do that I would experience the dust in my lungs and on my tongue. I’d certainly experience an assortment of smells like the waste materials and also the litter itself. I have a lavender oil diffuser which permeates the air around the litter box. I’d see the tiny granules of litter, some are blue and the rest are varying shades of gray. I’d feel the thin plastic grocery bag in my hand and the weight of the litter in the scooper in my other hand. I might also feel the granules under my knees as I kneel on the floor.

Try it and make note of the sensations.

When you’re writing a scene, use this experiment to explore what your characters are experiencing in your scenes.

Photo by Eric Castro http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecastro/

When you’re working on your romance manuscript, what direction do you face?

I face East – I always face east, and it is completely unintentional.

Research is part of any romance novel and I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on psychics, spirits, ghosts, ghost hunting, and all things not of this world. In one of the books I read on chakras, mediumship, and psychic abilities the writer suggested finding your direction. She said that each person has a direction that they prefer. Their skills and abilities are enhanced when they face their direction.

I thought about it and assessed my home and work space and you know what…I always face east! Now, my desk actually faces South and I do sit at it when I am doing logical things like planning, paying bills, and organizing my business.

Yet when I am writing, I sit on the floor in my office (I have a couch that faces East but I seem to prefer the floor) and I write.

I thought it was pretty interesting.

So what direction do you face when you write? Consider experimenting with different directions and assess what direction seems to help you write at the highest level.

Have fun and happy writing!

Are you a big New Year’s Resolution type of person? I’m not. I believe when I am inspired to change, improve or grow that there’s no time like the present. I’m a woman of action:-D

If you know me then you also know that I have a tendency to make declarations. Like “I’m going to start running again.” Or “I’m going to start my own business.” Some of those declarations turn into reality. Some don’t.

At any rate it dawned on me that it’s June 1^st and while that has no real calendar significance as far as life change or resolutions, it is the month of my birthday and  it really feels like the first day of summer. (I know we still have 3 weeks until that day. I’m just saying it FEELS like summer.)

Here Comes the Fun Part!

So…I thought it was the perfect time to lay down a challenge – at least for myself. You certainly can come up with your own challenge or join me.

My challenge is going to be to write finish the summer having written an average of 1000 words a day. The end of the summer being August 31^st. So that’s 90 days and wow – 90,000 words. Whew! That’s a big challenge – gulp.

What do you say? Are you with me? If so, it’s important to create a few guidelines, escape clauses, (just kidding), and understandings:

1 – The keyword is ‘average.’ I said average of 1000 words a day. The reason I say this is because there are just days when, let’s be honest, not a single word of fiction is written – like today.  And there are days, like I’m hoping Saturday will be, when you get a ton accomplished on your manuscript.

2 – Finishing early. If your WIP is finished before the end of the summer then; a – congratulations, and b – revise, revise, revise. You get extra credit for finishing. Try to have it completely polished by the end of the summer. (Then we can create a fall publication challenge!)

3 – Keeping track. You’ll actually track and record your progress. This is important! Otherwise how will you know if you’ve achieved your goal? Chances are, if you’re like many writers, you’ll write and delete pages before the end of the summer. Surely you want to count those words!

Okay, so that’s the challenge. Are you up for it?

I declare that I am!

Dialogue moves your story along. Some writers can fill 300 pages or more with what seems like pure dialogue.

It can paint a scene, develop plot and conflict, enhance and create character, and express motivation all within the quotes of a sentence.

Dialogue is a fantastic way to keep the pace of your story moving along. And, when it comes to sections of a book that readers often skip – they rarely skip dialogue.

So….

it makes sense to hone this skill.

Time – 30 Minutes

Step One: Imagine you’ve just been caught snooping somewhere you weren’t supposed to be. Write down the conversation that occurs as a result of being caught. You might use an acutal experince and embellish or make it up – use your imagination!

You can write this in first person, I jumped and felt my heart hammering inside my chest. I tried to shrug it off – like it was no big deal I was snooping on his computer. “Crap, you weren’t supposed to be home.”

or third person, She jumped. Heart hammering in her chest she shrugged. “You weren’t supposed to be home.”

Have fun with this one!