Elements of Successful Fiction Series

Using Color in Writing

Successful fiction is a combination of factors that work together to form a story. Examining these elements can help us to improve our writing and analyze areas that we may be weak in.

Color brings our work to Life
Color is a wonderful gift from God. Imagine if our world was black and white with a few shades of gray thrown in. Words like drab, boring and dull spring to mind.

When I was a child, I had a picture book that I adored. Each page represented a color and this was shown through a photo collage. For example, the yellow page showed a block of butter, a hunk of cheese, a bunch of sunflowers, a ripe peach, a spoon of honey, and a corn cob. This was a visual portrayal of color but we can produce a similar effect with our words.

Make a Color List
I’ve found it helpful to make lists of words that relate to a certain colour. These can be written into a notebook or saved as a computer file. If you’re feeling creative, you could include pictures to illustrate the words. Be sure to leave space so you can continue to add to the lists and refer to them when you need a dose of inspiration.

Here are some of my thoughts about the color white: pristine, pure, angel’s wings, fluffy cotton balls, dazzling, brilliant, crystal drops, coiled bandages, crinkled cotton, starched bed linen, a nurse’s cap, sparkling snow, sheets flapping in the wind, bleached bones, tulle and tutus.

How to make Colors Interesting
Because colors are common, the impact in fiction tends to fade unless they are introduced in fresh new ways. Here are some examples of creative use of color:

The car was the exact shade of her glossy red lips
The tulip was the color of pure sunshine
The sky looked like a giant bruise

Did you notice that in two of these sentences, the actual color is not mentioned but rather implied?

Creating Atmosphere with Color
Color can be used to set a scene and reveal character. A rebellious youth may have a black bedroom and wear dark clothing with metal accessories. An elderly woman may have a penchant for green scarves and yellow clothing.

Raise Questions with Color
Some items are traditionally colored in a certain way. Tamper with that and immediately the reader will ask why. Why did the bride wear a bright orange gown? Why was the Ferrari painted pink? Be sure to reveal a good answer later in the story.

A Word of Warning
Don’t get carried away with color or your story will sound overdone. There are times when a simple red, blue or yellow will suffice.

Recommended Reading
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards is a wonderful example of how to use color effectively. In the first page, there are seven references to color, and the book as a whole contains some beautiful descriptions that incorporate color.

Colors are a gift and we can use them to add life, depth and texture to any piece of writing.

Come back next week to find out how food can be used to strengthen a story.

Debbie Roome works as a freelance writer from her home in New Zealand. Read some of her work at Suite 101 , Take Root and Write and Faithwriters.

Photo Assignment #2: Color Us Red

Have you checked out the photo assignments from last week? Visit our special Pix-N-Pens group album at Photobucket to see the entries posted. (Password inspired.)

Did you find the assignment easy? Difficult? Challenging? Fun?

I procrastinated with mine, but Monday, I managed to get it done. I found it challenging and fun - definitely not easy!

Photo Assignment #2: Color us RED. Your interpretation - whatever path it takes.

During the week, take photos that fit your assignment, then post your favorite over in our group album. (Use password inspired.) You will have to have a Photobucket account, but it's free. After you sign up, you can subscribe to the Pix-N-Pens album, and then you can post photos to it. Let me know if you have any problems.

In case you missed it, Photo Assignment #1.

Writing Prompt #2: Fun Money

So, how did you do last week? Did our first writing prompts - here on Pix-N-Pens and on CWE - help your writing during the week? Share your successes - or your struggles - with us in the comments.

Writing Prompt #2: You've just won $10,000 "fun money" for a writing contest (not as an advance). What will you do with the money?

Remember to think of this prompt in several aspects - fiction, non-fiction, short piece, or book-length.

And check back tomorrow for the photo assignment of the week.

In case you missed the last one: Writing Prompt #1

Christian Writing Examiner Prompt #2

Photographing Pets

There are times when something happens in your life that reminds you why you take pictures. This week I was reminded of this when I lost 2 dogs in a tragic accident. My heart is heavy at their loss, but because of my images of them, I never have to forget.

If I were to put a finger on what makes a good pet photograph, it would be capturing the essence of their personality. Pets do not pose, as a general rule, so it can require a lot of time and patience to get the shot you want. In fact, I have found that the longer you follow them around, the more they will relax and ignore you. You really want them to ignore you. I have spent hours just sitting outdoors, often in the blazing sun, waiting for this moment. With my dogs, I knew the easiest method was to sit on the opposite side of the fence for a while. Eventually, they'd give up on getting my attention. Then I'd pose my camera, get the focus set, and whistle or call their name. Up comes the face I was looking for all along.

This picture is of our dachshund, Ginger. She is the daughter of the 2 pets I 'lost' this week. She loves to sit on the porch in her bed, so I moved around facing her and pretended to photograph flowers.

With any animal portrait, you want to be sure to get the eyes in focus. There are a few exceptions to this rule, and more specifically, those would be photos where behavior are involved. I raised and later released this pair of squirrels when Hurricane Charley destroyed their nest in 2004. There are places in it that are out of focus, and the background on the right-hand side has overblown highlights, but because the eyes are in focus, it has become one of my favorite images of them. It really captures their rambunctious personalities.

The macaw in this next photo, whose name was Howard, was at a local zoo It is another example where I had to wait for the right pose. Notice also that I did not attempt to capture the entire bird, but focused on the face. With birds especially, it can be difficult to get a good portrait if you are trying to include the entire bird.

The most important thing about photographing your pets, is that you never stop. I look back now and am so glad that I took the time. What seemed to be so trivial is so very valuable now.

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Suzanne Williams Photography
Florida, USA

To read more of my words, visit my Blogger pages.

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.

Thinking like a Successful Writer

Believing in Yourself
The following is a quote that some attribute to Nelson Mandela. Regardless of who said it, it is a powerful statement with a wealth of meaning. You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. Inspiring words but how many of us can say they are true of our lives?

The T-Shirt Principle
Imagine yourself with a wardrobe full of T-shirts. Each has a title emblazoned across the front such as wife, mother, sister, cook, teacher, secretary, dental nurse, hairdresser etc. We all play many roles in our daily lives. Now look through your pile for the shirt that describes you as a writer. What does it say? Average writer, wannabe writer, hopeless writer, closet writer or does it scream in bold letters, confident writer, creative writer, writer yielded to God, persistent writer?

Thoughts Influence Actions
Romans 12:2 is a familiar verse from the Bible: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Our lives are formed by our thoughts, attitudes, dreams and desires. What goes through our mind influences the way we live.

What should I think about Writing
If you’re reading this column, it’s probably because you have an interest in writing. You may be a beginner or may have years of experience. Perhaps you fit somewhere in the middle. My question is, are you playing small or do you believe God has a plan for using your gift?

Shine as a Writer
God loves to use our words. He wants us to shine for Him and even if the grammar is not perfect and the construction a little clumsy, He can still use what we write.

Put on a New Shirt this Week
I encourage you to imagine yourself buying a new T-shirt – one in your favorite colour and in a fabric that feels like a second skin. Now look at the title on the front and make sure it’s one that suits you: inspired writer, life-touching writer, truth-sharing writer, gifted writer, or any other positive description.

This may seem simplistic but try it for a week and see how your mind-set begins to change. I’ve been through the process and from mumbling apologetically that I’m trying to be a writer, I confidently tell anyone I meet that I am a writer.

You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

Debbie Roome works as a freelance writer from her home in New Zealand. Read some of her work at Suite 101 , Take Root and Write and Faithwriters.