My books seem to always be inspired by a beautiful setting and then the story unfolds. But painting that picture with words isn't always easy.

When I write, I'll transform myself back to the place that inspired me and try to recapture, with my words, what I saw...through all my senses.

Setting establishes the mood. The success of fiction depends on descrption's image-making power. And if you can get your reader to feel the ocean breeze and smell the salted air, then you've done your job as a writer.

Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan is a good book to help find unique descriptions to give the reader a "sense" of place and create a world for them to escape to. Her book has several excercises to help bring the pages alive with vivid images.

Here's one:

Describe a natural setting...a woodland, beach, park, mountain, etc....as it appears in each different season or at different times of one particular day. Notice which details remain the same and which ones change. How does the language of your description change depending on the season you're evoking, or time of day?

Have fun! If you have any ideas on how to create a memorable setting, please e-mail me with your idea and I'll post it in my next newsletter.

Bye for now!