Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "five-senses"
When Writing a Novel, Don't Rush Your Story
We live in a society where the majority of people want things fast, and they want them now. From food to other products, people demand immediacy, and any time period above that can often result in one-star Yelp! reviews or complaints on social media.
Even with entertainment or news we’ve become accustomed to soundbites, YouTube clips, and quick hits on the News app on our phones, giving us the gist with no real depth or further information. And the majority of society is just fine with this.
So, what happens when you are planning out a novel or screenplay with that mindset of how the world is with its lack of attention and need to get things fast? It can make a writer think they have to deliver story, character, and more at a breakneck pace, which is contradictory to what the point of a novel is.
SLOW IT DOWN!
Your story can be fast-paced, but if you start to rush through chapters just to get to what you think is the “fun stuff” it can cheat your reader – and yourself, the writer – out of delving deeper into the world you are creating. Take your time and deliver chapters that have meaning to the story, develop character, and bolster the themes you want to communicate. Don’t be afraid to slow it down a bit.
As a writer, I often find myself doing this, especially if I know that something really fun, action-packed, or exciting is coming up soon. You get the feeling to just gloss over things in order to get to the fun stuff. But if you cheat the story, you cheat the reader, and that’s the last thing you want to do.
The big sequences should be earned, and the reader needs to feel that they have taken a journey with the characters where both get the big sequences when they are deserved in the story. Not because the author got impatient and wanted to jump ahead.
That being said, if you are a writer – like myself – who likes to write those sequences when they pop in your head, don’t be afraid to just write them. You can always write the connective tissue that comes before and joins the fun stuff to the rest of the story. This can also help you as you write the chapters prior to the scene create momentum that drives the story and the reader toward the big event.
It’s also key when you’re writing to give your reader as much information about what’s going on as possible. Utilize the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. And also the sixth: thought. As the author you can describe all of these things and use them to teleport your reader into the world you have created for them. Put the reader there with your characters, in their heads, and make them feel like they are part of the story.
Novels are meant to be long. They are meant to take their time to tell stories that have a lot of moving parts, the delve into the psyches and inner-workings of the characters, and give the reader an immersive experience. While we do live in a world where it seems like less is more and faster is better, don’t forget that novel readers don’t want to take a trip in a car going 150mph, they want to take the train with it slower pace and multiple stops.
Take your reader on a journey they don’t mind being on for a while. They’ll be happier when they get to the final destination, and as the writer you will be satisfied that you wrote them a quality that took its time a really delivered.
What do you think? Does taking your time and developing story, character, and description still matter? Or have readers become impatient with novels that take their time? Leave a comment and let me know.
Even with entertainment or news we’ve become accustomed to soundbites, YouTube clips, and quick hits on the News app on our phones, giving us the gist with no real depth or further information. And the majority of society is just fine with this.
So, what happens when you are planning out a novel or screenplay with that mindset of how the world is with its lack of attention and need to get things fast? It can make a writer think they have to deliver story, character, and more at a breakneck pace, which is contradictory to what the point of a novel is.
SLOW IT DOWN!
Your story can be fast-paced, but if you start to rush through chapters just to get to what you think is the “fun stuff” it can cheat your reader – and yourself, the writer – out of delving deeper into the world you are creating. Take your time and deliver chapters that have meaning to the story, develop character, and bolster the themes you want to communicate. Don’t be afraid to slow it down a bit.
As a writer, I often find myself doing this, especially if I know that something really fun, action-packed, or exciting is coming up soon. You get the feeling to just gloss over things in order to get to the fun stuff. But if you cheat the story, you cheat the reader, and that’s the last thing you want to do.
The big sequences should be earned, and the reader needs to feel that they have taken a journey with the characters where both get the big sequences when they are deserved in the story. Not because the author got impatient and wanted to jump ahead.
That being said, if you are a writer – like myself – who likes to write those sequences when they pop in your head, don’t be afraid to just write them. You can always write the connective tissue that comes before and joins the fun stuff to the rest of the story. This can also help you as you write the chapters prior to the scene create momentum that drives the story and the reader toward the big event.
It’s also key when you’re writing to give your reader as much information about what’s going on as possible. Utilize the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. And also the sixth: thought. As the author you can describe all of these things and use them to teleport your reader into the world you have created for them. Put the reader there with your characters, in their heads, and make them feel like they are part of the story.
Novels are meant to be long. They are meant to take their time to tell stories that have a lot of moving parts, the delve into the psyches and inner-workings of the characters, and give the reader an immersive experience. While we do live in a world where it seems like less is more and faster is better, don’t forget that novel readers don’t want to take a trip in a car going 150mph, they want to take the train with it slower pace and multiple stops.
Take your reader on a journey they don’t mind being on for a while. They’ll be happier when they get to the final destination, and as the writer you will be satisfied that you wrote them a quality that took its time a really delivered.
What do you think? Does taking your time and developing story, character, and description still matter? Or have readers become impatient with novels that take their time? Leave a comment and let me know.
Writing Challenge: A Sensory Exercise
The next time you’re out someplace waiting in line, getting food, ordering a coffee, or at the mall, take a few moments to fully take in your surroundings.
• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you feel?
• What do you smell?
• What do you taste?
Take out a notepad, or open the Notes App on your phone if that would make you feel less self-conscious. Write down everything you take in with your senses. Sights, sounds, colors, mannerisms, people quirks, etc. Almost as if you are looking at a moving painting.
Later, take your notes a write out the scene with as much detail as possible, using all the sensory elements as a guide. Paint the reader a vivid picture as if they are present at the location with you.
Do a few drafts, adding more detail and sensory elements with each pass.
Once you feel you’ve created a sensory-loaded piece, give it to a trusted friend or loved one to read. Did they experience all the sensory elements?
This is a great exercise to work on bringing the reader into a scene in more vivid and dynamic ways.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you feel?
• What do you smell?
• What do you taste?
Take out a notepad, or open the Notes App on your phone if that would make you feel less self-conscious. Write down everything you take in with your senses. Sights, sounds, colors, mannerisms, people quirks, etc. Almost as if you are looking at a moving painting.
Later, take your notes a write out the scene with as much detail as possible, using all the sensory elements as a guide. Paint the reader a vivid picture as if they are present at the location with you.
Do a few drafts, adding more detail and sensory elements with each pass.
Once you feel you’ve created a sensory-loaded piece, give it to a trusted friend or loved one to read. Did they experience all the sensory elements?
This is a great exercise to work on bringing the reader into a scene in more vivid and dynamic ways.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Exercise of the Week: What’s Your Ideal Vacation?
Vacations, road trips, and weekend adventures—we’ve all experienced them at one point in our lives, and most of us have had one or two that have been truly memorable. As we near the time of year when many people go on vacation, I thought a writing exercise in that vein would be fun to do.
So, pack your bags and let’s go!
Exercise #1 – Your Ideal Vacation
Brainstorm a list of all the places you’d love to go on vacation. Pick one of those places, then research places to stay, things to do, and where you can eat while there. Next, decide who you’d like to take on the trip with you (it’s 100% fine if you want to go alone).
Now, write a short story (500 words) about arriving at your ideal vacation spot. Why did you choose this place? Describe the sights and sounds as you take in this new and exciting place. How do you feel inside as you arrive at your ideal vacation destination?
Exercise #2 – Your Favorite Vacation Moment
We’ve all had a vacation that we were sad to see end, and those vacations always have a few key moments that make them a memorable experience.
Pick one of those favorite moments and write about it in detail. What happened right before this moment? Who were you with? What was the weather like? What do you recall about your emotional reactions to this perfect vacation moment? What made it so ideal for you and anyone else who was there? What happened right after this perfect moment? Did the high of the experience stick with you, or did it vanish soon after?
Exercise #3 – Your Worst Vacation Moment
Vacations have their ups and downs, but what about those moments that suck so bad you want to escape the vacation and go home immediately? Negative vacation moments can be as memorable as those we cherish, whether car trouble, a bad hotel room, dealing with other tourists, or the attitudes of workers we encounter.
Pick one of these “worst” moments and write a story about it. What led up to the bad series of events? Who was there with you? Who was the leading cause of the problems you faced? What moment bothered you most and made you want to run away? How were things resolved? Were they resolved? What emotions and feelings did you have during the series of bad events? Did you learn anything from what happened?
Why Am I Doing This?
We can learn a lot about ourselves through our good and bad life experiences. While the negative experiences are ones we wish to forget, they can also be highly relatable to an audience.
Thinking back and journaling about your experiences is an excellent way to have reference material for your work and to give you plenty of real-life stories to inspire you and your writing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
So, pack your bags and let’s go!
Exercise #1 – Your Ideal Vacation
Brainstorm a list of all the places you’d love to go on vacation. Pick one of those places, then research places to stay, things to do, and where you can eat while there. Next, decide who you’d like to take on the trip with you (it’s 100% fine if you want to go alone).
Now, write a short story (500 words) about arriving at your ideal vacation spot. Why did you choose this place? Describe the sights and sounds as you take in this new and exciting place. How do you feel inside as you arrive at your ideal vacation destination?
Exercise #2 – Your Favorite Vacation Moment
We’ve all had a vacation that we were sad to see end, and those vacations always have a few key moments that make them a memorable experience.
Pick one of those favorite moments and write about it in detail. What happened right before this moment? Who were you with? What was the weather like? What do you recall about your emotional reactions to this perfect vacation moment? What made it so ideal for you and anyone else who was there? What happened right after this perfect moment? Did the high of the experience stick with you, or did it vanish soon after?
Exercise #3 – Your Worst Vacation Moment
Vacations have their ups and downs, but what about those moments that suck so bad you want to escape the vacation and go home immediately? Negative vacation moments can be as memorable as those we cherish, whether car trouble, a bad hotel room, dealing with other tourists, or the attitudes of workers we encounter.
Pick one of these “worst” moments and write a story about it. What led up to the bad series of events? Who was there with you? Who was the leading cause of the problems you faced? What moment bothered you most and made you want to run away? How were things resolved? Were they resolved? What emotions and feelings did you have during the series of bad events? Did you learn anything from what happened?
Why Am I Doing This?
We can learn a lot about ourselves through our good and bad life experiences. While the negative experiences are ones we wish to forget, they can also be highly relatable to an audience.
Thinking back and journaling about your experiences is an excellent way to have reference material for your work and to give you plenty of real-life stories to inspire you and your writing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Exercise of the Week: What’s Your Favorite Holiday?
There are a lot of holidays on the calendar these days. Aside from the big ones like Easter and Christmas, it seems as if each day has some designated event associated with it, whether it’s official or not. Did you know that January 29 is Puzzle Day, March 19th is Let’s Laugh Day, and June 7 is VCR Day? I’ve provided a link to the list at the end of this post.
With official and unofficial holidays in mind, let’s get to today’s writing exercise!
Exercise # 1 - Pick Your Favorite Holiday
The sky’s the limit on which to pick, but pick one you get excited about celebrating. Make a list of five to ten things that you like about the holiday. It could be food, decorations, the people you see, the weather, etc.
Now, using the first-person POV, write a few paragraphs describing your ideal moment during this holiday in detail. If it’s Christmas, maybe it’s your kids opening presents Christmas morning. If it’s Halloween, perhaps it’s handing out candy and seeing the various costumes.
Whatever moment you choose, go into detail and use your five senses.
What do you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell during this particular holiday moment?
How do these positive emotions impact how you write about your chosen holiday?
Exercise #2 - Pick Your Least Favorite Holiday
Everyone has that one holiday they can’t stand, and now is your time to rant about why you dislike it so much. List five to ten things you dislike about your chosen holiday.
Again, using the first-person POV, pick a moment during that hated holiday and write a few paragraphs describing in detail why you feel this way. This is for your eyes only, so let the disdain flow from your fingers as you describe everything you can’t stand about this awful holiday in detail.
Maybe you can’t stand Halloween because of all the violence and gore around. Perhaps you don’t like New Year’s Eve because the fireworks and loud noises bother your pets. Whatever the reasons, craft a detailed story where you discuss the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile aspects of the holiday that you can’t stand.
How do these negative emotions impact how you write about your chosen holiday?
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Check out the link for a list of annual unofficial holidays.
With official and unofficial holidays in mind, let’s get to today’s writing exercise!
Exercise # 1 - Pick Your Favorite Holiday
The sky’s the limit on which to pick, but pick one you get excited about celebrating. Make a list of five to ten things that you like about the holiday. It could be food, decorations, the people you see, the weather, etc.
Now, using the first-person POV, write a few paragraphs describing your ideal moment during this holiday in detail. If it’s Christmas, maybe it’s your kids opening presents Christmas morning. If it’s Halloween, perhaps it’s handing out candy and seeing the various costumes.
Whatever moment you choose, go into detail and use your five senses.
What do you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell during this particular holiday moment?
How do these positive emotions impact how you write about your chosen holiday?
Exercise #2 - Pick Your Least Favorite Holiday
Everyone has that one holiday they can’t stand, and now is your time to rant about why you dislike it so much. List five to ten things you dislike about your chosen holiday.
Again, using the first-person POV, pick a moment during that hated holiday and write a few paragraphs describing in detail why you feel this way. This is for your eyes only, so let the disdain flow from your fingers as you describe everything you can’t stand about this awful holiday in detail.
Maybe you can’t stand Halloween because of all the violence and gore around. Perhaps you don’t like New Year’s Eve because the fireworks and loud noises bother your pets. Whatever the reasons, craft a detailed story where you discuss the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile aspects of the holiday that you can’t stand.
How do these negative emotions impact how you write about your chosen holiday?
---
Check out the link for a list of annual unofficial holidays.
