Wonderful Prose

"It was early spring, and the night was cool but not chilly.  There was a fragrance in the air, washing down over the city from the high meadows in the mountain behind Riva and mingling with peat smoke and the salty tangy sea."
- David Eddings' Castle of Wizardy: Book Four of The Belgariad

Wonderful prose!  One of my favorite descriptive passages from Eddings' series and this book.  I know it is not unusual for a writer to be his or her own worst critic.  I happen to like a lot of what I write or otherwise I wouldn't write it... right?  Right, well of course there are times when I get frustrated and seem unable to find the right words to describe the scene I have in my mind and in my imagination.  Usually I will then take a short break, take some conscious breaths, and sit in my setting without the stress of trying to describe it to someone.

If you really think about it we do this as human beings everyday practically.  Take a look around your current setting/environment and what do you see?  An office?  An apartment?  A bedroom?  A park?  A cave?  Whatever it may be, we see it and sit in it but hardly take the time to appreciate it.  Can you describe your setting?  Can you describe your setting with your eyes closed?

I know a few friends and family members who are writing but find trouble with this.  For me it is particularly challenging because my worlds and settings are not real and in fact stretch the limits of ones imagination.  Making it real and believable is as simple to me as touching back on some of those memories of places I'd visited as a small child, when everything was new and mysterious, and conjuring up that feeling:

John and the others awakened to the callings of the forest creatures along with the rising of the sun.  The morning dew did not penetrate the home of Waya but instead gave a hint of moisture in the air.  Within the towering sequoia tree was a sweet smell of wood and sap that provided a feeling of peace and protection.  Gawonisgi advised them to set out early so that they made it to the Starlight Queendom in time to catch the officials.  He said that they were diurnal in nature like most magically endowed beings.
 -The Mechanical Room by Nevada Wolf 

This is one of my favorite pieces of prose from my book The Mechanical Room.  I conjured up old memories of waking up in my great grandmother's home (may she rest in peace) on the weekend with daylight breaking through.  When I combined this memory with the memories of being in what seemed like a forest in her backyard (when it was actually just a backyard) and sprinkled it with a bit of magic... that was how I got my scene, and to me it was perfect.

I may not know what peat smoke is, but I know what smoke is and I can use my imagination for the rest.  Many might not know what a sequoia tree is (especially those outside of California), but I bet they know what a tree is and the imagination does the rest.  I try not to get caught up too much on writing for others and instead I write for myself, and what sparks warmth in my heart may touch the hearts of others around the world if I am lucky.

Happy Holidays to everyone!