WEP & For Max

Jeannie filled the red wheelbarrow with the fresh soil and trundled it over to the new garden around the maple tree. Another couple of trips ought to do it.

Max had always had a thing for red flowers, so she’d gone a little crazy with the colour.

Not only the wheelbarrow but her new gardening gloves and trowel set. And the flowers of course. Impatiens, peonies, mums, poppies, dahlias, and geraniums. All in beautiful red.

Such a happy colour. This entire area of the garden was going to be all about Max. 

After filling the new garden with soil, Jeannie brought out her kneepads and went about setting the plants in place. She should have bought new knee pads as well, but the raggedy green ones would have to do.

There was something soothing about gardening. Max had never understood it, although he liked the results.

“Your knees aren’t getting any younger, Jeannie.”

“What are you doing messing with that dirt again, Jeannie?”

“Why bother? You’ll just be down on your knees weeding again next week.”

“If you’re going to do it anyway, you know I like the red ones best.”

Jeannie smiled and tucked the dahlias gently into their new home. Different shades, different textures, different shapes. All in Max’s red.

The sun neared the horizon when Jeannie tossed all the empty flower containers into the wheelbarrow. No sense in leaving a mess. Max hated messes.

After tying up the garbage bag and putting it on the curb for pick up, Jeannie rinsed off her new trowels and hung them up on the cork board then headed back to check out her hard work.

In only a few months, the leaves of the maple tree would turn red and add to the drama of the scene. Max did love his drama.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Jeannie leaned down and patted the soil.

“Sleep tight, Max. Sleep tight.”

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This is my entry for the WEP & IWSG August Challenge. Hope you enjoyed!

How about you? Any gardeners out there? Anyone use a garden for nefarious purposes lately? 

Rania Battany & Fleeting Moments

Please welcome Rania Battany to the blog today!

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Writing craft: Showing not telling.

We all know as writers that we need to show and not tell. If you struggle to understand the difference between the two, you can rest assured that you are not alone. Once it clicks, it seems simple. Until then, it can be daunting and confusing. 

Put simply, telling is exactly that: you are telling the reader how to feel and what to think. Telling usually uses fewer words and, to be blunt, requires less creativity. You are reporting the story to your reader, rather than trusting them to deduce the information for themselves.

Take the following example of telling vs showing

- Sally was happy.

- Sally’s eyes beamed. She smiled, and deep lines creased her cheeks.

Above, we are told that Sally is happy, but we do not feel any of her joy. In the below sentence, we are not specifically told how Sally is feeling, and yet we can gather from her beaming eyes and deep smile that she is happy.

Consider the following:

- John hurt Sally with his words.

- John’s words pierced Sally to her core. Her lips quivered, and her shoulders crumpled in towards her broken heart.

Not only can we feel how much John hurt Sally in the second example, but we become empathetic towards her, making us much more deeply invested in her pain. As authors, we want our readers to be invested in our characters. Showing allows the reader to paint the scene in their mind, encouraging them to come to conclusions for themselves. Showing also allows the reader to become a part of the experience. It takes them deeper into the character’s story, so that they feel what the character feels, see what they see, and experience what they experience. This deeper connection to the character enhances the reading journey and draws the reader into the world you’ve created.

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Rania Battany lives with her husband and three children in the beautiful Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia. When she isn’t getting her hands dirty in the garden, frolicking with her chickens or dog, or chasing after her three young children, she is writing contemporary romance novels that tug at the heartstrings or curled up with a cup of tea and a book.

Rania Battany on the web:

Website         Facebook         Instagram    Twitter 

Fleeting Moments

Maya is floundering. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, is isolated from family and friends, and her father—the only person that ever truly understood her—has been gone four years. When her boyfriend leaves her for another woman, the rocky foundations of Maya’s life crumble to dust, and she sinks even further into the pit of grief and despair.

Until she meets him. Sam. The one with the animated smile and gentle eyes, who always sees the positive no matter how bad the negative. And the one who reignites Maya’s passion through his enthusiasm and zest, helping to rebuild her life, piece by piece.

But when ghosts from Maya’s past resurface, her decisions almost destroy the few important relationships she has left, and the happiness she’s so recently found is threatened. She must overcome her demons and decide what matters most—the familiarity of the past, or the hope, love and possibilities of the future.

Buy on:

Amazon Kindle       Amazon Aust           Amazon UK

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Thanks, Rania! Beautiful cover for the book!

Those are great examples for showing rather than telling. How about you? Do you struggle to Show, not Tell? Do you like the round of editing where you search for those Tells and change them to Shows?

IWSG & Surprises!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

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August 7 question - Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you'd forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming?

As a pantser, I have to say my writing often surprises me.

It doesn't take much for a whole scene to take a swift turn and go in a whole new direction. Of course, with my romance stories, the happy ending won't change, but the path to get there is totally flexible!

I've also been surprised by a lot of my flash fiction stories. As a rule, I'm a happy and positive person. I write mostly contemporary romance which requires happy endings. But during flash fiction, I've been pulled in a lot of directions - not all of which are happy or upbeat.

And you know what?
They're so much fun!!!

Here's to more surprises in the future!

How about you? Do you like when your writing or reading takes an unexpected turn? Do you like those stories that are different than your norm?