Something you always use in your writing

[Ann]

I was wondering if there was one particular thing that you know you will use in your writing.

I often use the sense, smell. Maybe even overly so, but I haven't had any complaints yet. I use it because its the sense that often brings me, personally, the most feelings of nostaligia about certain things.

Do you use anything quite often when you write?

[Mark]

I always tend to include scenes of changing weather, pleasant in the beginning, and transitioning to foul as trouble approaches.

[G.G.]

Heck the sense of smell in the writing is important! You can describe a place well, but nothing will put the reader right in as well as the smell can do.
I always use smell. I also like to use hearing too. It can make a place come alive. Nothing like morning birds chirping, or the strident sound of cicadas hiding in the trees, or distant sirens in the night to pull you right in the scenes.

[Nicole]

Senses are very important in my books. For my female lead it's because she's a paranoid martial artist so she's always feeling out the room, particularly through sound and sight, and my male character **spoiler! Kind of...maybe not really** his senses are heightened so when I jump into his pov it's like sensory overload buahahaha ^.^

But besides that, other details I tend to focus on are how some of my antags speak, or rather, how they say something. They're all rather clever and precise in the way they speak and if one looks closely it can be quite revealing ;)

[Ann]

Nicole look up Stephen Fry talking about ADHD, he eloquently describes sensory overload and you might find it inspirational :3

[Nicole]

Thanks! I will :)

[Nicole]

I usually have a The Count of Monte Cristo line or reference somehow. There's always that one piece of dialogue that reminds me of the movie. No one would ever know, but I do. <3 It could be 2 simple, common words but in my head, that is where it stems from. I hope that's not plagiarizing. lol :-s

[Debbie]

Bisky wrote: "I was wondering if there was one particular thing that you know you will use in your writing.

I often use the sense, smell. Maybe even overly so, but I haven't had any complaints yet. I use it bec..."

I wrote a middle grade book (still unpublished, sigh) written from a cat's point of view so everything was described by his sense of smell i.e. his caretaker smelled like rosemary and lemons, etc.

I think using scents enriches your book.

[Debbie]

Even though I don't plan it, most of my books end up having a character with autism. I have a son with autism so it's always on my mind.

Other recurring things: Alabama football, Southern sayings, bits of poems . . . just because they are all things I love.

[Kevin]

Sensory overload? I tend to go the other direction in my writing. Smells and touch are basically nonexistent. Even sounds and sights are described sparingly, because I don't pay much attention to them myself. I've been told I write fantasy like it's a thriller. It's something I've considered changing in my writing, but I get so caught up in the action of a sequence that I often forget. And my less active scenes generally drop into internal monologue and reflection, so they steer away from sensory descriptions as well.

As for what I often use? Sarcasm. Lots and lots of sarcasm.

[[deleted user]]

Eyes. I hadn't noticed myself until my proofreader told me "here's a motif" in a very intrigued voice. ^^
I think I might be a little overdescriptive when it comes to the eyes of my characters. I guess it's because they convey emotions.
"His eyes were widened with terror."
"A sparkle of genious was shining in his eyes."
"Her vision was blurred by tears."
Stuff like that. ^^

[Brittany]

Sandrine wrote: "Eyes. I hadn't noticed myself until my proofreader told me "here's a motif" in a very intrigued voice. ^^
I think I might be a little overdescriptive when it comes to the eyes of my characters. I g..."

I do the same thing! Always with the eyes and how the characters are perceiving the area and objects surrounding them.


Another thing I do quite often is throw rain and thunderstorms into the mix. However, through tireless editing and proofreading, I usually manage to cut them down to one occurrence throughout the entire story.

I just love to describe storms. The pitter-patter of rain on stone and scent of wet earth, the piercing flash of lightning and rolling thunder that follows afterward. They can be introduced in a peaceful or somewhat more foreboding manner, which is awesome. I've used them to give a vacant, crumbling city a feeling of loneliness, and also to add more tension to a certain character's death scene.
I find the weather works wonders in setting mood. ;)

[[deleted user]]

I like describing storms too. More generally, I like describing nature. Forests, mountains and so on.

[G.G.]

I like storms too. They evoke many senses. What you see, ear, smell and feel during a storm can transport you in another world.

[Mark]

Taste is another I like to use. Description of meals, coffee, or a good cigar. My characters are victims of caloric disasters, Lol.

[Carl]

Actions generally and gestures with hands and eyes to show character's feelings and attitudes.

[Claire]

Facial expression, eyes and I only just realized but there seems to be a forest in every story I write. I really like forests. They add so much to the mystery.

[Carl]

LeGuin likes forests too.

[Ann]

I love describing forests. There are a number of forests in A Dance with Fury and forests are the focus of my next ebook. I have a view of a forest from my apartment and the city where I live, well the forest tries to sneak inbetween the buildings as much as it can. It enda up looking like it's covered in a moss when you fly over

[Tammy]

The only thing I consistently use in my writing is a certain darkness. But, that's what I like to read. I once wrote a short story with a happy ending (not the massage parlor kind) and no one believed I wrote it.

[Neil]

I try to stick to the fact that people are far from perfect, and all have a darkness within them. There's far too much fiction about a goody-two-shoes hero who always defeats the bad guy. I try to do it differently, and like to work on anti-heroes who operate firmly in the grey.

[N.C.]

My writing tends to follow Neil's comment a bit. I hate perfect characters - and I really hate Mary-Sue characters. Ya know, the perfect, beautiful characters who have zero flaws.

I also have a lot of experience with depression and anxiety and other mental disorders, so I love incorporating those into my story. It really lets me go on stream of consciousness when someone is feeling anxiety about something within the story. It's fun!

[Agustin]

I know what you mean Tammy, any time I try and write a happy ending it takes a turn for the worst. It's cool that you varied so far from your normal writing style that it seemed like a whole different author.

I'm not sure if this is necessarily a good thing, but I always incorporate swearing into my dialogue. I've tried to cut back, but the swear words just creep back in.

[N.C.]

Agustin wrote: "I know what you mean Tammy, any time I try and write a happy ending it takes a turn for the worst. It's cool that you varied so far from your normal writing style that it seemed like a whole differ..."

I don't think there's anything wrong with swearing. They're just words, just like all the other words we use. Besides, depending on the character and the situations, perhaps not using swearing would seem too artificial or fake. Swearing can also really help give dimension to a character.

[Agustin]

I agree. Swearing comes naturally to me and it makes my dialogue look more realistic. However, I was recently told that too much can limit your audience. Thoughts?

[Ann]

I think swearing can be over done, even with a sweary character. I think it's a fine line that can take quite abit of skill to get right :]

[T.J.]

I use swear words..To me it can give the character depth.. And there are some characters who don't need it.. I don't mind kinky and swear words..

[Kandie]

My main characters usually spend alot of time in their car, and occasionally have a flat tire. LOL

[Jaeme]

family history, sometimes family members (deceased)

[Jessica]

I use struggles with mental illness most commonly in my writing. Whether it be a main theme, a character in the background, etc.... it's always there.

[Carl]

Kandie: LOL!