Happy Friday Everyone! I’m really glad to be back. I missed my last Friday Tool Post due to a really painful, weird issue with my jaw bone. We all get older but we have a general idea of what to expect such as arthritis and our hair going gray, but nowhere in the aging manual did it say pieces of ageing, dead bones in your jaw will work themselves out through your gums and then break off. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Thankfully the situation has calmed down a bit.
Okay back to the title of the blog, The Power of Imagery. I have many tools that I use to help with my craft such as books on grammar, plot, character development etc. These tools help me improve the technical aspect of my writing, but how does one dream up those characters and settings for a new fantasy world? I’ve shared that I use Pinterest to help me visualize how my characters look in my mind but there are other types of imagery that really helps me place those characters into the world I’ve built. They even help me get a feel for who they are, and a few times I dreamt up crazy new species.
After the idea of Lorelei was created in my mind I started looking to build the world. Pictures of scenery from different places is a priceless tool for me in this manner. My first attempt to find these pictures, this was before Pinterest, was a national geographic book with some gorgeous pictures. This picture was the very first that I used to daydream of Lorelei and where she lived.
I would sit and stare at this picture, clearing my mind and allowing it to take me somewhere new. I would imagine the sound of the river flowing, taking note of how calming that sound is. I noticed that the trees had very little foliage and the coloring was gray and not a vibrant green. Maybe the seasons were changing toward winter. This area also feels very remote. Somewhere you could get away from the commotion and reflect. From this picture I decided I wanted a setting in her first book that took place during the middle to end of winter. This would be her place to reflect when she was struggling through her trials. I even allowed my mind to wander into her thoughts. What issues was she trying to deal with? Why does this place help her? Is there another connection to this place that means something to her?
Another example is this picture of an odd looking tree.
I had never seen a tree like this. I wondered what kind of tree is it? Why do the branches wind around like that? Is it because other trees around it have blocked out the light? Why are all of the leaves at the top? Is the season fall, making the leaves this color or is this the normal year round color? If so then why? The questions ran widely in my head, and I let them. No question was stupid or too far fetched, or had to follow the rules of our world. From this picture I created a tree for my book called the hanguri tree. When you read the book, Rise of the Winged Assassin, you will be surprised at what my free mind came up with.
Doe you allow yourself to dream through pictures and art? If you haven’t tried it I encourage you to. Turn off the TV or any other distractions, close your eyes to quiet your mind and then open them and allow the picture to take you somewhere new.
Next Time I will share with you the power that music has on my writing and share how they translate into character development and even plot points.
Until Then Write Well and Prosper!