The Sense-ible Writer

The Sense-ible Writer

Nadene R. Carter

Published by NorLightsPress at Smashwords

Copyright (C) 2007 by Nadene R. Carter

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Acknowledgement

First, a big thank you to my editor, Sammie Justesen.

Another thank you goes to Suzette Haden Elgin, PhD for her research and study into the various learning styles and sensory modes. I've made a special effort to incorporate the visual, tactile, and auditory modes into this workbook to make this material useful to all writers.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Learning Styles, Sensory Modes

Chapter 2 - You as Writer-Author

Chapter 3 - Prepare for Your Writing Journey

Chapter 4 - Find A Marketable Idea

Chapter 5 - Structure Your Novel

Chapter 6 - Build Believable Characters

Chapter 7 - Plot Your Course

Chapter 8 - Expand Your Plot 6

Chapter 9 - Control Point of View

Chapter 10 - Explore Show Versus Tell

Chapter 11 - Create Believable Dialogue

Chapter 12 - Control Internal Monologue

Chapter 13 - Use Narration Wisely

Chapter 14 - Build Conflict

Chapter 15 - Create Suspense

Chapter 16 - Identify Pacing Problems

Chapter 17 - Discover Your Theme

Chapter 18 - Develop Your Voice and Tone

Chapter 19 - Map Your Scenes

Chapter 20 - Write Your Scenes

Chapter 21 - Format Your Manuscript

Chapter 22 - Revise Your Manuscript

Appendix A - Character Development Form

Character Profile

Appendix B - Scene Development Form

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Chapter 1 - Learning Styles, Sensory Modes

My purpose in creating this workbook is to provide a roadmap for those who hunger to write fiction. Rather than following the so-called rules of writing, I present principles of writing based on concepts rather than rules.

To make this an effective learning experience for a broad range of individuals, I've created material specifically for the various learning styles and sensory modes. By applying these concepts to the teaching/ learning process, I hope to make the elements of fiction writing more understandable. The three modes by which humans perceive their world are through the visual, the auditory, and the tactile.

The Visual Learner

The person whose major mode is visual learns through his eyes: reading from the printed page, studying charts and graphs, looking at pictures, or watching a video.

The Auditory Learner

This person learns primarily through hearing. He focuses his greatest attention on the spoken word, he hears and pays attention to the sounds around him. Some may want music playing in the background. A person who best acquires knowledge through listening may find it helpful to read the material from each of these lessons into a recording device, and then play it back as many times as necessary to learn the concepts taught in each lesson.

The Tactile Learner

This person perceives his world through the sense of touch. He runs a hand across a surface to experience the roughness or smoothness, explores an object by holding it in his hand, reads by following a line of text or the path of a graph or a chart with his finger.

Clues to a Person's Preferred Sensory Mode

Once you become aware of the various sensory modes, it becomes easy to pick up clues as to an individual's preferred mode by the words he chooses to say. Let's set up a hypothetical situation where someone has committed a social blunder--unintentional, of course--but he is concerned about how he might be perceived by others in the group.

A person who experiences his world visually may say, Did that make me look bad?

The person who experiences the world through his sense of touch will likely say, I don't feel good about what I said?

The auditory person might say, Did that sound as bad as I think it did?

I present this information here to get you thinking about how you might use the various modes in creating your characters. On the one hand, if you create characters with differing sensory modes, you also create opportunities for misunderstandings and conflict. Conversely, you may need two characters who are in tune and complementary in personality. In that case, they will need similar sensory modes.

Your quest to become a fiction writer should begin by listening carefully to the words people use and the way in which they say them. If you can identify which mode a person uses, the easier you can communicate with him. Additionally, if you find it difficult to communicate with someone, pay special attention to the words he uses. Likely, each of you is operating from a different sensory mode and probably talking right past each other.

Mixed Learning Styles

Some people lean heavily toward one learning style, while others employ a mixture of two. One mode is usually dominant, with others in secondary or helping positions.

For example, the visual learner may also use the tactile as a helper. It could manifest itself like this: A person is reading material that he needs to remember (use of the visual mode). He might take notes, or maybe underline or highlight important information in the text (use of the tactile mode as backup) to reinforce his learning.

The auditory learner might also use the tactile in the same way as the visual learner. During a lecture (use of auditory mode), instead of relying completely on learning the information through his ears, he may take notes (use of tactile mode) to reinforce what he has heard.

The tactile learner will need his hands to be doing something during a lecture. To reinforce the information, he may take notes or outline the information, but he may never need to look at his notes again, because the very act of doing something with his hands during the learning process makes it easier for this person to assimilate the information. The tactile learner will also likely find it helpful to have something in his hands while reading from the printed page--something as simple as a holding a pencil or playing with a paperclip can help.

Once aware of the various learning styles and sensory modes, you will notice the different ways people use the various combinations.

Identify Your Learning Style Questionnaire

Immediately following this Chapter 1 introductory material, I have included a questionnaire to help you identify your learning style(s). This will help you identify how you learn, so you can employ those methods best suited to the way you learn.

A Note to the Student

As you progress through this workbook, you will learn the basics of fiction writing by studying the concepts presented in each chapter. If you go a step further and do the assigned work, you may come away with a first draft of a novel. To succeed in a long-term project such as this, you'll need single-mindedness and dedication. Immerse yourself in learning. Work on your writing every day. Train your subconscious to take over when the conscious mind becomes tired, and think about your story before you go to sleep at night. Amazing things can happen while you sleep.

NOTE: If you ignore your novel for even a week, you may need several days to immerse yourself in the story before you can again move forward with the project. Creativity is like a muscle. If you don't use it, your writing skills will atrophy and eventually become useless. Don't let that happen to you.

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Learning Style Questionnaire for Writers

Through the senses of sight, taste, sound, touch, and smell, humans learn about their environment. As young children, we rely on these senses to get to know our world, and each of us establish a learning pattern unique to our own needs.

Below, I present the Barsch Learning Style Inventory, created by Jeffrey Barsch, Ed. D. It provides a tool for writers to not only understand their own learning styles and sensory modes, but also as a tool writers can use to develop characters with more realistic interaction patterns.

Instructions

Read each numbered question carefully and place a checkmark in only one of the blanks labeled Often, Sometimes, Seldom. There are no right or wrong answers. This questionnaire is for your own benefit to understand your preferred learning style/sensory mode.

1. I can remember more about a subject through listening than reading.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

2. I follow written directions better than oral directions.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

3. I like to write things down or take notes for later review.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

4. I bear down extremely hard with pen or pencil when writing.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

5. I need oral explanations of charts, diagrams, graphs, or other visual materials.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

6. I enjoy working with tools.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

7. I am skillful with, and enjoy developing or making, charts, graphs, and diagrams.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

8. I can tell if sounds match when presented with a pair of sounds.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

9. I remember best by writing things down several times.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

10. I can easily understand and follow directions on maps.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

11. I do better at academic subjects by listening to lectures and tapes.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

12. I play with coins or keys in my pockets or fidget with objects in my hands.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

13. I learn to spell better by repeating the letters out loud than by writing the word on paper.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

14. I can better understand a news article by reading it in the paper than by listening to the radio.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

15. I like to chew gum, smoke, or snack while studying.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

16. I remember best by picturing it in my head.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

17. I learn spelling by tracing or finger spelling the words.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

18. I would rather listen to a good lecture or speech than read about the same material in a textbook.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

19. I am good at working and solving jigsaw puzzles, mazes, etc.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

20. I like to grip objects in my hands during study periods.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

21. I prefer to listen to the news on the radio rather than reading about it in the newspaper.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

22. I obtain information on an interesting subject by reading relevant materials.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

23. I feel comfortable touching others, hugging, handshaking, etc.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

24. I can follow spoken directions better than written ones.

Often______ Sometimes______ Seldom______

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How To Enter Your Scores

Often = 5 points

Sometimes = 3 points

Seldom = 1 point

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Transfer the point value from each numbered question on the previous pages to the corresponding item number below. For example, if you responded to question number one with a Sometimes, then place a three (3) beside the No. 1 in the middle column below. After you have completed this task, total the scores under each heading.

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__VISUAL__ - __AUDITORY__ - __TACTILE

Points - Points - Points

2.______1. ______4. ______

3. ______5. ______6. ______

7. ______8. ______9. ______

10. ______11. ______12. ______

14. ______13. ______15. ______

16. ______18. ______17. ______

20. ______21. ______19. ______

22. ______24. ______23. ______

Totals_______ - _______ - _______

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The Visual Learner

General Characteristics

With his highest score under Visual, this person likes to read things thoroughly, is usually a quiet individual, prefers an organized environment, and organizes projects by visualizing the various components, elements, or necessary steps. He usually notices when something is new or different in his environment. When choosing a book or magazine, the cover image or illustration will have great influence on this individual. During a learning session, he will retain more when visual aids are used in the presentation.

Distinguishing Clues to This Sensory Type

This person often closes his eyes when trying to remember something. This is an attempt to shut out the visual distractions in the environment, so he can try to picture in his mind what he is attempting to remember. When explaining a work project to others, this person will create visual aids, flow charts or diagrams to put his points across to others.

How to Use This Information

The person who scores high for the visual learning style will benefit from reading study material more than one time. Where possible, utilize charts, maps, notes, and flashcards to help retain the studied material. Practice visualizing the material in your head.

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The Auditory Learner

General Characteristics

This person has the highest score under Auditory. He learns best by listening. When his environment is quiet, the need for sound of some kind may be overwhelming. Those individuals who prefer this learning style might hum or talk to themselves; they like music or rhythm of some kind in the background and study well in this environment. Often, they are good oral readers, but are slow silent readers because they tend to mouth the words. When listening to one thing, this person may easily be distracted by other sounds around him, because he will want to respond to all sounds. He prefers to talk through problems with another person; he often thinks out loud. He may have difficulty understanding and interpreting visual information--maps, flow charts, diagrams--unless clear verbal interpretation is also provided.

Distinguishing Clues to This Sensory Type

When this type of person wants to remember something,