Monday, April 1, 2013

A to Z Challenge: A is for Anger...AND...a Cover Reveal for Searching for Moore



Welcome to the 2013 A to Z Challenge!
First and foremost, a BIG thank you to A to Z founder, Arlee Bird.
Without you, none of this would be possible!

This year, I’m focusing on two themes:  Emotions and grammar,
depending on which letter we’re on each day.

I’ll be sharing mostly what I’ve learned about writing emotion into a novel, but I’ll also be throwing in a few key grammar lessons, pet peeves I’ve picked up while working as an editor.

Today’s an emotion day!

__________

A is for anger:  a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, hostility, or belligerence, typically aroused by a wrong.

There are many degrees of anger, and so, many ways in which to show it.  First you must figure out exactly how angry the character is.  And don’t overdo it.  Don’t use clichés such as “raging like a bull” or “angry as a wasp”.  And whatever you do, do not rely on exclamation points to get your emotion across!!!

First, try to use the character’s voice via dialogue, and I don’t mean screaming, but rather by the way he or she speaks, showing the movement from whatever emotion came prior then displaying the change, the difference in phrasing and tone in which they speak and the very words they use to do it.  This disparity will exemplify his turn in mood, as will adding certain traits we all exhibit when angered.

The obvious ones are a red face or gathering and lowering of the brow, a turned down mouth or stomping of the feet, or even a simple tensing of the body.  Using one of these with the proper words and tone is more than enough to display anger.  You can also describe a change in the eyes, how they tensed, glared, or seemed to turn hard.

Whatever physical traits and action the character models to show anger, it’s more effective to contrast it with whatever mood came before it.  And, as we all have typical ways in which we exhibit anger, be sure to be consistent with each character.

__________


But wait!  There's more!  Searching for Moore, actually.  Today is the big cover reveal for my friend and fellow author, Julie A. Richman's new novel, Searching for Moore!


Title: Searching for Moore
By: Julie A. Richman
Series: Needing Moore Series #1
Genre: Adult Romance, Chick Lit
Length: 318 Pages


Here's the lowdown: 


Attended by reality TV star wannabes and Southern California social climbers, Schooner Moore knows the party his wife is throwing for his forty-third birthday has little to do with him and everything to do with her social standing in Orange County. The evening turns out to hold more surprises than just his wife's Botoxed friends groping at his privates, when a conversation with his old college roommate, Beau, reveals the biggest surprise of the night.

Beau has had contact on Facebook with Mia Silver. Just hearing her name sends Schooner into a tailspin, as he is now just a Friend Request away from the one who got away when she disappeared without a goodbye, leaving him wondering why she left.

A serial failure at romance, Manhattan boutique ad agency owner, Mia, gets a blindside of her own when a Facebook Friend Request from first love, Schooner, appears in her email. Going with her gut reaction, Mia hits accept, propelling her past to catch up with her in a New York minute, as a forceful Schooner is determined to understand what tore them apart and to explore the possibility of a second chance at love.

From a 1980's Southern California college campus and a devastating first love to present day New York City, Searching for Moore explores how technology has eradicated the divide between our past and our present, and asks whether you would give up everything to reconnect with The One in a single keystroke?







So...are YOU doing the A to Z?  Interested in a little Moore?



32 comments:

M.J. Fifield said...

I am doing A to Z. I love your theme, and I'm really looking forward to reading your other posts.

Best of luck to Julie!

Nick Wilford said...

Great tips and I love the theme. I'm always searching for ways to portray emotion more effectively, so this is great!

Congrats to Julie! And hey, she's got an A in her name there too. :)

jp said...

Anger can indeed be a very strong emotion. Time taught me the best way not to lose my temper was not to have one.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations, Julie!
Anger can be displayed in silence, as when someone is giving the silent treatment or so angry that if he speaks, he'll explode.

Catherine Noble said...

Love this, Nancy! I also find it really effective when a character's (silent & moody) anger is portrayed by the way other people react around them when they realise they're angry. It can be quite chilling! Looking forward to reading the rest of your A to Z :)

Rhonda Albom said...

Love the writing tips, although I actually never heard angry as a wasp before this post.

Looking forward to what you do for B.
Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
AtoZ #42

JeffO said...

Good stuff, Nancy. And congrats to Julie!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great tips on anger and not doing them cliche. Thanks for sharing them.

Commonweeder said...

I am doing A to Z and am delighted to find so many fascinating new blogs. REading and Writing are very important to me. I have a few grammar peeves myself.

Anonymous said...

I stopped by as we are near each other on the A to Z Challenge list. Best of luck with the challenge :)

Mark Means said...

This post made me as angry as a wasp!!!!!!

Hehe..just kidding :) I'm looking forward to your theme...I can always use more writing tips.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I'm one of Alex's ninions this year, Nancy, but I figured it'd be a good start. Love your first post. I'm playing around with this very emotion in a scene in my WIP. As for Julie's book, love the play with words. The storyline sounds good. Wish her the best.

Donna L Martin said...

I very seldom get angry...have the patience of JOB...but watch out if you cross me or hurt my child! ;~)

Good luck with the challenge! I participated last year and had a blast!

Donna L Martin
www.donasdays.blogspot.com

Andrew Leon said...

I think things like, "He felt mad. He felt really, really mad," work best. I mean, what more is there to say than that? Okay, I suppose you could say, "He felt so mad he was angry."
:P

LD Masterson said...

Not doing the challenge but visiting as many as I can.

Congratulations, Julie.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Great post, Nancy. I look forward to all your tips!

Sounds like an interesting book, too!

Heather

Donna K. Weaver said...

Great choice for theme!

Unknown said...

Fun choice for a theme, Nancy and this book sounds amazing-- thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting! It's true that in the spur of the moment when writing, the first thing that comes to mind is a cliché. Thank goodness for editing!
Have fun with the A to Z challenge. I'm in too!
With great respect! A.

M Pax said...

Great lesson on showing and not telling :)

Congrats to Julia!

Rhonda Parrish said...

I just popped by via the Blogging from A to Z challenge :) I thought your blog about portraying emotion was well done and your friend's book sounds interesting.

Good luck with your challenge, and good luck to Julie with her book :)

~ Rhonda Parrish

klahanie said...

Hi Nancy,

Ah yes, varying degrees of anger. When I write, I actually become the characters. I've even played the part of cake before.

Very good of you to bring awareness of "Searching for Moore" by Julie Richman.

I think you realise I would never, ever participate in the A to Z. Satirise it, yes. Participate, no chance :)

Be well and enjoy the alphabet, Nancy.

Gary :)

Unknown said...

I love the theme! This is my first hop and already I'm learning so much!

Connie
I'm visiting from the A to Z Blog Challenge
Peanut Butter and Whine

Empty Nest Insider said...

It is easier to rely on the obvious ways of portraying anger, so I appreciate your more creative approach Nancy. Julie's book sounds like a fun read.

Julie

Laura Eno said...

Whaddya mean, I can't use !!!!!! to get my point across???? :)

Great theme. Emotions can be played exquisitely with a little thought and make the sentence so much better - the difference between so-so and fine writing.

Laura Eno – A Shift in Dimensions

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Aw, but I love exclamation marks!!!!! (can you tell?)

Love that cover!

S.P. Bowers said...

Hah, so funny to come and read this as my daughter has had anger issues today. She's not quite three. That should explain it. Several times she came up and said she was mad, or that she was mad at me. Once she walked up and said she was scared, when I asked her why she said it was because she was mad. Sigh.

Brinda said...

Hi Nancy, Julie's book sounds great. I'll check out her links!

Chuck said...

Now I know why your book is sooo good...you really know the depths of writing. At least that is what I have taken from all the writing posts you have put out there.

I would certainly let you read anything I might ever right and expect quality critiquing.

Sorry on one point...I am a HUGE grammar buster! hat may turn off some purists, but hey...I am a Thompson fan (yours and Hunter's).

Chuck at Apocalypse Now

cleemckenzie said...

Okay, Nancy, you're off to a great start on the A-Z! Nice that you could tie it in with a book launch, too!

Samantha May said...

Anger is definitely a major component of my WIP. I've avoided exclamation marks so far, but they're just so much fun!!!!!

:)

Clare said...

Excellent description of anger. I loved your advice of avoiding clichés and using one physical sign coupled with dialogue - choice of words, tone etc.