Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Tuesday Ten: Why I Love Writing

Wordplay and Witticisms: Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very”; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

—Mark Twain

Congratulations to the contest winner over at Armchair Heroines: Bethre! Head over to AH tomorrow to hear the first installment of a progressive interview with Daughters of the Glen series author, Melissa Mayhue!

Tuesday Ten: Why I Love to Write...

1. Great Characters - men, women, children, animals...I love to get inside their heads!

2. Snappy Dialogue

3. Settings - from the exotic to the everyday

4. Plot twists

5. Character flaws and eccentricities - nobody's perfect!

6. Eliciting emotion from my reader - laughter, tears, blinding anger...bring it!

7. Finding new ways to describe everyday things

8. The feel of flying fingers along the keyboard when I'm on a roll

9. Finding the perfect word to convey exactly what I'm trying to say

10. My favorite: leaving the reader with a renewed sense of awe and wonder, a strengthened belief in love, happy endings and the presence of good in the world!

What are your favorite things about writing? What keeps bringing you back to that chair?

2 comments:

Kerrie said...

Since I write non-fiction articles, mine is a little different. To me writing feels like a rollercoaster ride. The beginning of the article is like going up the first hill--slow. But then I get to the top of the hill and I can see the rest of the track. There is a rush as the coaster goes over the hill, speeding through the rest of the ride. That is why I keep writing--for that moment at the top of the hill, when my article is about halfway done. The rest of it is like going for a ride. Then when it is all done there is a huge adrenalin rush.

Tiffany James said...

Kerrie,

I love the roller coaster visual! I've never tried my hand at non-fiction or articles. Thanks for sharing your insights about a different writing arena!

Tiffany