An Author’s World: Themes

For those of you who have been following me for a while, you know I’m a bit crazy when it comes to the holidays. For me, it starts with Halloween, flows through fall and ends with Christmas.

My holiday theme this year is…SNOWMEN. My tree is an abstract snowman, with top hat, carrot nose, and coal eyes and mouth. There’s even a scarf tucked in the branches.

And my mantle is snowy-men galore!

For me, it’s all about the details. Which of course is true with writing as well. The little touches pull the reader in and lets them immerse themselves into the story.

What is it about the character or scene that needs to be pointed out to provide depth or enrich our senses? Details can also play to your writing theme as well.

For example, in one of my Mind Sweeper books I have a scene where geese are swimming in a pond and there is a reference that geese mate for life. This was not some random factoid thrown in for additional word count. This was a subtle hint of the hero and heroine’s journey in the story. Ha! You didn’t know I had it in me, did ya?

So enjoy the details of the holidays – songs, food, decorations… Whatever makes you immerse yourself in happy times, both present and past.