Author Archives: wordsmithsix

Knock, Knock

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Knock, Knock

By Nandy Ekle

I watched a movie which, for several reasons, took my breath away. The plot was a sweet love story about a grown man searching for answers about his father who had died. One thing he knew about his father was that he had written a very popular children’s book that became an overnight classic.

While he’s searching for answers he meets a man who believes himself to be the king of the imaginary kingdom the book was written about. This triggers a memory of an interview his father gave on a talk show promoting the book. The interview actually is the turning point of the movie and plays a part in the resolution at the end.

So while I’m watching the movie, I hear a knock at my door. I open it and see a middle aged woman standing on my porch with several bruises. Her husband stands next to her with a bandaged knee and a black eye. Their dog sits next to them with his head hanging low to the ground. They begin to tell me their story and urge me to write it down.

I look back at the television just in time to hear the man’s father tell the interviewer, “Sometimes the story finds you instead of you finding the story.”

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Hamartia

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Hamartia

by Adam Huddleston

 

This week’s literary term is: hamartia. It is also referred to as a “tragic flaw.” A hamartia is an aspect of the protagonist which can hinder their progress or possibly bring about their downfall. This “tragic flaw” can be external, but more often than not, it is an internal characteristic. For example, hubris (ego or pride) is one of the more commonly seen problems with characters. This inflated sense of oneself may lead to unwise decisions.

One of the positive results of utilizing a character’s hamartia, is that they are more relatable. Readers like to see a hero that suffers from the same issues that they do. This can increase suspense for the reader because they may realize that the protagonist could ultimately fail due to their flaws.

Hopefully, the use of hamartia in your writing will help flesh out your characters and make the story more enjoyable. Happy writing!

The Holidays

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Outtakes 269

The Holidays

By Cait Collins

 

Once October 31 is over and the Halloween decorations disappear, I begin to realize the year is almost gone. Thanksgiving is upon us, and while I have bought my Christmas cards, I haven’t addressed one. Black Friday is two days away and I have to work. Just think of all the money I will save because I’m not at the mall. I’ll be on vacation Christmas week, and I plan to write.

Before all the real hustle and bustle begins, I’d like to take a minute to sit back and think about all my blessings, and to thank those who add so much to my life.

I’m thankful that I went 65 years without breaking a bone. But when I did lose the battle with the sidewalk, I’m grateful I was not injured as badly as I could have been. I happy the three doctors in the emergency room were kind, and supportive, and good looking. (If you have to be in pain, it’s nice to have something pleasant to look at.) Excellent care and good insurance are bonuses. Think about all the people around the world who are not as fortunate.

I’m thankful for my family. I don’t know what I would do without my sisters, nieces and nephews. I also have great in-laws.

I’m blessed with good friends.

I have enough. While more might be nice, it’s good to have enough to eat, enough to wear, enough shelter.

I can read. That might not sound like much, but I have opportunities and experiences because I can read. For this reason, I support programs that encourage children to read. One of my favorite baby shower gifts is a story book. If parents read to their children, the kids have a head start in learning.

I have a memoir and a novel in final editing, and a new work in progress.

I have a job I love. Of course it’s frustrating and sometimes tedious, but it keeps me on my toes and gives me fodder for new books. There are some real characters around the office.

I have faith. Not only do I have a strong religious background, I have faith that tomorrow will be better than today.

I have a wonderful critique group and great writer friends. They keep me writing and striving to reach my potential.

This is a short list of good things and people who make my life happy and fulfilled. I wish all of you who visit wordsmithsix.com are as blessed and happy as I am. And for those of you who, like me, are working toward that big break, I wish you success. To all of you, may your holiday season be blessed with family, friends, good food, good books, and may your favorite sports team make the playoffs.

 

 

Why do we feel the need to write?

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Why do we feel the need to write?

Rory C. Keel

The reasons people write are as varied as the individuals doing the writing.

Some are motivated by a desire to be famous and others write to express their personal feelings or beliefs. Some want to share their imaginations and others record the realistic facts that surround them.

For me, I have an appetite to learn about the past. It motivates me to write about how other people felt and their thought processes during their life experiences.

For me understanding the strength and wisdom of those who have written about their past struggles of life, as well as their ideas and hopes for the future, inspires me to share my thoughts for others to read in the future.

What are your hopes and dreams? What struggles do you face today that others could learn from tomorrow? Write about them.

NaNoWriMo aspirations

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NaNoWriMo aspirations

Natalie Bright

Totally defeated by my NaNoWriMo aspirations, but maybe I will end up with half of a novel by month’s end. Sometimes the entire universe seems to be against the written word. How is the word count going with you all?
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

― Louis L’Amour

Writing Quotes

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Quotes

By Nandy Ekle

 

 

  1. “From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.” —Winston Churchill
  1. “I get a lot of letters from people. They say: ‘I want to be a writer. What should I do?’ I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it.” —Ruth Rendell
  1. “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” —Mary Heaton Vorse
  1. “Revising a story down to the bear essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.” —Stephen King
  1. “If writers were good businessmen, they’d have too much sense to be writers” —Irvin S. Cobb
  1. “If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” —Doug Larson
  1. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” —Douglas Adams
  1. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” —Ernest Hemingway
  1. “Amateurs sit and wait or inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” —Stephen King
  1. “A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.” —Franz Kafka
  1. “When writing a novel, that’s pretty much entirely what life turns into: ‘House burned down. Car stolen. Cat exploded. Did 1500 words, so all in all it was a pretty good day.” —Neil Gaiman
  1. “Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke. —Joss Whedon
  1. “The hard part about writing a novel is finishing it.” —Ernst Hemingway
  1. “Nothing’s a better cure for writer’s block than to eat ice cream right out of the carton.” —Don Roff
  1. “Good fiction create its own reality” —Nora Roberts

 

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

Atmosphere and Mood

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Atmosphere and Mood

by Adam Huddleston

 

This week’s literary term(s) are atmosphere and mood. They more or less equate to the same thing with subtle differences. Atmosphere is the overall feeling or mood in a story. This can be affected by a good description of objects or the environment. For example, gothic horror leaned upon the trope of dark, rainy nights and old, dusty castles. The imagery helps the reader to understand that the story has a scary or depressive feel.

Mood is similar but may change throughout the plot. Also, this aspect is more closely related to characters than to location. For example, a protagonist’s mood may begin as happy, progress through stages of fear, and return again if he triumphs over the antagonist. This variation can occur even if the surrounding atmosphere remains constant.

When emphasizing atmosphere and mood, take care to use familiar (but not stereotypical) wording, so as not to confuse or bore your reader. When fully developed, these parts of your story will draw the audience in and leave them satisfied.

Happy writing!

What Is Next?

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Outtakes 268

What Is Next?

By Cait Collins

 

 

Having come from a journalistic background, I sometimes find it difficult to choose the right descriptive word. Or phrase. Or the right response, When writing a commercial or a news story, I’m limited by time. The type of writing I do in my current position is a formal business approach. These writing styles leave little room for the creativity I use when writing a novel or short story. Sometimes the description escapes me.

For example, the hero in my current work is suffering from amnesia following a brutal beating. When he reaches for Liz’s hand, his fingers brush the ring she is wearing. The brief contact pushes the hero into a fugue state where memories bombard his mind. As he’s coming out of the fog, he sees Liz. “Kiss me, Lizzie Lou,” he demands. So is her kiss sweet and tentative or is it wild and passionate?

I say it’s brief. More than a peck, but definitely not h passionate. What if the relationship was new? Maybe there had not been time to develop the I-need-to-be-with-you-every-minute phase of a relationship. Maybe he was still trying to figure out why she was with him. So the next question is how does he respond? And that’s where I’m stuck.

Putting a Slant on things

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Putting a Slant on things

Rory C. Keel

When words are slanted to the right, they are in Italic. In writing, this can indicate several things to the reader.

Italic word are used to accent words with emphasis or importance. They can also indicate book, magazine or play titles, even words from a foreign language.

Standard practice when writing of typing a manuscript is to underline the words to be Italicized.

Writing Quote

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“There’s an old folk saying that goes: whenever you delete a sentence from
your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses its wings and plummets,
screaming, to the ground. Where it will likely require medical attention.”
― Chris Baty