A glorious blue sky beckoned me onto the porch of the coffee shop where a light summer breeze rustled the impatiens in the containers, the tangy scent of deep friend donuts scenting the air. I took a sip of coffee, waiting for Sally, watching the lazy caress of the waves upon the rocky shoreline, listened to gulls cheering on the tourists. Today, I would talk to Sally about using storyworld to build emotions. A great story is about connecting with the reader at an emotional level. We want them to feel what the character feels and thus engage in their experience on the page. Storyworld helps build the emotional engagement. How? With the right use of nouns and verbs, and the way they are woven together, the reader receives an […]
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Quick Skills: POV in Storyworld example.
Yesterday, Sally and I talked about the importance of describing your Storyworld through the Point of View of the character. I used an example from one of my favorite books, Wiser than Serpents. This scene is from the POV of the hero. See if you can pinpoint the way his attitudes are woven through the scene to give it more life. ***** He’d never eaten deep fried frog on a stick, but David Curtiss was a patriot, and he’d do just about anything for his country. “Shei Shei,” he said as he took the delicacy from the vendor, fished out a New Taiwan Dollar and dropped it into the vendor’s hand. He wondered what might leave a worse taste in his mouth, fried frog, or meeting a man who had […]
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Conversations: Putting Point of View into your Storyworld
Sally tossed her notebook on the table. “You’re tan. How fair is that? I’m still pasty white.” I gave her a smile. “I’m still white as a walleye compared to the Hawaiians, not to mention the native Hawaiians.. How is your storyworld writing going?” “It feels like a travel brochure. I don’t know how to make it interesting.” “It’s all about perspective, which is what I wanted to talk to you today. Every book, regardless of what kind – Suspense/Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Historical romance – every book starts out someplace. In a world. At a moment. And, in today’s literature, with a person. Whether it’s a firecracker start to a book, or something that begins with a wide-angle view, drawing into the scene, it is viewed through the eyes of […]
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Conversations: Building Storyworld Basics
Dear Sally, I’m thinking of you sitting in our coffee shop, the hush of the waves of Lake Superior combing the shore, the sky so blue you could dive in, the smell of evergreen fresh in the air from last night’s rain. But I’m writing to you from the beaches of Hawaii, my toes dug into the creamy sand, the salt of the ocean drying into crystals on my skin. As you’re diving into your novel and writing scenes, I thought it might help if we touched upon Storyworld this week. Storyworld is so key, from the first scene to every scene beyond to anchor your character – and especially your reader – into the story. Think of Storyworld as more than just the setting, but as the world you […]
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