Sunday, November 30, 2008

Reading and Writing



I've discovered I'm a "baby" writer. This week I've inhaled several books and been wowed by writing styles. At two in the morning I almost screamed, "not fair, not fair" because I wanted MY stories to resound like the one in my hand. One historical took place during the Civil War. I cringed under fire and almost retched inside the prison. Another took place on the Southside of San Antonio. Places I have passed took on a new veneer with this artist's words.

Wow. The power of setting. I've been told by my editor I write "spare." That means I leave out images which could bring my reader inside my story. After several books, I see what she means. sigh. Baby Writer. That's me: Eileen

What have YOU learned about setting??

2 comments:

Kelly Irvin said...

I love books that make me see the place where the characters reside. I like when the setting is so real, it's practically a character. Like James Lee Burke and New Orleans or Rick Riordan and San Antonio. I've written novels set in San Antonio and in a small town in Kansas so I've discovered it's really about picking the details that make that place unique and bringing it to life for the reader. Quite a challenge!

The Guajardo's said...

I too have inhailed three and half books in two weeks! Crazy for a mom of two little ones but I can SEE these places in my head. I have it all mapped out, what the roads look like,the back yard, the trees, the house, the rain...I can see it all. Amzaing writing and it encouages me to give my audience enough to see and feel my fictional world as well! Keep writing!