Reader connection is one of the secrets to good fiction.  Again, background setting will help create realistic characters that readers can care about and root for as they attempt to solve their story problems.  One of the best ways to make sure the background "stage" is set is through the use of sensory details.  For example, did you notice in my May 4 blog entry how I used the five senses so you could join me and become a Beach Bum, too--if only for a short while?  I described the warmth of the sun radiating off the sand, the sound of a train’s whistle, the sharp marine breeze against my face, and the soft plopping sounds of small shells dropping into my plastic pail.  Further, I painted word pictures describing the green-and-white ferries crossing Puget Sound and marshmallows on green sticks and smoky beach fires that smelled of burning driftwood.  I portrayed the gentle sound of the waves against the shore, and the gritty feeling of the sand beneath my toes. 

   Okay, now it’s time to sit down and think back to a time and place that was special in your life.  What were the sights, sounds, touches, tastes, and smells that make that scene stick in your memory?  Can you describe those sensory details now?  Can you create a background setting that will draw the reader in and make him feel connected to your character?  Give it a try and see what you can come up with.  I bet you’ll be surprised!

   Last week we talked a little about my love of marine settings and why so many of my books are set in beach towns. But what about you? What type of environment awakens your senses and makes you feel alive and inspired? It might be a trail through a majestic Old Growth forest in the mountains, the high desert with its endless miles of tan sculpted hills, a ranching community nestled into a lush green valley, or a beach where, like me, you can commune with the seagulls.
   To help make our fiction characters spring to life, we need to give them a vivid background setting. In other words, our characters not only need a stage on which to perform, but they must experience their surroundings through the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Now that’s where you the writer comes in. It’s up to you to get inside your character’s head so the reader can indeed experience the world that you have created for your character. (To be continued...)

Good morning!

The following is a post script regarding my contest for Sandcastles of Love:  First, after you've entered, please send me an email at sydvoeller@gmail so I'll have a way to contact you if you're the winner.

Additionally, the contest will officially end June 15.

Thanks, everyone!  And good luck!

Hi Everyone, 

I'm sponsoring a contest! I'm offering you a chance to win a free copy of my teen romance, SANDCASTLES OF LOVE, by Books We Love Publishing Partners (in PDF format).  If you go to the Amazon link below and follow the page about two-thirds down, you'll see a brief book review by Judith Pittman.  To enter the contest, please hit the "comment" button (just to the right)  and post your comments.  They can be in follow-up to Judith's review, or simply new comments of your own!.  It's not necessary to have read the book--you can simply make comments about teen books in general, your impression of the book cover, or anything else you'd like to comment on that will help generate a discussion.

I hope to see you at Amazon! 
 
<http://www.amazon.com/Sandcastles-of-Love-ebook/dp/B004X6Z9RQ/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

   Many readers have commented on the settings in my books, often centered--although not always--on the Oregon Coast or the Puget Sound area in western Washington.  But why these beach settings?  Why do they evoke strong memories that fuel my writing? 

   I grew up near Edmonds, north of Seattle.  Many decades earlier, Edmonds began its existence as a logging town.  Now this “friendliest town in Washington” boasts luxurious condos with sweeping views of the Sound, unique gift shops and boutiques, antique stores, and scrumptious bakeries--just to name a few.  In summertime and early fall, colorful hanging flower baskets adorn the main streets, giving the town a festive, European ambience. 

   I remember as a small girl scouring the beach in Edmonds for shiny small rocks and shells, and the soft plopping sounds as I dropped each shell into my plastic bucket.  Even broken shells would do!  I remember the relatives who visited every summer without fail from the Midwest. They loved riding the ferry, even if it were only to the opposite shore and back.  Often in the early evening, the women packed up a casserole, a simple salad, and beverages to tote to the beach where we’d spread out our feast onto wind-worn picnic tables.  My dad would join us once he returned from work. There we’d eat, laugh, talk and gaze at the gentle waves lapping the shore. We could also see the lines of vehicles waiting to board the green and white ferries.  

   I remember my early teen years when my girlfriends and I’d walk to the beach during summertine.  We’d spread out blankets, slather on cocoa butter, bake under the sun, and look for cute guys.  With a briny breeze against our faces, the warmth radiating up from the sand, and the occasional wail of a train that rode the rails paralleling the beach, we were happy Beach Bums for the day.  Later during high school, our crowd I often drove to the beach on warm summer evenings.  We built beach fires that scented the air with the salty smell of driftwood.  We strolled barefoot, feeling the gritty sand between our toes.  Later we huddled around the fire to toast marshmallows and solve the world’s problems--or so we thought. 

   My husband and I still visit Edmonds regularly.  Though my immediate family is gone, some friends remain, and it’s fulfilling connecting with them.  Yet part of our time is spent overlooking the beach and the ferry dock.  There we watch the ferry traverse the Sound, a reminder that some things remain the same... 

   But let’s leave the memories behind for now and look ahead to my next blog entry.  I’ll write about how to create evocative scenes in your own writing.