Flexing Novel-Writing Muscles

By Norma Jean Lutz

Toned and Honed for Swimming

I was reading an article in our local small town newspaper recently about a high school student who was making significant wins in swimming competition. The article explained that this young lady swims two hours every day at her high school pool. Then a couple days a week, she travels twenty miles to where her coach is located for more intense, concentrated training.

It’s obvious this young student’s mind and her body are toned and honed for swimming. She probably dreams about swimming.

Ways to Tone Writing Muscles

As novelists, we too should be constantly looking for ways to flex and tone our writing muscles. This might include our powers of concentration, our skills for keen observation, our wild flights of imagination, and so on.

One of the ways to do that is to set a goal of jotting down observations on a regular and consistent basis. (You do have an idea notebook, right? Either paper or computer – that’s irrelevant.)

Outside My Window

As I am writing this blog, it is the mere beginning of spring. (My favorite season, by the way.) Outside my home-office windows are large shade trees. The tree nearest the window is showing tiny slips of green leaves that are bravely emerging. Thoughts of spring create in me dreamy, nostalgic emotions.

I grew up in eastern Kansas where large shade trees were part of my everyday life. Trees to me are a symbol of strength, stamina, and consistency. There was a wooded area behind our home which was located at the edge of our small town. I spent a good deal of time in those woods in all seasons. I vividly recall the sights and aromas of the place.

Now stop and imagine with me. What if spring were the time of year when a loved one died. Or if it were the time of year when love had been betrayed in years past? Now what emotions surface?

What Emotions are Stirred

See where I’m going? See what I’m doing? When you are actively observing, don’t jot down only what you see, but also add what you feel. What emotions are stirred and brought into play?

Each one of your characters will have his and her own set of emotions which causes a certain reaction either in words or actions. As you observe, be sure to make a connection with an emotion (or emotions).

This is just one exercise in which you can flex and tone up your novel-writing muscles. Once you begin, you will come up with many others.

Describing Scenes

In the early years of my writing career, I had a writer friend who started every writing day by taking a scenic calendar (pre-computer days) and laying it on her desk. From there she proceeded to describe the scene. That habit, she insisted, was what set her creative gears into motion.

If I were to jump in the swimming pool and swim alongside the young lady mentioned above, it would instantly be apparent who had been practicing and training and who had not.

When you jump into your novel, you will quickly find out what kind of shape your writing muscles are in.

What are some of the writer-muscle-toning exercises you incorporate on a regular basis?

Oklahoman Norma Jean Lutz, is an author, speaker, writing instructor, and novel critique consultant. Author of more than 50 published books, she’s been in the writing/publishing industry for more than 30 years. http://www.beanovelist.com/index.html

Now just launched and live! The “Be A Novelist Six-Month, Finish-My-Novel Challenge.” Not your typical novel-writing course. Guaranteed to light a fire under your novel-writing attempts and to launch you into a pattern of consistent writing! Enrollment is limited. [http://www.beanovelist.com/finish-my-novel.html]Click HERE for all course details! As Norma Jean says, “I love to teach writing almost as much as I love to write!”

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