#writingtips – Page 3 – Jean's Writing

Is your monster really scary enough for nightmares?

Published on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell17 Comments

Monsters lurk about in many forms.

Doesn’t have to be Big Foot or a dragon. A hateful neighbor or classmate, a work colleague, even a stranger on the street can be monsters in your story.

One man’s monster is another man’s pet. A monster can live in the protagonists past, their imagination or in a secret held close. It can take the form of an illogical or logical phobia, or a real flesh and blood monster.

The trick to writing about monsters as well as fantasy creatures is in the description and then escalating that fear. Bringing that fear to life is the goal of writers.

Readers love to feel the fear of a character. The right description determines whether a character is a paper doll cutout or a 3D believable personality.

Now Y’all know how much I love my cheat sheets, so guess what? Seems there is a list for just about everything. After reading the websites below, I combined some of the high points into an infographic for my readers.

Here is what I learned from the sources below…

A phobia is a great way to start scaring the bejesus out of your readers. Give your protagonist a phobia and build on that.

Want more information? Click on these links!

WHAT MAKES A MONSTER SCARY?

MONSTERS AND CREATURES VOCABULARY WORD LIST (282)

Monster – Quotes And Descriptions To Inspire Creative Writing

Monsters and Mythical Beasts Vocabulary Word List

Tell me…

Do you have trouble describing scary scenes or monster?

Did these tips help you with descriptions?

Do any of your characters have a phobia? Gonna give them one now?

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What was that? I heard something.

Published on January 29, 2018January 30, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell18 Comments

Was it a car backfiring or a gunshot?

In the dead of night, you might not be sure. No one heard the noise but you. So you try and describe what you heard. Ever happen to you?

Describing sound is sort of like grasping at smoke. One drifts through your fingers and the other fades from your mind until they are gone.

As a writer, I find describing a sound is harder than describing an object. A picture or an object or a location is easier because I can see it. Well, what’s a writer do?

How about a new tool that lets you hear the sound you are trying to describe?

Y’all know me. I love tech gadgets. Especially when it’s at my fingertips.

Last week I discovered several websites for sounds.

First up is…

Soundsnap.com

Want to describe a gunshot? Well, SoundSnap has 4592 variations from which to choose. Choose the type of gun and where. Is your character firing a single gun in a large room or loading and firing a rifle at a target practice. Outdoor, indoor, or at a target range?

(https://www.soundeffectsplus.com/product/gun-gunshot-single-01/)

What about the sound of ocean waves? Crashing, soft, against pebbles, sand, clifts or big rocks. SoundSnap gives you 281 different choices.

Everything from sports, crowds, shoppers, crying, you name it. Barking dog? What type of dog? With SoundSnap you can find it all from every day mundane to the gross and bizarre. The choices are only limited by your imagination.

This app is so much fun. It’s tree to join or you can subscribe to a monthly membership. Also, you can purchase a sound. On occasion, you may find a few sounds that are free to download. SoundSnap even gives you information as to who submitted the sound.

AND it is always FREE to listen.

So now when you look up pictures to help with a description, you can now look up sounds to give your story a bit more realism.

Want FREE? Try…

https://www.soundeffectsplus.com/

https://www.zapsplat.com/

Once you register, you can download sounds for free.

Another place to find specific sounds for purchase is …

Airborne Sound — **http://www.airbornesound.com/**

And of course, there is always…

https://www.youtube.com

The good thing about YouTube in addition to sounds you can also find videos. However, I found it a little more difficult to narrow down to a specific individual sound.

Ever wish you could hear a sound to better describe it for your readers?

Do you think hearing the sound helps with your description?

Do you need to incorporate more of the senses in your stories?

Do you have a favorite website for sounds?

In all three apps, some sounds are more realistic than others. So you need to play around to find just what you’re looking for. Happy hunting.

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Do you know what a Muse look like?

Published on January 26, 2018January 25, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Is your muse still wearing a toga?

Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; holding lyre on Jean's Writing.com

The Muse Clio discovered history and guitar depicted holding a book, on Jean's Writing.com

I recently read an article about the 9 muses of Greek mythology and wondered what they might look like in today’s world. After all, we’ve evolved so why shouldn’t they?

Maybe your muse is ready for a modern makeover.

Nothing too wild, just a bit of updating.

Woman's face covered in many colors on Jean's Writing.com

Close your eyes. Now imagine what your muse looks like. Does she have wings and the voice of an angel? Or does she tease you so often you’ve imagined her with horns? Maybe instead of Clio holding a book, she’s relaxing amidst the pages of a good book?

How about Erota, maybe she’s a warrior fighting for a hero in that romance novel you’re writing? Modern day Muse Erato hunting with bow and arrow on Jean's Writing.com Writing comedy? Then maybe Thalia is the right muse for you. Melpomene was the protector of tragedy, so if you’re writing a tear-jerker, you might want to pick her.

Go ahead click, and read the article below to pick a muse, there are 9 to choose from, and then give her a modern-day makeover. Who knows maybe it will inspire you both.

The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology

Did you pick out a muse to inspire your current work?

Which muse one spoke to you?

Don’t you think she could use a makeover?

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Do you need a little help describing voice?

Published on January 24, 2018January 25, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

How about 240 ways to show a character’s voice?

That’s right 240!

WordItOut descriptive words Jean'sWriting.com

Sometimes writers fall into a rut of using the same descriptive words over and over for our characters. This infographic helps avoid that particular pitfall.

Don’t reach for that thesaurus instead, save this list posted by CHRIS THE STORY READING APE’S BLOG.

Make sure your readers can envision the meaning of a conversation. Remember, readers aren’t psychic. Show them what your characters are implying.