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9 09, 2013

Dates Trigger Emotions So Should Your Writing: 5 Ways to Write for Emotional Impact

By judythemorgan|2013-09-09T06:07:50-05:00September 9th, 2013|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Years after something happens, whether we were part of the event or not, we recall and react.

I sent out a questionnaire to friends and family asking them to recall dates that spark memories. The responses were surprising and predictable at the same time. Dates and events in the list below appeared multiple times.

December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor
November 25, 1963 Kennedy Assassination
August 22, 1966 Charles Whitman shooting from University of Texas Tower
April 04, 1968 MLK Assassination
January 28, 1986 Challenger Explosion
November 9, 1989 Fall of Berlin Wall
August 31, 1997 Princess Di dies in car accident
April 20, 1999 Columbine High School CO shootings

These two only appeared on one responder’s list and reading the dates jogged my memory.

October 14, 1987 Baby Jessica falling down the well in TX
February 1, 1991 Start of Iraq War and the protests

Another responder labeled their list: “Things not ingrained by exact date, but by what they were.”

The list included: Branch Davidian Complex Raid; Last Episode of MASH; Sandy Hook; Gabby Gifford’s’ shooting; the non-concession speech of Al Gore in 2000; the election of Obama (#1); the eventual concession of Gore in 2000; The Lewinski stuff with Clinton; The OJ Trial; The Ellen Show where her character ‘came out

A thought provoking list that brought back memories and some strong feelings for me.

Another responder offered strong memories triggered by thinking about certain dates.

“Nov 22 1963. Kennedy assassination. I was working in the music dept on UT campus. Someone had a radio on and we heard the news. I ran to student union to watch it on TV. Later I went home and worked on a theme (book report) that was due on the “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad. Mournful weekend.”

“9-11-01. Home drinking coffee in our sun room with news on TV. Watched second plane hit towers. Didn’t turn off TV for days.”

“August 22 1966. Charles Whitman shooting from tower. I was in Dallas on job interview, but hadn’t moved from Austin yet. Heard on radio. Not sure if it was Aug. 22 or 26. I didn’t know my husband then but he was on campus and took shelter in the student union. I recalled that at that time of day I would have been walking right across the mall for lunch, but I had taken that day off to go to Dallas.”

I’ve coined a phrase to define times that linger in our memories and by simple recall produce an emotional reaction.

TRIGGER DATES

As fiction writers, we must use trigger dates in our writing a way that our readers experience our characters’ fear and feel joy and become angry or excited and know grief. Readers should laugh and cry, shiver and rage. All from reading our story.

Why do we need to write for emotional impact?

Two BIG reasons: So readers will remember our characters and come back again and again. So readers recommend our stories or write positive reviews for our novels.

How does a writer write for emotional impact? I offer five ways:

Through Character action and response

No reporting a character is afraid or giddy or grieving. Show through the character’s actions.

Create a sympathetic character

As a story evolves, the reader must know and relate to the characters. If you put the reader in the character’s place, the reader will experience a physical response—laughter or tears or shivers—as if whatever happened to your character has actually happened to them.

Write conflict into every scene

Don’t be afraid of killing off someone close to your main characters or taking away something else dear to them. This is fiction; you’re not really hurting someone if you do mean things to your characters. When characters are agitated, readers will be too.

Choose words to evoke emotion.

Words are our trigger dates. Use harsh or sharp words for the harsher emotions, soft-sounding and soft-meaning words for gentle emotions.

Use sensory details to immerse readers in the reality of the scene.

What can your character hear and smell? What does a change in sight or sound mean? Using all the senses puts your reader there in the story.

YOUR TURN: Did reading the Trigger Date list stir emotions for you? If you’re a writer, how do you trigger your reader’s emotions?

6 09, 2013

Hen in a Hive – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2013-09-06T07:06:11-05:00September 6th, 2013|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The first thing I saw when walking out to get eggs last week was a chicken’s head coming up out of an empty bee hive box like a Jack-in-the-box.

I guess you could call it a “Hen-in-a-hive.”

Of course, I didn’t have my phone/camera with me, and I was unable to coax her back into the hive when I came back out with a camera.

The next day when I went out to get the eggs, I carried my phone. I asked for volunteers, but no one raised their wing.

I didn’t worry. I knew eventually the hen would be going back in the hive because every day there is at least one egg in there.

It is always a white egg, which means it came from a white chicken.

Lest you think you understand chickens and eggs, green eggs do not come from green chickens nor do blue eggs come from blue chickens. Color coordination only works with the white eggs and white leghorn hens.

Speaking of the white leghorn hen, you may remember this is the hen who took us on the great “Chicken Hunt.” That’s why I was unable to catch her to put her in the hive for a picture. She’s the escape artist!

Then yesterday I saw her head coming out of the hive again. This time I ran inside to get my phone.

Poor thing! She’s one confused hen.

But as Beekeeper Brian pointed out, at least she is laying her eggs in our yard.

4 09, 2013

Blueberries – One word Wednesday

By judythemorgan|2013-09-04T06:20:26-05:00September 4th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

I found blueberries leftover from our Labor Day picnic shoved back into the recesses of my refrigerator.

I couldn’t let them go to waste.

So I dug out my recipe box.

Yep, that’s the bear firecrackers you see in the basket on the table. We’re ready if Mr. Bear 2013 comes again.

The overstuffed recipe notebook and file box hold some very old recipes. I leafed through cobblers, pies, and coffee cakes among the vintage recipes. Some handwritten from family and friends that are now in Heaven. Nothing appealed to me until I found a recipe that called Lemony Raisin Bars and wondered what it would taste like with blueberries. I thought why not!

I mixed the base/crust. Yummy oats and walnuts.

Then mashed the mixture into a 9×12 pan.

Next, I prepared the sauce—heated condensed milk and lemon juice. Also yummy but less healthy, I realize.

I stirred the sauce over the blueberries.

Then poured the blueberry sauce over the crust, topped with remaining oats and walnut mixture, and baked for thirty minutes at 375 degrees. Je l’ai!

A lovely blueberry dessert that is somewhat healthy and tastes delicious topped with homemade ice cream.

Here’s the full original recipe if you want to try it:

Lemony Raisin Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins (I use Craisins or the blueberries did turn out good)

1 can (14-oz.) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 cup butter or margarine

1-1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

HEAT oven to 375 F

1. In saucepan, COMBINE raisins/Craisins [do not combine blueberries they’ll cook up soft], sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon rind.

COOK and stir over medium heat just until bubbly. Cool slightly.

2. In bowl, COMBINE butter, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat well. ADD flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and walnuts.

3. RESERVE 3/4 cups of the combined oat mixture for topping.

4. PRESS remaining mixture into 13×9-inch greased pan.

5. SPREAD raisin/Craisins/blueberry mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges.

6. SPRINKLE with reserved oat mixture; press lightly.

Now, if you find fresh blueberries hiding in your refrigerator, you have options!

2 09, 2013

It’s Labor Day – Celebrate

By judythemorgan|2013-09-02T06:39:28-05:00September 2nd, 2013|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

If you’ve read my blog for long, you know I like to celebrate holidays with facts and vintage cards.

First the facts…

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country with parades and speeches.

In 1894, it became an official federal holiday.

Now the cards…

All celebrate what today is truly about—honoring the workers of American.

Labor Day doesn’t have speeches and parades so much anymore. Today we think of Labor Day as the end of summer, a day of no labor.

Work is good, but play is also important. I leave you with this great quote.

Now, pick your rainbow color, grab a hot dog, and SLIDE!

30 08, 2013

Singer 6233 Obituary – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2013-08-30T06:16:44-05:00August 30th, 2013|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|6 Comments

Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Singer 6233 took its last stitch on August 15, 2013 and was pronounced “not worth fixing” on August 22, 2013. This well-loved machine was a gift on October 3, 1985 and has had a very useful life.

Among its accomplishments are the creation of a student teaching wardrobe, various curtains and appliance covers and many mending jobs. It also happily made baby clothes and matching dresses for young girls. These same girls later learned to sew on this Singer.

Through the years, my trusty Singer 6233 made an official Star Trek costume, an elephant, six fluorescent jackets for a Christmas Pageant, a bridesmaid dress and multiple prom dresses.

This machine lovingly created several family Christmas outfits. Most recently, it made tote bags out of chicken feed sacks.

Singer 6233 travelled extensively starting out in Houston, moving to Denton, Canton, Mexico City and ending up in Bryan, Texas.

The store was just going to throw it in the dumpster (after I left, of course) so I brought it home for a proper burial.

It will be hard to replace my Singer 6322. They just don’t make them like that anymore. The sales lady promised to work with me to learn a new machine. I am skeptical.

For now, I will let sewing rest and mourn my loss.

28 08, 2013

Writing Instruments – One Word Wednesday

By judythemorgan|2022-08-14T06:02:47-05:00August 28th, 2013|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

I must use Dictionary.com a million times a day. I rarely read what’s on the homepage.

Instead, I hastily type or copy/paste in the word I’m looking up and then read the definition – or more likely check the spelling.

Recently I read the home page and found fascinating information about writing instruments.

If you already read this on the Dictionary.com site, you’ll recognize the photos from the article. I’ve reworded the content, but you can still recognize the content.

STYLUS

From ancient instruments to modern-day tools for electronic input, the original stylus was made of metal or bone and used to incise letters/cuneiform into tablets covered in a thin layer of wax or clay. Today we use a pen-like stylus with computers, tablets, and/or smartphones.

QUILL

Used from the 6^th to the 19^th century, this instrument fueled most written communication. Quills were most commonly made from goose feathers. The point of the feather was cut and then dipped in ink to put words and letters on the page.

PEN

The fountain pen was the first type of pen that didn’t require the user to dip the nib repeatedly in ink to write. Fountain pens first appeared in the 1880s, and ballpoint pens appeared as early as the 1890s. Felt-tipped pens were introduced in the 1960s.

CHALK

Originally made from soft limestone, chalk is now made from gypsum. Chalk was primarily used in school. Many schools today have switched to whiteboards and markers or digital interactive, but chalk is still popular for writing and drawing on sidewalks or as a fine art medium.

PENCIL

Nicolas-Jacques Conte, a scientist in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, invented the modern pencil in the 1790s. Graphite is encased in wood. Pressure transfers the graphite to the paper. The eraser on the end allowed for changes. That’s where the term “pencil-in” originated.

KEYBOARD

Keyboards play a major role in modern communication. The keyboard is called “QWERTY” because those six letters appear in the upper left-hand row. Christopher Sholes, the inventor of the typewriter and of the QWERTY setup, allegedly separated commonly used letters to slow down typists. Otherwise typing too fast would jam the machine. For more ergonomic or speedy setups, you should opt for alternative keyboard arrangements such as Dvorak, Colemak, or Capewell.

I discovered I’ve used all these writing instruments at one time or another.

How about you?

26 08, 2013

Eight Writing Mistakes that Will Kill a Contest Entry

By judythemorgan|2013-08-26T06:03:57-05:00August 26th, 2013|Make Me Think Monday|3 Comments

I’ve been a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) for years and I frequently judge chapter contests.

I’ve discovered I see the same writing mistakes repeated-contest after contest, year after year.

Most are small blunders, but unchecked these errors tip an editor or contest judge that you’re not a pro and frequently result in rejection by an editor or a low score from a contest judge.

I decided to share a list of those writing mistakes.

Word repetition.

All writers have little words we tend to overuse — weasel words, I call them after Margie Lawson’s classes. Words like really, just, could, would, it, were and very to name a few.

Create your personal weasel word list and be on the lookout for overused words. Then use search and replace to cut them out before submitting.

Extra prepositions.

Too many prepositions in a sentence make the writing choppy. There’s usually a way to reword and eliminate some of the prepositional phrases.

Word use

Words like affect/effect, like/such as, your/you’re, hearty or hardy, baby’s or babies can easily be confused.

If you aren’t sure which word meaning you need, find out.

Comma confusion

This simple piece of punctuation is the curse of all writers. We tend to insert commas where they don’t belong, which can change the sentence’s meaning, or omit needed commas.

Learn the rules — and when in doubt, ask an editor what their publication’s style demands.

Subject/verb disagreement

You can’t say, “A box of chocolates were on top of the table.” or “They is ready to leave.” A singular noun needs a singular verb. A plural noun needs a plural verb.

Pronoun use

When using a pronoun such as he/she, make sure there aren’t two people in the sentence and the pronoun creates confusion about which one you mean.

Misplaced modifiers/words

This one is a personal demon of mine. I guess that’s why I spot them so quickly.

Example of a dangling modifiers and the revision from Purdue On-Line Writing Lab

INCORRECT: After reading the original study, the article remains unconvincing.

REVISED: After reading the original study, I find the article unconvincing.

Example of misplaced words/modifiers and the revision from Towson University On Line Writing Support:

INCORRECT: The three bankers talked quietly in the corner smoking pipes.

REVISED: The three bankers smoking pipes talked quietly in the corner.

Having keen-eyed critique partners can catch this mistake. Reading to yourself out loud also helps.

Manuscript format

Most RWA chapter contests do not penalize for manuscript formatting. Editors and agents might. Two areas to watch:

Underline/italics. Be aware that underline usually denotes a clickable link. If you use it for emphasis, you confuse your readers.
Spacing after a period. Generally accepted manuscript format is one space after a period, not two. Check the Chicago Manual of Style if you don’t believe me.

Seven little mistakes I see repeatedly. Don’t let your submission to an editor/agent or a fiction writing contest be guilty of these mistakes.

Especially not when the fixes are so easy.

23 08, 2013

Family Resemblance – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2013-08-23T05:47:16-05:00August 23rd, 2013|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We have several friends who have new babies in their family. One is a first born and she looks like her father. The other is the fourth girl, and she looks just like her sisters.

In our family, the two girls look like my husband and the boy looks like me.

When my parents and I arrived at their new home in Colorado, their neighbor came up to me and started to give me a hug then stopped short. He thought I was my mother. I assured him it was ok to hug me anyway.

Besides the fact we are all making fish faces, there are definite physical similarities.

It is usually pretty easy to find the family resemblance in humans. Recently, though, I’ve noticed it in our chickens. (Perhaps I spend too much time in the coop.)

See what you think…here are pictures of Crooked neck and her child, Samson and his child and a nameless barred rock and her child.

Can you tell who is related to whom?

21 08, 2013

Back-to-School – One Word Wednesday

By judythemorgan|2022-08-14T06:04:48-05:00August 21st, 2013|one word Wednesday|1 Comment

Another summer is about over. Labor Day is less than two weeks away. Fall will officially arrive on September 22^nd.

It’s the time of year when this one-time schoolteacher becomes nostalgic.

I’m not saying I’d want to be back in a classroom again. Not with the challenge of teaching today.

Still, once the back-to-school chatter begins, a part of me misses the excitement of starting a new school year, setting up my classroom, and seeing the eager young faces. The freshness of a new beginning.

Last Monday, when the dogs and I were out on our daily sunrise walk, we spotted a school bus, I swallowed the lump in my throat brought on by my memories.

The three of us paused.

I said a prayer that it would be a “really good year” for the bus driver, the kids, and the teacher waiting in the classroom.

May all the students, teachers, and staff who began a new school year this week or will be going back to school over the next few weeks have a safe and productive new school year.

YOUR TURN: Do you miss school days?

19 08, 2013

Dilly Green Tomatoes – Home Canning Fun

By judythemorgan|2013-08-19T06:22:14-05:00August 19th, 2013|Home Cooking|8 Comments

One of the many things I love about our new location here in Colorado is the ability to have a garden.

Gardening in Houston was always a challenge. Not because things didn’t grow in the tropical atmosphere. Quite the opposite. Things grew well, especially weeds.

The problem was it got too hot too quickly to be out tending the garden. Here, we can go out whenever we want and pleasant weather greets.

And not too many bugs here, either. Houston mosquitoes loved me. Colorado mosquitoes haven’t found me…yet.

This year between the fire and all the construction underway, our efforts were limited.

Our evacuation killed most of our hanging baskets and planted flowers. We couldn’t water any of them. The mountains of dirt from the excavation buried the new peonies we planted.

Not complaining, just stating facts.

We did put out two tomato plants early in the spring, which survived.

What I failed to realize was that, since we live on the shady mountainside, I’d need a greenhouse to get the tomatoes to turn red!

Both plants are loaded with buds and tomatoes that are never going to turn red. This seemed such a waste.

We fried a few and then Jerry remembered we’d dilled green tomatoes at the end of the growing season when we lived in West Virginia.

I dug around in my cookbooks and found the recipe in my 1965 edition of Better Homes and Gardens new CookBook. That was easy.Finding the necessary ingredients wasn’t. Local farmers’ markets didn’t have fresh dill, and our local market didn’t either. We finally found fresh dill in the supermarket forty-seven miles away.