By: Jan Verhoeff

Often when I set the scene for a book or short story, I find it easiest to use a photo as the 'developer' for the setting. By using a photo, only a very small part of your scene is visible, the rest must be imagination. Focus on the color, line, form, objects, and emotion in the painting using words to express them.

A good way to find words for a painting is simply putting action to the description: leaves dance, flowers blossom, clouds cover, lightening flashes, and birds sing.

Always SHOW the reader where the setting is, using actively participating words that bring them to the scene. If you simply tell them, they won't be able to feel it, or smell it, or taste it, hear it, or see it. Use your own five senses to depict emotion, then show your reader the way you feel there in your scene.

Ponder Ezine Articles

Near Misses

Article by: Tami Newton

Mom's Write
Article by: Sarah Smiley

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Tell vs. Show

Written by: Jan Verhoeff

It was a clear day. The sun was shining. Tom's dog was playing with a ball. Tom had been reading his book on the park bench. He had to study for a test in history. So he was studying at the park. The ball was rolling across the ground. Tom had to reach for the ball to catch it.

or...

Azure skies contrasted with the golden leaves of autumn on a warm September day. Tom's Irish Setter, Mango, frolicked about in the grass nipping and pushing at an old rubber ball. His moans and yipes told Tom he was staying nearby, even as Tom lounged comfortably on the park bench studying for his history exam. Tom wanted to play ball, but he just studied harder. Whenever Mango rolled the ball near him, Tom stretched to catch it, and toss it back.

While the first paragraph told what happened. The second paragraph added action verbs, detail, flavor, and appeals to the senses of the reader bringing him into the story. The reader can decide the day is clear, with azure skies overhead, golden leaves on the trees, and the warmth of a summer day. The reader can see Mango rolling and nipping at his ball. They can hear the dog playing. Tom's behavior appeals to their senses as he is comfortable but would prefer to be playing.

Simple technical terminology will suffice if you need to simply give a person direction, but when your desire is to entertain the reader, offer up a sensual palette of action terms to draw the reader into your story and make them part of the scene.

Leaves of every color sprinkled the ground. Trees shivered in the autumn breezes, shaking free their burden of summer leaves reflected and carried off on the crest of a river running full of a late summer bounty. Rainclouds darkened a bright sky. The chill of autumn settled on the river valley and steam rushed up from the quiet river slowly moving across the valley floor.

Get Published!

Written by: Bobbi Jo Clark

As a writer trying to get published, I have been researching the internet and local libraries for various topics on writing and submitting work for publication. In my search I came across a free e-course by Anne Wayman on About.com, titled "Getting Started in Freelance Writing" the course consists of fourteen lessons ranging from where to get ideas to writing a book proposal, all useful information.

Some basic information includes: writing, rewriting, editing, and locating a market. The most difficult to learn is how to locate a buying market.

Writing:

How or what you write, are not so important as just writing consistently about something. A suggested beginning is to journal, or blogging. Along with some writing prompts for a daily accomplishment will get you into the spirit of writing, and develop your personal style.

Editing or rewriting:

When you focus on your work in an effort to edit or rewrite, clarity of thought, continuity of the topic, and direct communication of understanding evolve; creating a personal writing style.

Marketing:

While your work is definitely on the line here, you are selling more than just an article or manuscript. You must sell yourself, first to the publisher, then to the reader. Once your readers know you, they will seek you out.


Researching potential markets is necessary to finding publishers. If you want to write articles geared to teenagers you need to read the magazines to know your audience.

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NOTE: You can take the e-course yourself, the only drawback I found is that about.com has many pop-up advertisements.