I thought today I'd take a quick look at how setting description can transcend to convey atmosphere through the deft manipulation of the five senses. First off, what is Atmosphere? Atmosphere is the mood created through the deliberate description of setting. Depending on the emotion you wish … [Read more...] about Techniques For Atmosphere and Mood Building In Fiction
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Introducing Sensory Saturday…Meet Our New Thesaurus!
Many elements go into creating a successful novel, but one of the most important is Setting. For a reader to relate to the current action, they need a physical anchor to tie the characters to. It can be difficult, finding the right words to convey a sense of place. The right description can create a … [Read more...] about Introducing Sensory Saturday…Meet Our New Thesaurus!
Setting Description Entry: River
Sight Eddies, dripping branches, current, glossy, darting shapes, water striders, leaf-dappled, twisting flow, drag, silt, reeds, bowed willows, shadows, sparkling, mirror, bent grasses, carve, clash, boulders, ripples, carry, twigs, debris, gliding birds, minnows, fish, smooth stones, slime, … [Read more...] about Setting Description Entry: River
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Defeat
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Defeat
Showing vs Telling, Part Two
I've emerged from Motherhood Exile and have decided to just pick up where I left off. My last post dealt with showing vs. telling. It defined each technique and explained why telling is usually not the best way to go and why showing is to be preferred. Now we're going to move on to the application … [Read more...] about Showing vs Telling, Part Two
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Impatience
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Impatience
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Anticipation
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Anticipation
A Final Character Cliché…the Mentor
Gandalf. Merlin. Yoda. All great characters, all mentors that fit the 'wise old man' (er, Yoda) Mentor archetype. In fact, the wise old man is so well known for fantasy, it's almost pointless for me to discuss the cliché when there are literally hundreds of articles out there on it. I'll limit my … [Read more...] about A Final Character Cliché…the Mentor
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Panic
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Panic
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Annoyance
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Annoyance
Holy Batman…10,000 hits!!
I can't believe how quickly we reached this fantastic landmark. When Becca and I started the Bookshelf Muse back in January, we were hoping to reach out to other writers, share what we knew and in turn, learn from others. Never did we think that our tiny little blog would grow so fast and … [Read more...] about Holy Batman…10,000 hits!!
Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Frustration
When it comes to emotion, sometimes we need a brainstorming nudge. After all, each character will express their feelings differently depending on their personality, emotional range, and comfort zone. We hope this short, sample list of expressions will help you better imagine how your character might … [Read more...] about Emotion Thesaurus Entry: Frustration