IMAGERY THAT NORMAN ROCKWELL COULD HAVE PAINTED

Most writers are readers. Some are even painters.

I have a tattered quote taped inside one of my journals. It reads A house without books is like a room without windows. This coveted phrase, written by Horace Mann sometime in the mid-1800s, has been my reminder to read and write. Often.

For me, a house without books would be not having the opportunity to investigate our cultural past, nor fill slower moments with entertaining trivia, or keep dreams of future hopes or promises alive. It is ‘armchair living' at its best.  

Maybe you’ve felt a similar urge to break a spine or two while curled up in a comfy chair, hugging the covers of a book you couldn’t put down, wondering what happens next yet not wanting it to end. Did the author’s imagery illuminate multiple senses, elevate your awareness, or plunge your fear into the endless depths of some faraway canyon?

I’ve been there. Right there, walking alongside the protagonist, jumping back as a sports car approached too closely in a scene, causing her hat to take flight and spiral into a heap. I have inhaled the sweetest gardenias as he brushed against one, reaching for his love. And, yes, I’ve had sleepless nights after reading scary tales of doom and gloom. All of these mishaps occurred because of the ink that first flowed from the author’s pen — and the use of brilliant active imagery, either crudely or delicately, dropped within the lines of their story.

Whether your genre is sci-fi, historical fiction, romance, thriller, or another, you most likely read similar books. You may even begin to imagine creating your own tale. And, hopefully, with focus and determination, you start to write.

I invite you to take note of the imagery created in some of your own favorite stories. Read the passage aloud. Check the pacing. Switch the intonation around for fun, and you’ll soon discover why brilliant, unforgettable imagery is so vital to your readers’ experience.

Take a look at these excerpts to see what I mean:

Delta froze in her tracks as nearly one hundred of the creatures swarmed the sand around her, more appearing from the depths as each second passed.

                                                    ~ from Susan Diamond Riley’s THE SEA TURTLE’S CURSE

The morning burned so August-hot, the marsh’s moist breath hung the oaks and pines with fog. The palmetto patches stood unusually quiet except for the low, slow flap of the heron’s wing lifting from the lagoon.

                                                             ~ from Delia Owens’ WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

In Susan's excerpt, can't you feel the tension mounting with every breath? And did you feel the oppressive heat, see the fog-laden trees, and become mesmerized by Delia's description of the low, slow flap of the heron's wings? 

Why did I choose these examples? Because they grab and infiltrate the senses as we tag along, side by side, while their characters' story unfolds. These authors know that imagery is about what you see and what you feel because of the writer's chosen words.

Should you want to create brilliant imagery, in-depth characters, and unforgettable scenes, and I hope you do, why not join one of my upcoming 6-Week Sessions via Zoom? The classes are small, intimate gatherings where a handful of writers feel safe expressing themselves with their written words. Any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

For now, may the ink flow freely from your pen.