 Noticing Newbies: August 22, 2007 Issue [#1883] |
  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: CHRISTMAS cub-BELLS R RINGING!  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
 Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. From poetry and stories to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com.
We hope all members of the site will take the time to read, rate, review and welcome our new authors. By introducing ourselves, reviewing items and reaching out, we will not only make them feel at home within our community, we just might make new friends!
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** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable ** ~ Description ~ ** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable **
I'm certainly not an expert on writing description, and far from it, in fact. But as a reader, I know what I like and what I don't like. I do not like too much description. I get easily bored after three paragraphs of detailed description of a mountainside. Or two paragraphs of what a character is wearing. But on the other hand, as a writer, I can honestly say I don't put enough description into my writing. Sometimes I think we, as authors, already see our characters and their surroundings in our minds, and we tend to leave out details that readers miss. For example, I might write about a four year old boy, but if I don't at least hint of his age at the beginning of my story, the reader might assume he is another age. By the time the reader gets further into the story and realizes they were incorrect, he or she might feel frustrated from having visualized a character differently. Frustrating, indeed. Let's say you have a character you are reading about pictured with long, dark brown hair and slender built. Later on, you find out you had it all wrong. It's hard to change your concept once you've made one. Again, frustrating. (You may have noticed movies taken from books sometimes do this to us!) That's why it is important to get certain details out early on.
I'm sure most of you have heard: Show! Don't tell! But I truly believe when writing the first draft, we need to write whatever is coming out. For example: The carpet was wet. It smelled funny, too. I walked as fast as I could to the next room. Is that great writing? Of course not. But we need to get something started in the beginning and not get hung up on words. Once you are established as far as the backbone of your story goes, you need to go back and edit, which is no big surprise, of course!  That's when you catch those descriptions that need to be altered. The stench of urine explained the dampness under my bare feet as I quickly tip-toed across the old, orange shagged carpet and onto the dry, hardwood floor of the musty hallway. That's a little better, don't you think?
It's actually a fun challenge to write some basic descriptions out and then go back and change them.  Here are a few more examples that perhaps you could alter yourself, just for practice, of course:
1) Connie put her hair behind her ear. She noticed her earring was gone. She looked on the floor.
2) The wagon was red, but it was rusty. One of the wheels was missing. The handle was bent.
3) The piano was dusty and probably out-of-tune. I lifted the bench top and found tons of sheet music. I sat down on the bench, wondering which piece I would play first.
If you'd like, send me your improved descriptions through the 'Feedback Section' at the bottom of this newsletter. It should be interesting to compare the differences, don't you agree?
I found some pretty good articles posted here in the community that I would like to share with you for extra reading on the subject of description:
""Telling" Vs. "Showing" - Part 1"
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Have fun...
and
Happy Writing!
Love, Cubby ")
P.S. To all you Newbies out there, feeling overwhelmed in the beginning is quite normal! Even some of us Old-timers get confused at times.  If you're experiencing any anxiety in the least, please do not hesitate to share your concerns. The moderaters (blue and purple cases) are here to assist you with whatever questions you may have. And other members (black and yellow cases) can also be extremely helpful. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there are always those unique members who have a few negative words now and then to share , but just ignore them! We are, on the most part, a positive community here and we strive for positive outcome. All of us were Newbies once, so we understand what it's like to be in your shoes. This site has much to offer. Just take your time and enjoy!
Here are a few quick references to check out that may help answer at least a few of your inquiries:
What are Gift Points?
"Gift Points Info"
I'm not getting many helpful and honest reviews.
"Please Review"
I'd like to enter a contest. Where do I find them?
"Writing Contests @ Writing.Com"
Can I submit items to any of Writing.com's newlsetters? How do I subscribe to them?
"Newsletter Area"
I just received an upgrade from an anonymous member. Is there any way I can thank him or her?
"Thanks Anonymous!"
Is there a Copyright Policy here?
"Writing.Com Copyright Policy"
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** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable ** ~ Got questions? Look for answers here... ~ ** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable **
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#794007 by Not Available. |
** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable ** ~~And Now... For Our Featured Newbie Presentation!~~ ** Image ID #1219544 Unavailable **
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Excerpt: Cadence’s first day at Rosedale was interesting to say the least. Rosedale was a private school and Catholic at that. Although, from what she could see, most of the students seemed to have neglected that last fact. All girls were in uniform plaid skirts and polos and the boys wore khakis and polos. Cadence wasn’t really sure why her mom had chosen this particular school. They weren’t Catholic. In fact, they really weren’t religious at all. They had once belonged to a Methodist church but that quickly became just a way to show their face and talk about who wasn’t at church that day. As for Cadence, she personally blamed God. It was His fault her best friend died and she would never forgive Him for that.
Excerpt: The worn quivering hand fumbled through the pockets of a faded army jacket from a life far in the past. A cigarette pinched between two yellowed fingertips appeared long forgotten as it burned down to the filter. The fumbling stopped as a tightly curled fist slipped out of the pocket. Fingers slowly unfolded and a few crumpled bills fell onto the countertop. Another more youthful hand scooped up the bills and passed across a brown glass bottle. The quivering hand snatched up the bottle by the neck and tucked it close to a gaunt chest. Feet in tattered and mismatched sneakers shuffled out the door and down the street.
Excerpt: Kelly woke again from the same dream. It wasn’t really a dream; it was definitely a nightmare. In this recurring nightmare, which had been waking her occasionally for many years, but more often lately, Evan was only six. He’d begged her to let him walk down the street to Brandon’s house, by himself, and she’d finally consented. Less than a minute after she’d let him leave the house, she decided to walk down to Brandon’s house, just to see that he made it okay. As she walked down the street, hoping he wouldn’t be too embarrassed that she was checking up on him, she heard the sound of tires screeching, and looked up to see Evan’s small body tossed up into the air.
Excerpt: The ventilators kicked in just as Sam reached up to activate the hypercom link. The canned air didn't make the pod smell any better. Sam had been sitting there for over eighteen hours without a break and he reeked. Dinger looked at him reproachfully and started to wash his paws. "Yeah, yeah, Mr. Dinger. I can take a hint. You think I stink." Sam sniffed his armpits. "I do stink." He scratched his barely emerging beard. "Lemme send this blasted message to those dimwads at Fleet, then I'll feedja and take a shower." Dinger switched his tail at the mention of food. Sam spent several minutes clattering at the keyboard then read the message out loud.
Excerpt: My mind is drunk with ghosts and words, letters from those long dead, ancient quotes and philosophy. The burden is too great; I can feel my mind drowning in perpetuity.
My lamp hangs obediently over my desk, illuminating my unfinished soon-to-be masterpiece. The rest of my small study is dark, brimming with long rolling shadows of creatures born from my senseless imagery of Hell, or what I think its denizens would look like, with deference to long ago painters and artists whose visions I now draw forth. Their work has not been in vain.
Excerpt: The Cup & Saucer had appeared on the Santa Monica social scene a year ago as suddenly and unexpectedly as its founder had appeared in California four years previously. It was hard to believe that they were relative newcomers to the west coast, for both shop and owner seemed to belong on this patch of beach just down the road from Los Angeles.
Items Submitted by Newbies
Submitted by GirlsNGlasses 
"A Dark and Stormy Night"
Submitted by marjpagaduan
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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 ~ ~ ** Image ID #1205694 Unavailable ** ~ ~
 Last month's question:
How descriptive are you in your writing? Do you enjoy reading lots of description, or do you get bored with it?
 Fight4Alexis
Are you looking for anyne to help with your newsletter because I would love to help with anything.
That is very kind of you! The best way you can help out is to send valuable feedback to the newsletters. If there is anything you feel would benefit newbies, suggestions are always helpful for future editorials. If you prefer, you can always email any of us for recommendations. We always appreciate positive reader response! 
Guldevito
Hey all, I am having a ton of fun here. I love the truth and honesty in reviews and can't wait to write more. You know, in between working, excercise, bills,kids,...Ha Ha Ha.
I'm having a good time here, glad I found it!
I'm glad you found it, too! Sounds to me like you are fitting in quite nicely. Last month, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with two grandsons being born, among other issues in life, and my editorial showed it. It is amusing, though, how many others seem to connect with whatever is written. I truly appreciate your good humored response! Thank you.
bambam1252
i enjoy description that serves a purpose other than telling me what's there. A good description can set the mood, allude to a character's inner conflict and emotions, and set the stage for future narrative arcs. Bad description isn't simple cliche driven, it's fluff that may be wonderfully constructed but serves no purpose.
Excellent response! I watched a movie recently that seemed to have a lot of that 'fluff' you are referring to. To me, it was a waste of time... a filler. Thank you for your input!
D.L. Fields
How descriptive am I in my writing? It depends on the subject matter; when it's something emotional, something that touches the character, I'll be more descriptive. On the other hand, I don't want every paragraph to be an epic poem, I have to be careful not to bore the reader or myself.
I couldn't agree more. I think that is why I enjoy children's chapter books so much. Authors realize children might get bored with too much description.
THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! 
Rowling would take her baby Jessica out in a pram and catch snatches of writing when Jessica fell asleep! And at her job, she was thought of as being a bit weird, since she spent her lunch break writing instead of chatting with colleagues!
What an inspiration! And look how it paid off! Thanks for sharing.
K. Deagle
August 22nd is my birthday, just so you know. :) I am a newbie here and I have already completed one item and am currently progressing through another. My first item was a poem called Drinking found in the Comedy section (13+) and my current work in progress is called Tainted Blood, originally a movie script but I scrapped it in order to make it into a book. Once finished, I hope to get reviews and if they are good I may see about getting it published. Anyone who wants to check out the WIP can just search for Tainted Blood (13+) in the Action/Adventure or Crime/Gangster sections.
 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! And most likely, readers will notice your items here and give you an honest and encouraging review!
jonbraun94
i think u need to get a life stop with ur obssesive compulsive a behavior about writing i mean im a writer but if i were on here sending letters about crap that doesn't matter i mean id be a desperet writer i mean in my opinion the lowest class a writer can be in is sending news letters to other writers lol hahaha i mean what a descrase
Ouch! At first I thought not to include this somewhat rude response, but I believe if you send in feedback, it deserves to be published. I'm sure many readers will disagree with you, as far as sending out newsletters to others is the lowest class writer you can be. Obviously, you do not realize these are paid positions (gift points) and the editors do not send them out... the The StoryMaster  and The StoryMistress  do. If you feel these newsletters are crap, you can always unsubscribe to them. I'm so sorry you have such a poor attitude and perhaps you were just having a bad day when you wrote this. You might want to read the feedback from other members. Not everyone feels the same way you do, thank goodness! Hope things are going better for you today.
GirlsNGlasses
I can write great descriptions, and love writing short descriptive pieces. But in my novel, I let the descriptions just flow naturally into the story line.
Depending on how they're done - and maybe what mood I'm in - I'll browse the descriptions or slow down and read them carefully (more of the slowing down since I started writing seriously).
How's that for a nice non-committal answer. Maybe I should go into politics.
Love that last line! But getting back to descriptions, I'm glad to hear you let your words flow naturally. It's no fun trudging through forced descriptive words. I think it's a huge turn-off. Sounds like you are well-aware of your words. Thanks for the response!
Haley Frances
As a 'Newbie' I am finding your newletter very helpful. The only thing is there is so much information, it is hard to find it again. My question is can excerpts from newsletters be saved to a folder in my portfolio so I can find them easily. I do not want to infringe on a copyright or anything. Is there a way to do this? Thanks, Shirlene, The Dixie Writer
Would it be easier to just bookmark the newsletter under your Favorites? You may want to refer to "Writing.Com Copyright Policy" for more detailed information on copyrights.
Bethy604
I agree greatly with the beginning of this newsletter. I often feel the same way. When I read it, I had just finished the new Harry Potter book, and had started to doubt my writing.
This helps.
I bet she J.K. Rowling doubted her writing at times, too. But luckily for her, she didn't give up. Wow. Look where it got her?  BTW, I'm looking forward to reading the last Harry Potter book! I wonder what the author will do without Harry?
marjpagaduan
Thanks for this newsletter..because newbies like me are able to know a lot of things about writing and this site...thanks a lot!
You are very welcome!
avan
Thnx for that. Lately I have felt a little stretched when it comes to time that I have to write and it is nice to read a little picker-upper now and then. So thank you for the encouragement. The way that I think about it is we all have 24hrs and what we do with it is up to us.
Avan
Well stated. Thank you for your friendly response!
Savannah Lynn<3
I love this question because I often find that I am asking myself the same question. I have always lacked in description when writing stories, because I have the image in my head and I just forget to write what I see down. I do sometimes do this on purpose, to let the reader create their own image for lets say, a character's house, instead of following mine. I often find that when author's describe a house or a playground, I already have an image in my mind so I more often than not, get bored by their description and follow my own.
I know exactly what you are saying! I feel the same way. Sometimes I like my own images while reading a fiction book, only to discover I was way off. I suppose if an author wants to instill a concrete image, he or she is better off describing the details ASAP.
lovers_at_first_sight 
well that was gud info. thanx for sharing that with me!!!
My pleasure!
Recommended Books
Please send me your favorites!
I recently finished Two Little Girls in Blue by Marry Higgins Clark. Now I'm reading Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts. Can you believe I have never read a book by her before now? She is one of the more popular authors that the patrons take out at the library I work at. I figured it was time to find out why.
 Artemis Fowl series is recommend by jitsufreek
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Quote
“Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers "Please will you do the job for me."”
~ C. S. Lewis
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Cubby's Question(s) of the Month
Actually, this month, let's make it a challenge. Pick one or more of the three examples I gave in the beginning of this newsletter and show me how you can improve upon the telling descriptive lines.
?
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If you are interested in book discussions and/or recommendations, please join me at these forums:
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See you again on September 19th!
Love, Cubby ")
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Next week's editor will be... Puditat |
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