Emotionally Speaking

When I’m not sitting behind my keyboard, or helping my eight year old with vocabulary words, I most likely can be found in the operating room. Just like any of you, there are some things I enjoy about my job better than others. I chose nursing as a career for the same reason I want to be a writer. I love the emotional aspect of both professions. In nursing I love bonding with my patients in the preoperative area before I take them back to surgery. Most of the time my patients never remember who I am because they are sedated before they ever see me. It doesn’t matter to me that I’m usually never named on a patient survey as a nurse who delivered quality care. It’s rewarding enough to know that I reduced their anxiety before they drift off to sleep. A little gesture such as holding their hand, or telling them that I will be with them during the entire surgery is enough to alleviate a lot of the anxiety that they experience. I treat my patients the way I would want to be treated.

The same applies to my writing. I write what I like to read. I love books that include emotional scenes that grip the heart. I give the best of me to my readers. I love writing emotion and I want it to be evident in my writing. As writers we all deliver with pride, what we do best. It doesn’t matter if what we write well, is humor, suspense, erotica, or inspiration, we excel when we are in our element. In these moments the words flow, and you become one with the keyboard.

Movie directors use actors to create a scene that provokes the most emotion for viewers. With one touch, one expression, or one tear, they can tell the story without dialogue. As writers we don’t have the liberty of cinematography, but we do have the beauty of words. If we do our job well, we can produce just as much of an impact, and possibly more than a director on a movie set.

Even though I will never be a real movie director, in my world I direct my character’s actions on the page. I’m as happy as a pig in mud when I’m knee deep in emotion and angst. There’s something about creating a scene that can evoke emotion, and make your readers want to either throw the book across the room, or grab the nearest Kleenex. To me it gives the story substance, instead of a plain cheese pizza it’s like ordering a meaty supreme.

Here’s a slice of my pie…

He was everything in a man I didn’t need, but like a pair of designer shoes-he was addictive.

He took a step toward me and I totally expected him to kiss me, but he stopped a millimeter away from my lips.

“I’m not sleeping on the couch tonight. I want to keep an eye on the outside, in case you have a visitor.”

I nodded and willed him to step away before I made a fool of myself. I was tired of being strong. Tonight I needed his strength and he had more than enough to give. It didn’t matter if he was on the couch or in my bed.

I needed him.

I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his lips. His hands skimmed up my arms and into the hair at the base of my neck.

“You okay?” He asked.

I pulled away and looked into his steel blue eyes. “I’m good.”

He nodded, and walked away. He reached the door and turned to look at me. “Call me if there’s a problem.”

The door clicked shut behind him and I was alone. I didn’t know what scared me the most, the stalker getting to me, or starting to feel dependent on Maverick. I clicked off the lamp next to the couch, walked over to the window, and pulled the curtain back. I saw him slip inside his truck and flash his lights. I slowly stepped away from the window, and let the curtain trail through my fingers.

I swallowed the emotion lumped in my throat. For the first time in my life I felt vulnerable, and I didn’t like it. My life was compartmentalized and this was screwing with the system. I looked at the sheets tucked perfectly on the couch, topped with a pristine white pillow. I walked over and sat down, closed my eyes, and leaned my head back against the cushion. I inhaled and caught the clean, all male scent of Maverick on the sheets.

A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye, and I let it go.


Do you like writing or reading emotion the best? If you don’t like writing emotion, what do you feel you write well?

Once Upon a Time...

We’ve heard from our fearless Captain that she envisions a happy ending for the wenches aboard her vessel, not only in a real life sense, but in a literary sense as well. A well-written ending for the characters in a story can make all the difference to the reader, as well as give credit to the characters. However, just as important to the story, is the beginning.

The beginning can make or break a story. I have a short attention span; the author has to pull me in with the first sentence or I lose interest. My favorite beginning is one of an emotional nature, which makes perfect sense because I am an emotional writer. I want my character’s feelings to be palpable. As a reader, I want to connect emotionally to the characters. It entices me to turn the next page.

The greatest credit you can give your characters is to place them in a well-described scene and have them react in the most human way possible. I don’t want to tell the reader what is happening I want to create what is happening. I want to begin the story as if the reader is interacting in the scene with the characters.

Excellent description is the key to enticing a reader. I also favor what I call a drop in beginning. The author drops you in a scene that’s already in motion, tension is high, you’re on the edge of your seat, and turning pages as fast as you can to find the results. We all know that the first paragraph of a story can be the most crucial, not only to the reader, but to literary agents, and publishers as well. It’s hard to market a book that has a flat beginning. It takes a number of ingredients to make a good beginning. Take a poignant well-described scene containing strong characters and it’s hard to miss. It’s easy to name the ingredients, but using them to perfect the right recipe determines the ability of the cook.

Are you a word reader or an image reader? Do you read the book as words on a page? Or do the words process from the page to an image in your mind? Well-articulated words should evoke an image automatically.

Have you ever sang The National Anthem and envisioned the words? I clearly see the night sky light up as the bombs explode. I see men falling on the battlefield, and most importantly, I see the battered flag waving in the air. Francis Scott Key wrote simple words that when sang, evoke not only emotion, but also a profound image. I am sure at the time he wrote The Star Spangled Banner he had no idea of the vast importance and greatness of his work.

Words are our tools. Use them well, and it may only be the beginning for you.

What type of scene sets up the beginning of your WIP? Do you know of any authors who have perfected first scenes like no other?

A Wench With a View

On all pirate ships, the captain is always in charge. Every wench on board is aware of the captain’s point of view. If the captain wants to hear your side of the story, he’ll tell it…from his point of view. However, will there be a mutiny if the story is told from everyone’s point of view?

I have always written in first person. I like writing from the heroine’s point of view, and to be honest I find writing in third person very challenging. However in a story I am currently writing in first person, I regret my decision to tell the story from the hero‘s point of view. I feel limited, and from a writer’s perspective that is never good.

Writing in third person may be more difficult, but it adds so much more dimension to the story. It allows layering, not only of the plot, but also of the characters. In my current work I did well conveying the story from my hero’s point of view, but the climax of the plot was missing an integral piece. It lacked substance. Yes it’s possible to convey another character’s emotions through the eyes of your narrating character, but they can’t tell what they can’t see, and sometimes those are the most important details.

I’ve discussed first and third person writing with other writers. I’ve heard opinions from both sides of the coin. I have a friend who would never write from third person because she doesn’t enjoy reading a story written in third person. She finds the dialog and thoughts too confusing. Some other writers argue that first person writing is for beginning writers. To this, I have to say…have they read anything lately. Some of the best-known authors today write in first person and take it all the way to the bank.

With other writers, I have discussed the varying types of third person writing. Through discussion, I have decided that third person subjective would be my choice. The only thing that concerns me is losing control of my story. My muse and characters have always navigated my writing of their own free will. With more than one character telling the story I might find myself aboard a run away train headed straight for disaster.

Personally, I like to read stories written in third person. I don’t like second guessing character’s thoughts and actions. I like to know where they all stand, thus another reason to attempt third person. However from a writing standpoint I like to feel at one with my hero and heroine. For me third person gives a watered down impression of the emotional connection a writer conveys when using first person.

As Sin blogged earlier this week, I need to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. It’s a possibility I may never perfect a story in third person, but at this stage of the game what do I have to lose?

What point of view do you use when writing, and why? Does the author’s choice of first or third person narrative determine if you read their work?