Ruled by Intellect or Emotion? Tips on Word Choice #15

Love Bliss (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some words/phrases can induce fairly specific responses in readers. As writers, we all know this, but do we use the power of emotion in our work?

For these few weeks, I’m looking at something subjective: how to choose between emotional and intellectual words for effect. You won’t always agree with me, of course; you’re writers. But, hopefully, my suggestions will get the thought processes going.

In this series I’m looking at the difference between words that seem intellectual as opposed to those that evoke a more emotional response. How you use them is obviously up to you. The point is that the alternatives have the same, or very similar, meanings, but their effect upon the reader can be markedly different. I’ve made some suggestions here, but I’m sure you can think of others.

Intellectual: Contact You

Emotional: Write To You

‘We will contact you in writing to confirm the termination of your employment.’

‘I’ll write to you everyday, so you’ll know where I am and what I’m doing whilst we’re apart.’

Intellectual: Famine

Emotional: Hunger

The likelihood of devastating famine in much of Africa during the coming decades is increased by the effects of Global climate change.

‘I feel such hunger for you, for your body, for your touch, for your utter surrender to my desire.’

Intellectual: Ill

Emotional: Sick

‘The man is ill; that much is obvious. I expect we will have to terminate his employment, since we cannot afford to have idle hands on the payroll.’

‘I’m sick with longing for you. My every waking hour is haunted by my want of you.’

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• Ruled by Intellect or Emotion? Tips on Word Choice #14

Charley, by Shelby C. Jacobs, Reviewed.

Novels are works of fiction, by and large. But we can often learn from them, especially if some of the

subject matter is unfamiliar to us as readers. In this romance, I learned about aspects of American Basketball, the position and influence of the church on certain moral issues and the ways in which business might be conducted in the USA.

This is essentially a love story, employing an important theme with which I have sympathy: it discusses, through the interactions of its protagonists, the difference between lust and love. The eponymous Charley is a very strong female character and, in PJ, she is thrust, literally in certain passages, into the arms of a very strong male character. Their introduction, mutual exploration of sex and love, and their attempts to resolve the problems they face in getting together form the plot of the story.

I have to confess that much of the Basketball description went over my head. As a Brit, I have little knowledge of the sport and, with its own jargon, which is clearly understood by aficionados, I was often in the dark. But it wasn’t important, as the sports sequences are few and their content is more emblematic and symbolic than essential. I was able to grasp enough to understand the significance.

Similarly, although I’ve been involved in the business world, both as practitioner and in the role of tax collector, many of the practices exposed in the book were new to me. Of course, this is set in the southern states of the USA, so a degree of fraud and double-dealing was not unexpected. The author makes no moral judgement on the issues raised, but allows readers to come to their own conclusions, which is a stance I heartily applaud.

Also, as an agnostic, albeit raised on the rather loose moral standards of the Church of England, I’m not particularly sympathetic to the church movement as a whole. I felt the author managed very well to convey the inherent hypocrisy and self-imposed blindness of the protagonists as they allowed their actions to declare their true feelings whilst their words frequently hinted at more scriptural concerns. Again, it was left to readers to make their own judgements. In spite of the inclusion of scriptural references, I never felt I was being preached at.

The characters are drawn so well that it’s easy to get to know them and to feel with them. Since such empathy is an essential component of fiction for me, I was able to enjoy the read so much more. Written in the first person, and with occasional ‘mental asides’ that hint at the true state of mind of Charley, this complex and multi-layered piece of fiction reads easily, whilst challenging the reader to make certain judgements, sometimes only to discover that new facts must overturn those conclusions.

A really good read, this. The romance and erotic element will undoubtedly appeal more to women readers, whilst the other components will probably have a stronger appeal for those men who don’t generally read this genre. That sounds sexist, but I’m trying to point out that there’s something here for both genders. I have no qualms in recommending this novel.

Sylvia L. Ramsey, Interviewed.

Regular visitors will know that I ran a series of interviews on this blog, mostly with indie authors, and that, after 110 of these, I decided to give the series a rest. I haven't changed my mind, yet. But Sylvia's book is an exception because all proceeds are to go to charity and I support such generosity. So, here goes:

Hi Sylvia. I last interviewed you in January 2011, and you'd already published a number of books and had numerous short stories and poems appear in various literary journals. I gather you've a new book coming out. Would you tell us something about it, please?

Hello Stuart.  Yes, I have a new book, Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts. It is my fourth book,  and it was just released a couple of weeks ago. My newest book is a memoir, Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts, was inspired by a young man that has some very serious heart problems, and all the people I have met over the years as a teacher, mentor and a bladder cancer survivor. I have tried my best to encourage them, and to give them hope. To not give up on themselves or life. As I have traveled along life’s highway, I keep running into people who have let the rocks that have been thrown in their life’s road giving up on themselves, or life in general. The truth is that life is harsh, and it is not like the movies that give a false impression that it is smooth sailing. Being the hero that toughs it out and keeps on regardless of the situation is difficult, but with faith, it can be accomplished. It often takes a backbone, humor and a wishbone to survive it all.

Because of this, I decided to write a book to share my life’s experiences so that it may inspire someone to come back fighting when life knocks them down. The book is a journey though time from childhood to mature adulthood. The stories and poems in this book reflect the lows and highs of life. The loving memories, the hardships and the things we learn as we travel the road of life. It covers an abusive mother who had mental problems because of being abused as a child, childhood polio, a rocky marriage with a husband who was often abusive, the role of caregiving, death and grief, coping with bladder cancer, asthma, losing a home and more. Therefore, to not to scare you off with gloom and doom, there are funny stories along the way and an ending that I never dreamed would happen. My hope is that the book will bring about understanding to others, and be inspiring to even more. Our journey in life has a purpose, finding it is often the most difficult task of all.

You've had a number of serious problems to cope with in life; one of your supports through all this has been something you call 'faith'. As you know, I have a deep personal distrust of religious faith. Would you describe what you mean by 'faith'?

Regardless of what you believe or do not believe as far as "religious" faith is concerned, you must have faith in yourself that you can somehow overcome the various things that happen in life. Some call it perseverance and determination to not allow these things to conquer your spirit. I try never to use the word can't. I prefer to use the words: I may not know how, but I can learn. I will try, I may not be the absolute best at whatever it is...but I will try to do and be the best that is possible for me. Who knows what your best is unless you keep on trying. Giving up always equals failure. 

We've had similar responses, in one regard, to health issues that have come our way. In your case, research into bladder cancer has benefitted by your active support. I've done what I can for ME/CFS research in my quiet way. What drives you to continue with this support?

I know how important support is from others who have traveled the same road. Bladder cancer is one that has little in spite of the fact that it ranked 5th in prevalence. I have made it a personal goal for the past fifteen years to do my best to change this. When I speak with people who have just been diagnosed, I can hear the fear in their voices. They need someone to talk to that has experienced the same thing. They need someone to be able to talk to about their situation who understands. That was not available when I was diagnosed, or when I had my radical cystcectomy. Therefore, I decided to do what I had been taught as a child by my father: "I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something."

There are many ways in which individuals respond to adversity. Some fight, becoming aggressive and loud, some give up and succumb to whatever ails them, others take up the challenge in a more thoughtful and positive way. What do you think makes you respond so positively to the hardships that life's thrown your way?

I had two of the best role models, one was my father and the other was my grandmother. Another thing was my experience with polio at the age of four, and the time I spent in the hospital in a large ward with about sixteen other children. My bed was across from a little girl who had been in a fire, and her body was burned so badly. She never spoke the entire time I was there. There were only occasional moans. There were so many children there that were much worse off than me, that I could not feel sorry for myself. I wanted to get well and help others even at that time. I heard about the Red Cross and their drive to make people aware of polio. I started by helping to collect money for this cause as soon as I was able. I was one of the poster children. I talk about all this in my book.

So far, we've talked about you as the person. I'd like to know a little more about you as a writer. What made you decide to write, as opposed to any other creative activity?

Actually, writing isn't the only creative activity I indulge in, I also paint and sculpt. I love all the arts, and have participated in them. I directed a theatre program for sixteen years. I taught art and theatre courses. As far as my writing goes, that began when I was nine-years-old. I began writing news and feature articles for a small town newspaper in Southeast Missouri at the age of nine. Because of the nurturing and encouragement by the news editor, I developed a love and a need to write.

By the time I was working on my graduate degree, several of my poems, short stories and feature articles had been published. Since that time, over one hundred of my short stories and poems have found their way into literary magazines. I have been a featured poet in several literary journals over the years.

Do you have a favourite author? If so, who is it and what attracts you to their work?

That is a difficult question to answer because I have favorites in a variety of genre. In poetry, there are three, Frost, Millay, and a poem by Brecht, "To Posterity". Shakespeare's,  "King Lear" is one of my favorite plays. I read a lot of different types of books, and genre...so, it is an answer I do not have.

Do you have any advice for beginners in the field?

Keep writing, get as much feedback as you can get. Write enough to find your own voice. Listen to the feedback you get, but do not lose your voice. It is sometimes like painting, you may paint 60 or even a 100 before you get a good one. 

So many would-be writers have taken advantage of the ready availability of digital self-publishing, without first learning how to actually write. Have you anything to say about the proliferation of badly-written indie books?

I think this is something that comes with the territory of the new era. It can be unfortunate for the readers, and the good authors. Here again, I feel that before one publishes any work one needs some good critiques and to polish their work. 

When writing this particular book, how did you go about the actual process?

I was inspired to write this book because of seeing others give up on themselves, rather than do what was necessary to succeed. I began to write a rough draft lay-out of what I wanted to say, or put in the book. Then I wrote a draft of the book that was fairly brief. Before I continued, I asked a friend who is a professional writer to read it and tell me if I were wasting my time. He knows I respect his opinion, and I know he would be honest in his responses. I had my doubts because writing a memoir is so personal, and I really did not know if it would be something others would want to read. He liked where I was going with the book and encouraged me to continue. He, also, made suggestions that were a great help in how I developed the book. I began writing it once more. He read it again, and offered more suggestions. I did a re-write and added more. At that point, I was ready to get it proofed, and the next step what to make the required corrections. I was ready to make a decision on what to do with it. I weighed my options, and decided that since the proceeds from the book sales were going to the American Bladder Cancer Society plus I would have to market the book anyway to self-publish it.

You can find out more about me and or purchase the book at:

Purchase the book:

In the United States:

http://www.amazon.com/Sylvia-L-Ramsey/e/B002BMJ5NI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1326569308&sr=1-

In the UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_gnr_aps?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asylvia+l.+ramsey&keywords=sylvia+l.+ramsey&ie=UTF8&qid=1331910631

Website:

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=140046

Blog:

http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/

The American Bladder Cancer Society

https://www.bladdercancersupport.org

Author Interview with Kay Springsteen

Hello Kay, please tell us about you, as a writer.

I’ve written since childhood. When I ran out of things to read, I’d make up stories and write them in notebooks, later on the typewriter, then the computer. But I never pursued publication until this year. It was just more for fun. I love to craft stories in which the people have lots to overcome but in the end they ultimately win.

Your book ‘Elusive Echoes’, is a contemporary romantic suspense; perhaps you’d you give us some insight into it in a few sentences.

Sean and Melanie have been nearly constant companions since childhood, except for several years when she had been forced to live with relatives she hated. Those years scarred her and made it hard for Mel and Sean to reconnect. Now her past coming back in a big way.

How did you come to write this particular book?

This is actually a follow up book to my release from earlier this year, Lifeline Echoes, and is the story of THAT hero’s brother.

     Do you have a favourite character from the book? If so, who and why this particular one?

My favourite character in both the Echoes books is the heroes’ father, Justin. He’s kind of an amalgam of my parents and me as a parent to my own children. Imparts bits of wisdom throughout the stories, strong sense of right and wrong. But he can be counted on to give straight talk.

Where can people buy your books?

Available at: Astraea Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

What qualities does a writer need to be successful?

Availability to readers. If you don’t connect with readers on a more personal level, you can be the greatest writer in the world, but you’ll still fall short.

What’s your working method?

I have two part-time jobs aside from my writing, so a lot of time I work on my stories late into the night. It seems to work. No phone distractions, very peaceful (though I do write to music).

What’s the single biggest mistake made by beginner writers?

Not having an experienced critique partner or group and/or not listening to their advice. Writers don’t have to do everything every crit partner suggests, but I recommend if you don’t agree you talk it through and see where you and the partner can come to an agreement. If the crit partner doesn’t like it, find out the reasons.

To what extent are grammar and spelling important in writing?

They are 100% important. I am also an editor for a different press than where I write, and I see many mistakes that sometimes ruin a good manuscript.

How much do you revise your MS before sending it off?

I write a draft, then revise it. Then I submit to my critique partners and make revisions based on feedback. Then I re-read it and make further adjustments. Then I submit my work. After that, I listen to the content and line editors and make adjustments as they guide.

As a writer of sweet romance, contemporary romance and romantic suspense, to what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?

I edit a very high heat level but I got my break in publishing by writing sweet. It really doesn’t matter, the genre, so much as you enjoy what you write and you market to the readers who enjoy what you write.

Many authors see marketing as a bind. What's your opinion on this, and how do you deal with it?

I don’t do a ton of heavy marketing. I let readers know I’m out there, and when I have a new release but I don’t pressure others or harass them with my promotions. I do try to reach out to others through blog tours such as this and I open my own blog for others to visit.

What sort of displacement activities keep you from writing?

My “real job,” running errands, and housework are my least favourite time killers. Gardening, hiking with my dogs, playing with my granddaughter, and photography are things I love so I don’t mind stepping away from a story to participate.

What support, if any, do you receive from family and friends, or a writing group?

My friends and children are the most supportive ever! My daughters enjoy helping me plot and plan my stories.

Is presentation of the MS as important as agents and publishers suggest?

I believe it is, especially since I also work on the editing side of things. If you want to be taken seriously, be professional. Writing IS a profession. If you want to be successful in any profession, you put on the uniform. A banker doesn’t apply for a job wearing Bermuda shorts and sandals. An author shouldn’t apply to a publisher with a manuscript that is the equivalent of that.

How long does it take you to write a novel?

Depends on the novel. Usually about 1 month to a rough draft then 6 months to finish revisions and submission.

Who or what inspires your writing?

Everything around me. I people watch when I go out. I watch the news. I listen to music. And I talk to my family. All of these have potential to plant a seed that can and often does grow into a major story.

If there’s a single aspect of writing you find frustrating, what is it?

The muddle in the middle – just past introducing the characters but just before the first obstacle. When the characters don’t feel inspired, and seem to want to mill about aimlessly.

Is there a particular feature of writing that you really enjoy?

The hunt for the next plot.

Do you believe creative writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?

I think it’s a bit of both. But I believe the possession of innate talent inspires the desire to hone the craft. I feel this about any inspired art form.

What are you writing now?

A novel in the tradition of my debut novel, Heartsight, which is currently titled Heartcries.

Do you have a website or blog where readers can visit?

Interested people can find me at my blog http://kayspringsteen.wordpress.com/ and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kay-Springsteen-Author-of-Romance/143469035711422

Given unlimited resources, where would you do your writing?

I would probably buy an RV, pack up my pups, and roll out across the U.S. stopping when I found something interesting, and writing by voice recognition software. I do my best writing behind the wheel, but usually have to wait until I get to my computer before I can type what was “written” in my head.

Where do you actually write?

I write in my head almost constantly, anywhere I happen to be. But physically typing the story out, I sit at my desk in an office of my home.

Elusive Echoes - PG rated novel
(mild violence and mature themes but no graphic cursing or explicit sexual encounters)
They’re two people caught between friendship and something more; they can’t move forward, and they can’t let go.
Drawn together from early childhood, Sean McGee and Melanie Mitchell seemed destined for each other. But at age thirteen, Melanie was wrenched from the people she loved and forced onto a path she loathed. Sean was no stranger to people leaving, but losing Melanie devastated him. When she suddenly reappeared in Orson’s Folly, Sean was overjoyed. The Melanie who came home, though, wasn’t the same girl. She’s got a harder edge and she’s obviously hiding something, but Sean no longer knows how to reach her.

Returning to Orson's Folly as an adult, all Melanie wanted to do was forget the years she spent away. But she soon learned that going home didn’t mean she could return to her old life—or her childhood sweetheart, Sean. Even their mutual attraction to one another hasn’t rebuilt the bond of trust and closeness they once shared. It’s been seven years since she returned and now everything Melanie wants to forget has broadsided her. She must confront her demons and relive her past in an unexpected way or risk losing the only man she’s ever loved. But even if she succeeds, Sean might be lost to her anyway.

EXCERPT:

Mel sighed. She couldn’t remember a time since they’d been teenagers when she hadn’t wanted to be Sean’s girl. Yet they never seemed to get beyond a few heated kisses before he hightailed it in the opposite direction. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he really wanted to kiss her or if he was just being polite.

“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” As always she felt a little anxious about his answer, though she usually tried to cover her anxiety with an attitude of nonchalance.

He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek with one last warm hug. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and cast a sheepish glance her way. “Hope so.”

She breathed more easily when she caught his “yes” tell. He always seemed just a little on the shy side when he said yes to something that was important to him.

Sean waited for her to cross the parking lot again before he left. He probably didn’t know she routinely stood at the door and watched his taillights disappear. 

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Less or fewer?

Less or fewer?

The misuse of these two words is far more common than it need be, even at the hands of so-called professional journalists. The distinction is relatively straightforward and the mix-up probably results from the fact that we tend to use ‘less’ for more or less all situations.

‘Less’ should be used for quantities that cannot be counted. So, for example, concepts and qualities generally can’t be counted and you would say (or write) ‘less freedom’, ‘less love’, ‘less crime’ (when referring to the general activity rather than to the individual criminal acts).

‘Fewer’ is used for all situations where the items or objects can be counted. So you would write or say, ‘fewer privileges’, ‘fewer lovers’, ‘fewer murders’.

‘It took less time than Jennifer expected to get rid of Jeffrey and suddenly she had fewer lovers.’

‘Jeffrey was less concerned about Jennifer’s clothes than she was and he soon had her body covered by fewer garments.’

Think about it like this: if it’s possible to have a few of them, use ‘fewer’.

But, if you can’t count individual items, use ‘less’.

12 August 1981 – IBM launched the PC.

Pic: Ripening corn.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Jealousy or envy?

Jealousy: noun - overwhelming fear, suspicion, or belief one is, or might be, displaced in someone's affections; distrust of the faithfulness of a spouse or lover; of God - His intolerance of the worship of other gods (which has always struck me as an odd quality in a being supposed to be omniscient and almighty); resentment or envy of another person or his or her possible or actual success, advantage, or superiority; rivalry; concern or anxiety for the preservation or well-being of something or someone; vigilance or care in guarding something or someone.

Envy: noun - feeling of resentful or discontented longing aroused by another person's better fortune, situation.

As is so often the case with alternatives in English, its vocabulary culled from so many different languages, there is some overlap in the meanings of these two words. However, jealousy is generally used to convey the emotions felt in areas of possession and protection, and envy generally expresses a desire to actually have what the other person has (instead of them, rather than as well as).

‘One day, your insane and unfounded jealousy will drive a wedge between us, destroy all the love I feel for you, and send me out of your life for good.’

‘Mary guarded her new baby with that jealousy only the new mother knows.’

‘Derek was consumed by envy of his neighbour to the extent he plotted murder so that he might take all those things he thought the man had but didn’t deserve.’