Cheyenne McCray - Writers Secret Weapon: Reference Guide

You might have written yourself into a corner, met a roadblock, or wondered what comes next. Perhaps you need ideas to get you started on creating your character profiles, refining your plot, or giving your protagonist motivation. Heres where you can find that and more! As writers with a combined forty years of experience, weve been right where you are. Weve each had days where the words fly, and others where weve faced frustration with not a creative spark in sight. At some point all of us find ourselves staring at a page, needing some kind of idea to help us move forward. Maybe its a career choice in a certain field, or you could need an unusual name, or even a nickname, or perhaps its a type of weapon you would like to use in a scene.

We touch on a number of areas for quick ideas to get you going. What is Writers Secret Weapon? Its an idea sparker, a way to add to your story. With this book, youll not only learn great tips for writers, but you will also find lists of quick ideas for story components that will keep you going at any point during the writing processin the middle of writing your novel, just starting your outline, putting together your character biographies, trying to meet a deadline, or stuck with writers block. Wherever you find yourself, WSW can help. Writers Secret Weapon is for all fiction writers. We all know how to Google, but many times we dont know where to start to get to that idea.

This guide can save you hours of searching and going down rabbit holes when you should be writing instead. We wrote a book we would have liked to have earlier in our own careers, and to use now. We believe this guide will spur you on in your writing career. About the authors: Cheyenne McCray fell in love with reading and writing early, deciding in kindergarten that one day she would become an author. Today, she is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction author whos sold millions of print and electronic, traditionally and indie published books worldwide. Having published more than 100 novels and novellas in contemporary and paranormal romance, urban fantasy and romantic suspense, she is currently kicking off a new chapter in her career, writing cozy mysteries as Deb Ries.

During her 20-year career, Chey has read an enormous amount, gone to and given countless workshops, been on numerous panels, taken many classes, and attended multiple conferences. She believes you can walk away from any form of education having learned something new. Whatever your skill level, you might try out a new idea and find it takes your career to a new level. Chey has mentored numerous authors and believes in paying it forward. She hopes you will find ideas here that spark your imagination and let it fly! After working in the corporate world as an accountant, H.D. Thomson changed her focus to one of her passionsbooks.

She owned and operated an online bookstore for several years, and now writes romantic suspense, paranormal, and contemporary romance featuring tortured heroes and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. She has spent years learning the craft, experiencing and adapting to mammoth changes in the writing industry, and her books have won and finaled in numerous competitions, including the RWAs Golden Heart, Suzannah, and Emily contests. She also owns and operates Bella Media Management, which specializes in websites, video trailers, eBook conversion, and promotional resources for authors and small businesses. Having focused on numerous tools and techniques to get a book published, shes spoken at workshops on covers, formatting, social media, and the general writing industry. H.D. From the authors: We believe you will find Writers Secret Weapon useful to get you over a hurdle, break through a mental barrier, or trigger your creativity. From the authors: We believe you will find Writers Secret Weapon useful to get you over a hurdle, break through a mental barrier, or trigger your creativity.

If you have any questions or feedback, or think of anything youd like to see included in the next edition, feel free to email us at BellaMediaManagement@gmail.com. Thanks for joining the Writers Secret Weapon family, and enjoy the ride in your own writing career! Cheyenne and H.D. IMAGERY When a reader is swept up in a novel and is so engrossed in the story that they forget their surroundings, imagery is involved. There are seven types of imagery: visual (sight), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (feeling of movement), and organic (feeling through actions). Imagery is powerful. Be specific and vivid, and include all the senses when feasible. Help your readers create the scene in their own mind.

Look back at those times youve tried to describe a scene to someone elseits more than action, more than a picture. The scene has multiple layers. Organic imagery is probably the hardest to explain. Through the characters actions, the writer reveals what this person is feeling. When your heroine is exhausted, imagery can be conveyed by her sliding deeper into the sofa, bowing her head, or rubbing at her brow. Smell is tied to olfactory imagery.

This is where the author conveys scent in a scene. Pungent examples are gardenias, garlic, and gasoline. In H.D.s novel, Identity, she uses olfactory imagery. Scent is probably the most powerful imagery to connect to the memories and the past. As Skye washed her hands, the scent of the womans toothpaste assailed her senses.Peppermint.The smell drove a wave of anxiety through her body. Peppermint.

That smell. She hated it, couldnt rid herself of the odor as it clung to her nose. She forced air in and out of her lungs.A picture flared in her minds eye. Her hands gripped the arms of a chair from her past. Metal clamps kept her wrists tied to the leather. A person stood to her right and along her peripheral vision. Kinesthetic imagery involves movement and is used in poetry to create actions.

It can either be through an object or character. Words and action are tied together. A simple example is when you have your character twirl on the lawn and moonlight illuminates the blades of grass beneath her bare feet. In Hidden Prey from Cheyenne McCray, she uses tactile and kinesthetic in the following example: Tori groaned, her mind spinning with pain and confusion. She felt dizzy and unable to form a coherent thought.Her whole body ached and stung and it hurt to breathe. She tried to raise her head, but pain lanced her skull and she clasped her head with her hands.Tori lay on something hard and cold, the chill seeping through her body.