Describing Clothing

    Clothes can really be cool and useful in novels. They develop character description, setting portrayal, and even plot. Plus, both writing and reading the descriptions is fun!
    But haven't you ever found yourself describing characters' clothes in the same way? Articles of clothing, color, jewelry/tool. It's not a bad way to describe, but it might be better to have a wider variety of descriptions for various different outfits.
    So here are a few basic methods of describing clothing. Having a list to pick from and make different combinations with can be nice for experimenting.


The sky and the ocean are both blue,
but they have different shades of blue.


    Color. The world has a grand variety of colors. And each of those colors has its own array of shades and tones. When using a color to describe something, there are two ways to do it: by stating the basic color, or characterizing it by something of the same color. For example, you could write something like, "The jacket she had on was green," or you could write something like, "Her jacket was a dark foliage color." Coming up with a comparison helps picture an exact color, but it's also cool to just use a "basic" color and allow the reader to choose their own imagination.
    Texture. This isn't always easy to describe unless the character and/or the story is very involved with textile work, but describing what is seen and felt and even heard can give clues as to what makes up the uniform. Something soft, shimmery, and flowing can easily be silk, while something that resembles a sack of potatoes might be made of burlap. 

It's easy to imagine how knitted material feels.
Warm, sometimes starchy, and thick.

    Size and shape. This further develops character description. If their clothes fit them right, it shows their figure. Is the person tall, short, skinny, stocky? The suit can show it. Clothing can also show what a character does not look like. For example, a huge sweater would sag from the arms and  shoulders of someone who isn't very big. And when someone who isn't small is wearing small shoes, they would feel like the bloodflow to their toes is being cut off!
    Condition. Life affects clothing. A favorite jacket is going to be a little faded, with one or two stains, and maybe worn out or patched up at the elbows. Something brand new, on the other hand, is going to be brightly colored, stainless, and might still have a sort of department store smell. The form of wear and tear that clothes have can also depend on what the wearers do. A painter's jeans and tops would probably have some paint splatters on them, and a hiker would definitely have some grass and dust stains on their shoes and pants.
    The hem of the clothing. Usually this just serves creativity in imagining the characters. Does the hem of their dress or a cardigan flow? Is it bordered by a different color? It is made up of lace, or of stringy beads?
    The sleeves. More creative fun! Are the sleeves long and baggy? Short and puffy? Is the material tight enough around the arms for flexing muscles to be noticed?
    The collar. This can say something about the weather and culture of a society. Furry collars are good for cold terrains, and V-necks appropriate for summertime. Dresses with a long, stiff collar can be found in a past time period, and a collar made up of multicolored feathers can speak of an acquired taste.
    Buttons. Buttons can be very important--or, at least, interesting. The buttons of uniforms would probably be made of something sturdier and more metallic than plastic, while thin coin-like buttons are best for elegant things like cardigans. Big, chunky, colorful buttons can be stylish, and wooden buttons give off a sort of earthy feeling.
    Embellishments. Not lies, but decorative additions like embroidery, baubles, glitter, or even spray-paint. Sparkles are a popular trend for young girls' clothing, and baubles can be often found in knitted products. Some people spray-paint logos on plain T-shirts to advertise, or just because the silhouette is cool.
    So there are my thoughts. :) Do you like to write descriptions of clothing? Do you know a novel that does it really well?

Proverbs 16:24

 

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJ)

    Words are powerful. They can do great things on a grand scale, worldwide and within individual people. Good words are amazingly sweet, some of the most wonderful things in the world.
    And the most beautiful words among words? They're God's words, hands down. The words of the Lord are literally perfect, they are kind, they are beautiful, and they are wise. God's Word, His good news, is a brilliant light that leads and comforts. Hearing them, we can be refreshed.
    Is there a particular Bible verse you find marvelously sweet? One you hold close to your heart and often call to mind?  :)

Motivation

 
    Motivation. Everyone's got to have it in absolutely everything they do. Each and every person has a motivation to get out of bed in the morning--to get prepared for a long day, to go get breakfast, to make the alarm clock shut up. Both small and grand actions require motivation, a reason to do something. A purpose for the work.
    Purpose. What is our purpose? As the designed creations of a Creator? To please Him. To do what He made us for. When someone designs and builds a robot, it's expected to do as it was programmed and equipped for. So it's absolutely appropriate that our divine Creator receives the desired result from His successfully formed creations.
    The fact that serving the Lord is the right thing to do is a very good motivation indeed. But it's not our only one.
    Another factor in our motivation is that God has been so good to us, and we're grateful! He's rescued us and brought us into this fantastic relationship with Him. We've been given an ability to talk with God and to do things not only for but with Him.. These are awesome things! Gratefulness is a natural response that generates a motivation to serve.
    But that's still not all. There's at least one other point from which our motivation to serve God stems.
    Love. God loves us. And thanks to His grace, we can love Him back. Love is the strongest motivation of all, powerful enough to endure pretty much anything. Love was the Lord's motivation when He went to the cross; He saved humanity in His love, going through pain and humiliation for it. In response to this, we give love back to the Lord, give our hearts to Him, and serve with unselfish love. Love for God, and love for all people.
    Respect for God, gratitude for God, and love for God. These all combine for a sole motivation to serve and please the Lord: the Lord Himself! He is our motivation. This motivation gives us strength when we're tired, endurance when life gets difficult, and comfort when we need it most. He keeps us going when the road gets rocky.
    Motivation. Isn't it a wonderful thing?

Writing Games: Rewriting the Day!

Doing this writing challenge, one could say that this beautiful tree is
metallic, its usual sheen waning as the horizon swallows up the sun.

    Do you ever write down a specific moment in life like it's a scene in a book? It's a great way to preserve memories and to remember a different time. And it presents an interesting writing game.
    Try to remember a specific moment in life (special or ordinary) and how it could be written as a short scene. Then write it with one major difference: change the setting from the real world to a fantasy or science fiction one!
    Who hasn't ever wanted to live in a different setting like that for a little while? Enchanting countryside castles, floating cities, towns with local superheroes. Those places sound awesome! Rewriting a moment with this kind of backdrop makes it possible to be there in a way.  With the actions in the scene being things you actually did, it makes it easier to picture. Reading a scene like this can make a person feel like they're actually there, or that they were there.
    In history class, you could be listening to a hologram teacher while scribbling notes onto a tablet. You could be serenely watching the sunset with your friend through the window of a castle tower. On a public bus, you could watch the passenger in front of you, the cyborg adjusting his hand. Sitting in the park, you could be listening to the birds and to the singing flowers. Just about anything is possible in writing.
    Do you like writing prompts like this?

Hebrews 12:1

 

 

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin with so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJ)

    With the Olympics happening, this verse easily comes to mind, doesn't it?
    One of the reasons this verse is really awesome is because of the comparison of our living life as Christians to running a long race. The simile is both cool and accurate; life with the Lord is sweet, but it isn't a cakewalk! It takes diligent effort to stay on track. "Run the race" is also a great encouragement to live as fully for Christ as possible, to give things our all, and to keep going until we reach the grand finish line!
    What do you like about this verse?

Libraries!

    Libraries. Man, are they awesome things!
    Be they public buildings stuffed with books and computers, or a small personal collection of books on a shelf or bookcase, there are so many awesome blessings in having one available.
    Knowledge is a no-brainer. Books are ideal ways to learn a new skill when you can't afford a tutor. Even fiction books can have enough information to learn a lot about a particular topic (or to spark a strong interest in it).
    Adventure is another great thing about having a library to go to. Novels are amazingly potent things that can take you to real or imaginary places to do incredible things and achieve a magnificent goal. A novel can take hours to read; hours of fun, excitement, and healthy thrills. Both moral and practical lessons can also be learned from a great story, and lessons learned in this way can be really easy to remember.
    A library is also a nice place to study. With tables and multiple shelves of resources, sitting down to work is easy and even comfortable. Libraries also tend to have a very quiet environment, which makes it easier to think as opposed to, perhaps, a public park or a bus ride environment.
    Not to mention the fact that a library is a great place to hang out with friends. Some public libraries host community events to bring like people together and have fun. There are book clubs, young adult groups, city-wide holiday events, and a network of volunteers. With places to sit and books to chat about (quietly), it's a fantastic area to improve friendships and have fun.
    Of course, all of these benefits can be found in a household library too, even if it's just one or two shelves of books. If there's a chair or two in the room, a person can sit and chat with a friend or family member. If not, then one can stand and chat. Adventure and information lies in every book, and the little area can be a cozy nook to work or relax in.
    Don't you adore libraries? Do you go to one often? :)

A Few Ways to Research

    Researching. I never really considered how important it is to do this before beginning to write a story. Sure, you've got to know a thing or two and eventually have it all laid out in that final draft. But why put off writing the amazing story idea to study? Couldn't you just skip it at first and figure out the information as you go along? Couldn't you add it while writing the first draft?
    Yes, one can do that. I tried it, but it ended up taking me over a year to finish that manuscript with the proper research, and when I eventually go back to edit it, there'll undoubtedly be a whole lot of inconsistencies.
    Not that something like this will happen to everyone who doesn't take days to research. But still, taking at least a few hours to diligently learn about subjects in the story (like technology or climate or diseases) would probably be a good idea. Here are a few of my own ideas of how to research for a story:
    Books. There's nothing like 'em! Longer than articles and dedicated solely to one subject, it's a valuable resource to read and reread. When one goes to the library in search of books, they can find numerous different books on the subject, a wider variety of useful facts. And if one actually owns a book on the subject, they can annotate it and highlight key portions, which makes finding the information again easier.
    The Internet. The Internet can be such a well of knowledge. Doctors, engineers, scientists, historians, and other experts publish articles and have blogs on which they provide priceless information. Though on the other hand, there are a bunch of things posted on the Internet that aren't true, written by people with serious misconceptions. Articles or statements that don't cite sources or mention anything that authorizes the information might not be accurate. And of course, while the Internet is a well of knowledge, it is also the home of an abundance of ways to get distracted for hours. Self-discipline might need to be exercised in order to stay on track.
    A similar novel or movie. This method of research is fun! Watching and re-watching a cool movie, reading and re-reading an awesome novel, writing and thinking about them while taking notes . . . There is a lot that a person can learn by analyzing a similar work. Dialogue in accordance to genre, sequence of events, character relationships, and lines or moments that were memorable are all useful to have in mind while writing. Of course, in this form of research, a person has to be careful to not copy the other work, or to think more about the published work than their own story. Then the similar work becomes a distraction instead of something to learn from.
    Field trip! Field trips are basically when a person plans a small excursion either to a place  or to focus on an activity. If there's a woodland setting in the story, and there's a forest-like park near where you live, you can take a walk there. It'll be a great opportunity to write a description of the setting, or even to record part of the walk for future reference. As for the other field trip method, it can be done almost anywhere as long as the necessary materials are there. If you have a character who makes or uses a paracord in the story, you can get instructions and a few ropes and learn to make one. The experience can give vital information that one wouldn't have thought about if they'd never done it themselves (like in the paracord example; usually you have to solder the ends of the rope to keep the completed cord from unraveling, and soldering isn't something anyone can do at any time).
   Find an expert and chat. This might not always be doable (particularly when the subject or research is a little out-of-the-ordinary, like daily life in the 1800s), but if you can find someone who knows a thing or two about the subject, their knowledge is pure gold. Taking notes is a must, but since a person usually can't write as fast as one can talk, recording the conversation (with permission) is ideal.
    Taking notes throughout the whole research process is important, and so is keeping them organized. Because what good are twenty pages of notes if you can't find them? It might help to have a folder to hold all of the research information, and a place to put that folder so that it won't get lost.
    So there are my thoughts. What do you think? Have you ever undertaken a period of research before diving into writing an awesome story?