Celebrating Independent Authors
I am pleased to announce that due to popular demand (meaning it is something I just thought up myself) we will be starting a new feature on Indies Unlimited.
Lots of writers have short stories sitting around collecting dust, waiting fruitlessly to be added to an anthology. Why not share those stories with IU readers? Continue reading “New Feature on Indies Unlimited: Story Time”
Writing classes often advise emerging authors to give a lot of attention to all the senses. ‘Include smells,’ they say. ‘Include textures and sounds. Mention the taste of things.’ These tutors are right. Humans have five senses, and use them constantly, whether they are aware of the fact or not. Writing needs to suggest real life.
Beginning writers need to be very cautious with this aspect of writing, however: bombarding the reader with every single sensory notion in every scene, or giving too much information about a character’s experience of one, can have an off-putting effect. Are you sure your reader wants to know what every scene smells or sounds like? It can be over-kill to compare noises and aromas continually. It is much more effective to mention these things occasionally, and with a lot of thought and planning. Continue reading “Authors and the visual arts”