Today I have the pleasure in welcoming back Chloe Neill. Chloe last visited Book Chick City in October as part of my All Hallow's Eve event, where she wrote the post: You've Got An Idea...Now What?.
Chloe is the author of the Chicagoland Vamipres series, including Some Girls Bite, which I reviewed in October, Friday Night Bites and Twice Bitten, which is to be released July 2010. Chloe has also written a Young Adult novel, Firespell, which is set for release this coming January.
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WRITING WITH STYLE: SETTING THE STYLE OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT
Hi, everyone, and thanks for reading today! Since I love to scour the web for sweet pictures, I thought I'd offer a researching tip today--ideas for "styling" your manuscript.
You might be familiar with prop stylists, who arrange the *stuff* in film and photographs. This can range from a creative arrangement of food: www.phyllisasher.com for a Martha Stewart-esque picture, or arranging home accessories: www.scotthorne.com for a decorating shot.
So, what's this have to do with writing?
Well, each time you draft a scene, or imagine a setting, or construct a character, you're doing some of your own prop styling. You're establishing (1) geography, (2) architecture, (3) decor and (4) clothing to give your characters and your setting a sense of depth and realism. I've put together some of my favorite links below--they help me think outside the box and bring (hopefully!) a depth.
GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE
This is your big picture question. Are your characters in a desert? A grubby city? A rolling moor? A midwestern river? Peruse the photography links below to select a geography for your world.
ARCHITECTURE
You've picked your general location. Now what? Your characters are probably going to need shelter at some point, so you might consider what they'll be taking shelter in: A 19th Century mansion? A tent? A warehouse-turned loft? Here are some links to inspire you!
DECOR & INTERIORS
Okay. You've got a latitude and longitude. Try to build in some attitude. Are your characters chic? Glam? Simple? Thrifty? The 'stuff' around your characters can tell a reader a lot about them--who they are, what they love, their hobbies. It also gives you stuff to write about. A character can pick up an object, talk about a collection, drop something, throw something, or give something away. Here are some places to start.
CLOTHING
I'm not much of a fashionista, but fortunately, these folks are! What does your character wear? In the summer? In the winter? On a Sunday morning? On a Friday night? Is s/he a secondhand shopper or maven of couture? Check the links below for some clothing details.
Thanks for reading today, and good luck!
Thank you Chloe for appearing here today!
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5 comments:
Hi :)
Thank you VERY much for posting here today Chloe. I really enjoyed learning a bit more about the craft of writing. It made me examine my writing. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks to BookChickCity for having you here!
:)
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
I always love hearing what successful authors have to say about writing. Thank you for taking the time to post. I enjoyed the insight.
What an awesome post! Another post from Chloe I'm going to have to bookmark so I can refer to it later when it comes to my own writing. I never would have thought of things like this, but they would be so useful! Cheers Chloe, and cheers Carolyn.
(Btw - I finished my copy of Some Girls Bite I won from you today - review is up if you're interested! :) )
Hi :)
A very interesting and different post in a way, I enjoyed it a lot.
Great guest post, I have added those books on my TBR list :)
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