Writing with Emotion Series – Part One

Does Emotion have a Place in Fiction

Writing emotion has always come naturally to me – it’s something that has been commented on repeatedly during my writing career. My family think it’s a strange paradox as I come across as an emotional introvert. I don’t shout and cheer at sports matches, I don’t cry during sad movies, I don’t feel the need to outwardly express emotion like others do ... and yet I am still an emotional being, I still feel things deeply and can express this through writing.

Emotion makes sense as we know that God is emotional and we are made in His image. The Bible speaks of God rejoicing over us, (Zephaniah 3:17), the Lord having compassion, (Judges 2:18) Jesus weeping, (John 11:35) and Jesus chasing the money changers from temple.(John 2:13-16)

Fiction must Contain Emotion
Emotion is the spark in a story – the thread that binds the writer to the reader. In order to capture people’s attention we need to introduce feelings and form heart connections. People read for entertainment. They also read because they want to become part of a story where they can feel love, joy, passion and hope, and work through pain, heartbreak and grief with the characters.

People Identify with Emotion
Have you ever bought a book because you identify with the main character? Maybe it tells the story of the close relationship between a child and her grandmother – or the betrayal of a father - or the birth of a disabled child. People are looking for stories that resonate with their own experiences.

Good Emotional Writing Comes from the Heart
In order to write emotion, you must be able to feel it deep inside. Superficial or academic-type writing will not form an emotional connection. Emotion is part of life and because we have lived through various experiences, we can identify with assorted emotions. Being able to distil this into words is the secret of writing from the heart.

Emotion Works in all Genres
Romance novels need love and tender hearts, thrillers need fear and excitement, teen novels need teenage angst and all novels need conflict. A book without emotion is like looking at a two dimensional picture – the depth and reality is missing.

Emotion is often looked down on or disregarded but it is a vital part of our humanity. It can be used to great effect in fiction by using a number of writing techniques. Come back next Wednesday when we’ll look at how to use emotion effectively in fiction.

Marketing: Use Hot Topics to Promote your Book

Even before you sign a contract for your book, you should be thinking of marketing opportunities. One way to promote your book is through the details within your book.

Keep a notebook (or a document on your computer) for ideas, and make a list of any hot topics in your characters' lives.

What are hot topics? Read the headlines, listen to the news, eavesdrop on some conversations in the checkout line - hot topics are what people are talking about right now.

As you develop your characters, you're likely to hit several hot topics because real life does. Are any of your characters: divorced? an alcoholic? addict of any sort? have sexual problems or gender identity issues? suffer eating disorders? grieving over a loss? have a criminal history? Are there family secrets hidden somewhere in the past? Abusive or been abused?

Are your characters, or their family, members of the military? Are they vegetarians or vegans? Are they politically savvy? Passionate about protecting the environment, pets, or unborn babies? Do they work to help the homeless or witness to the unsaved?

Explore your answers from different aspects, then turn them into articles, short stories, and press releases. Your professional bio at the end of the published articles and short story should point readers to a link to buy your book and/or your Web site. This bio serves as "free" advertising for your product, so use the space wisely.

These hot topics can make you an "instant expert" on the subject, and with a little visibility (caused by yourself, or through word of mouth) you may be called on for radio or television interviews.

Publicity is what it's all about, right?

Photo Assignment #9: Spaces

Photo Assignment for this week:

Spaces.

Spaces are sometimes very hard to photograph - I look forward to seeing your creativity. Take several photos, then post your favorites over at the Pix-N-Pens photo album. Use the password inspired.

Remember the Woodhouse Family on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?

UPDATE: The YouTube videos previously listed in this post have been removed, so we've removed the links. Sorry for the inconvenience.




We are big fans of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition so last year when we learned that a writer's family had been chosen, we were ecstatic. I knew Kimberley Woodhouse through American Christian Fiction Writers, so it seemed more personal than usual.





Now Kimberley has written a book about her family's experience and we're helping her celebrate by spreading the word! (We're giving away TWO COPIES of her book - see details below.)





Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy is an inside look at the family's life before they were chosen for the Makeover and the entire Makeover process (including photos of their new home.) Kim writes with honesty and vulnerability, which allows us to feel their pain as they struggle to keep daughter Kayla alive, keep a roof over their heads, and try to maintain a "normal" life. In fact, Kim's view of normal - described early in the book - influences the attitude of the whole family, and they are an inspiration to millions. You'll laugh, cry, and cheer from cover to cover - just be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby for tears of sorrow and of joy!





The official release date of the book isn't until September, but you can pre-order your copy at a discount, so order today. (They'd also make great gifts for your family, friends, and libraries, so order more than one! It's possible they'll begin shipping early, too.)


About the book:

Thanks to being featured on the hit TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the Woodhouse family of Colorado Springs is known across the country. Their poignant, heart-touching story of having a child with a rare medical disorder, which led to a mountain of hospital bills and the loss of their home—and their need for a home that would be safe for daughter Kayla—has put them in the public spotlight and kept them there. The theme that carries through Welcome Home is James 1:2-4. We’re all a work in progress, and it can be “Pure Joy” to be a parent. But, how does joy evolve out of a potentially devastating reality? Kimberley’s candid stories of both failures and successes, and the ultimate resource—the Bible, will point readers in the right direction for establishing JOY in their homes.


From the back cover:


Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy. Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).


Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.


Peek inside the Woodhouse family’s life (and their famous house) with a 16-page photo insert.


About the Author:


Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, author, and musician. She maintains a quick wit and positive outlook even while enduring difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she has shared at more than 600 venues across the country. The story about Kimberley and her family has garnered national media attention for many years, but recently the Woodhouse clan has been featured on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "The Montel Williams Show," and Discovery Health channel's "Mystery ER." Millions of viewers around the world have seen these shows and recognize the Woodhouse family as friends. She and her husband, Jeremy, school their two children in a truly "extreme" Colorado home.


Read the first chapter here.




TRACY HERE:


Please continue to pray for this family. The house is a blessing beyond measure, and helps them in ways most of us can't imagine, but they still need our prayers, because Kayla's condition is still very much a part of their daily lives.


Woodhouse Family - thank you for sharing your journey with us. May God continue to use you in tremendous ways and may hearts and lives be changed because of your testimony.



And now - a CONTEST!


I'll give away TWO COPIES of Kim's book to one winner at the end of the month - one copy for the winner, and one copy for the winner's public library OR church library.


Here's how to enter:


Share in the comments how YOU shared about this book. Did you tell your sister? neighbor? friend? Did you tweet about it? Share it on your blog? Tell your church? Share the videos with your cousins? Talk about it at the water cooler at work? Share it with your Sunday School class?


No links required - just share with us. Be sure I have a way to contact you if you're chosen winner.


All comments should be made by Friday, August 28th (you can enter as many times as you talk about the book). The winner will be announced on Monday, August 31st.

Writing Prompt #9: Space

Thanks to our wonderful blog designer, Blogger Boutique, we have made it easier for you to find all the writing prompts and photo assignments, so be sure to check the links at the top of the page to view all the previous posts in each category.

I'll make a confession this week, before I post the prompt. I'm a BIG space fan! My dad worked for NASA, and I grew up watching all the rocket launches with awe. One of my biggest dreams as a child was to become an astronaut. But as I grew older, but not taller - and my fear of heights increased - I had to give up that goal. So now, I have to live vicariously through books and film.

Your writing prompt this week:

Outer Space.


Have fun with this one - and remember you can use it for fiction, nonfiction, short or long lengths.


Don't forget to check the Writing Prompts link above for previous challenges. Feel free to join us for our weekly photo assignments, too! We have some great photos in our Pix-N-Pens photo album. (Use this password to access: inspired.)