Putting Sense in Your Writing - - Using all the Senses. 

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Let's open Heart & Soul Workshop...

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Welcome to tonight's workshop...

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Our special guest is Gail Martin!

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Welcome Gail!

GailGMartin: Thanks

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***She has graciously agreed to address...

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Putting Sense in Your Writing -- Using all the Senses...

HOST WRTR Cynth: Again, Welcome Gail Martin...

HOST WRTR Cynth: Would you like to begin by sharing about yourself for us?

GailGMartin: Sure. I think many of you know me. I've been writing novels for about 3-1/2 years. God has blessed me with so many sales. 12 novels and 5 novellas in that short time. I'm awed by his goodness to me. At this moment, my Love Inspired novel, SECRETS OF THE HEART, is on the bookshelves at your local stores. It's an August release. Next month, my first sweet traditional romance - HER SECRET LONGING will be released. And I am part of a four person anthology with Barbour - HOME FOR CHRISTMAS which will also be available in the next couple of weeks. See! God is awesome.

HOST WRTR Cynth: <Yes, He is>

GailGMartin: That' s about it for now. I have a number of other books coming out in the next few months. ga

GailGMartin: Would you like to begin?

HOST WRTR Cynth: Thank you, Gail. It sounds as if you've been blessed indeed. The floor is all yours.

GailGMartin: Great I thought I'd cover a few things and then we can do some interactive things. First in any novel and especially in romance, sensuality is the element that heightens emotion and draws the readers into the story. For our purpose - sensuality relates to the five senses we know so well - see, hear, touch, taste, and smell, but also things like - motion and emotion. Even intuition which is the sixth sense.

GailGMartin: Our purpose is to arouse the readers senses - bringing the sensations to life in ourselves and our readers. Because seeing and hearing are so common in our work - these are the senses we all use automatically - what we can to do heighten the senses is to make those descriptions as vivid, appropriate and active as possible. We can use analogies that will add depth to these senses.

GailGMartin: By the way I'm using examples from my two novels from August and September - mainly.

GailGMartin: Sight. Let me give you a few examples. When he looked into her gentle eyes, he caught his breath. Colors like burnished leaves watched him from a shapely brow. Her high, full cheekbones were tinted by the sun, and a few delicate freckles dappled her cute turned-up nose.

GailGMartin: Notice here - the use of nature that serves as a comparison to the features of the heroine.

GailGMartin: Here's a phrase: Her smile opened like a dewy morning glory, her face radiating the sun. These are just some examples of using nature as comparison. But it doesn't always have to be a focus on the hero and heroine with sense imagery - Kate sat on the sofa and watched a few downy snowflakes drift and twirl on the winter wind. Notice we are combining images - both sight and motion.  This is the kind of thing we want to aim for as authors - to use all the senses.

GailGMartin: The rain splat against the back windshield, running rivulets like tears that rolled down her cheeks - another example of comparison - sight with an emotion.

GailGMartin: Sound is another element. With sound we want to use the onomatopoeia- words that sound like the word we're trying to describe - for example - Mingled with the music, a sound jangled Kathryn's thoughts. The doorbell. The word jangled gives the feeling that you're looking for.

GailGMartin: All sound isn't pretty - so don't forget to use eerie sounds or clamorous sounds. She wandered from the kitchen as a crack of lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by a resounding boom. In seconds a siren's wail pierced the air. Tornado.

GailGMartin: Here's another example of blending many senses together:

GailGMartin: Lucas watched the steam curl from the cup and fill the air with a rich chocolate scent. He blew on the edge and took a careful sip - letting the warm sweetness linger on his tongue In this example you see - sight, smell and taste.

GailGMartin: Touch, taste and smell are less common in novels. Think about your own experiences.

GailGMartin: So often we talk about the hero's after shave or the heroine's perfume or shampoo, but let's make sure we try to create a real sense of place by adding other smells.

GailGMartin: For example: Lucas knelt beside her as scattered raindrops hit the walkway, washing up a pungent smell of damp dust and grit. Another - The room smelled of dust and age but a stronger scent of Libby's potpourri.... or her floral perfume clung to the upholstery.

GailGMartin: Let's take a look at smell and do some activities.

GailGMartin: I'll give you two words and I'd like you to pick one and then jump in with appropriate Use descriptive phrases or words that fit this sense - try to be original.

GailGMartin: Let's try ATTIC or A SHEEP BARN Okay - just send your phrases along.

Smcollie: The overwhelming scents of dust and mothballs permeated the still, hot air of the attic.

GailGMartin: Great!

Joyfulbee8: Opening the trap door, the musty scent of dust and mildew blew in her face.

HOST WRTR Cynth: The dust flickered in the air when she opened the old, creaky door to the attic.

GailGMartin: Good - notice the variety we have.

GailGMartin: How about the sheep barn? Any takers on that one?

CDLKDL: A humid summer day was not the time to visit the sheep barn.

Flutterz: The dust hung in the air like the cob webs clinging to her arms.

HOST WRTR JanetE: bah, LOL I have no idea how that smells.... :)

Smcollie: Dip, manure and lanolin thickened the air, choking in its intensity.

GailGMartin: Great!!!

GailGMartin: Let's look at taste.  So often we tend to describe the food rather than describe the taste. Example: With the first sip, her cheeks puckered at the zesty, tart tang that rolled on her tongue.

GailGMartin: Notice we get the feeling of sour - the reaction that we have to it and the reader will also feel that pucker. If you think about lemons right now, your cheeks will tighten and feel a pucker. It's natural. Here's a different description of a kiss.

GailGMartin: Her mouth tasted sweet and cool like the cola she'd been drinking.

GailGMartin: So often we deal with passion, the tenderness, the emotion - but we forget the taste of a kiss. And don't forget the bad tastes - include those in your novels for reality. -- Her stomach twisted into a tight knot, nausea rising to her throat. She swallowed.

GailGMartin: How's that for pleasant! <g>

Smcollie: yummy...glad I haven't had supper yet

GailGMartin: Okay - let's do some phrases with taste

GailGMartin: <gg>

GailGMartin: Select one of these POISON or DIRT. We're doing taste here!

Tirtsah: Spitting the dirt out of her mouth she gagged on a worm.

HOST WRTR JanetE: Falling in her hurry to escape, the gritty taste of dirt revolted on her tongue.

GailGMartin: Good

HOST WRTR Cynth: Her head swirled as she realized the coarse scent of Lye was actually the sensation burning her tongue.

Joyfulbee8: He took a he-man sized bite of the sandwich she handed him with a dusty taste of the dirt in it.

Smcollie: To hide the bitter, acidic taste of the arsenic, she liberally spiked the coffee with sugar and cream

GailGMartin: Great -

Ddilcher77: Blowing sand was hot and gritty in her mouth.

Tirtsah: It felt as though a thick string was sliding down her throat.

GailGMartin: Okay - we're getting the feeling and we've all swallowed dirt accidentally. It is gritty, unpleasant

Tirtsah: Her teeth closed over something that squeezed it's way over her tounge.

GailGMartin: Egads - is this the worm?

Tirtsah: You said to take it further...

GailGMartin: Okay - yes that's what I wanted. That's good.

GailGMartin: Notice if you'd said that first and then added the single word. A worm. See how affective that would be.

GailGMartin: Sometimes we want to give the description and then tell the reader what we're feeling or hearing - an example was the sirens and sounds that I mentioned above - and then said. A tornado.

GailGMartin: That creates impact on the reader.

GailGMartin: Okay - let's look at touch

GailGMartin: Touch is often combined with an emotion. For example: His lips touched hers for only a moment. The gentle pressure sent an electric tinge through her body. Another: She touched the velvety petal as the nostalgic aroma drifted upward.

GailGMartin: He grasped her hand and ran her finger along the linoleum surface. She felt nothing on the floor, only the warmth of his palm against her hand and the closeness of his body to hers.

GailGMartin: These are all different kinds of touch - a floor, a flower, a kiss. Make sure you use all kinds of examples of touch in your novels.

GailGMartin: Let's look at some touch phrases. Take either VELVET or SATIN.

GailGMartin: Let's notice the difference in the two cloths. We want our touch senses to be clear and vivid. Okay - jump in.

Tirtsah: The satin slinked over her head and slithered on down her body to cover her in it's soft warmth.

GailGMartin: Great Look at slinked and slithered - great words.

Joyfulbee8: He touched her cheek. It reminded him of the satin sheets he had given his sister.

GailGMartin: Great

Ddilcher77: Lucy picked up the swatch of red velvet from the table. The softness of it against her hand was warm and soothing.

GailGMartin: Softness - yes that's a characteristic of velvet. Satin might be cold compared to velvet - the shiny color - and the nap of velvet. Think about those differences.

Flutterz: The calf's nose felt like velvet against the palm of her hand. Soft and warm.

Tirtsah: Makes me feel playful.

GailGMartin: How about motion. Here's a couple examples: mesmerized by a small white butterfly hovering above the blossoms. She watched it flutter from flower to flower before it flitted away.

GailGMartin: She watched while Tommy ate his cereal with the speed of a forest fire, then jumped from the table and headed for the yard.

GailGMartin: Like the crack of a whip, Cade bolted upward while his hand shot forward, nabbing Rachel's arm. His firm grasp startled her, and she let out a gasp.

GailGMartin: Can you envision these actions? Look for the words that help you to see it. The speed of a forest fire. We all understand that. Like the crack of a whip. And the more gentle feeling of the flitting butterflies. Make sure that you use these kinds of motions in your writing. Motion will often tie with emotion - so let's look at this.

GailGMartin: Notice the verbs that I've used to create the feelings. A sweet sensation waltzed the length of his arm and settled in his chest.

GailGMartin: The touch sent his belly on a downward plunge, and the swallowed the sweet emotion.

GailGMartin: Tears pushed at the back of her eyes, and she brushed them away with angry swipes, irritated with the unbidden emotions sweeping over her.

GailGMartin: I hope you see some of the words that help to create these emotions.

GailGMartin: For a final activity - let's take one of these ideas and see if you can combine as many senses as possible in the description. Try either the OCEAN or AN AUTUMN FIELD.

GailGMartin: Jump in with your descriptions.

HOST WRTR Cynth: Emotion bubbled in her throat, making tears pool in the corners of her eyes.

GailGMartin: That's nice -

GailGMartin: If you can't get a whole idea - you can send along some of the sensory ideas.

Joyfulbee8: Cassandra sat on the jagged rocks listening to the crash of ocean waves as she felt the sweet coolness of her pop slip down her throat.

GailGMartin: Okay - we have sound, sight, touch, taste - great.

HOST WRTR JanetE: The scent of salt air sifted through the night air. Thinking of Johnny, Mary's gaze lingered

HOST WRTR Cynth: The cold wind was laced with the salty taste of sea water and the hint of brine.

GailGMartin: Nice stuff.

HOST WRTR JanetE: On the blue horizon from her cabin's balcony. A few more days and she'd feel his strong arm around her again.

Flutterz: The color of the ocean was like her eyes, emerald green. Her scent was clean and fresh like the fluffy white sea foam left behind by the out going tide.

GailGMartin: Really nice! Before our time is up - do you have any questions?MThomp1595: You may have touched on this... I've been away for awhile - but do editors tell you if you've used too much?

GailGMartin: I've never had that problem. They seem to like my writing But understand that every sentence is sensory - we use it only as it is needed and it will serve a purpose to create a feeling of reality, a sense of place, or to heighten the emotion.

GailGMartin: That's what it's all about.

MThomp1595: I love it! I always tell my young students to tap into their senses.

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Well, it's that time once again...

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Thank you so much for coming, Gail Martin!

HOST WRTR JanetE: Thanks Gail! This was wonderful!

GailGMartin: You're welcome

Flutterz: Thanks Gail!

HOST WRTR Cynth: ***Thank you again to Gail Martin, Janet, Carrie <for greeting tonight> and EVERYONE for coming.