The most popular books and movies of all time all have one thing in common: They transport audiences better than other books and movies in their genre….. David Farland in his advice to writer’s column.
The sense of wonder is an amazing thing. I was reminded of this when
I went through some books that my grandson was giving away in an effort to clear off his book shelves. Many of the books were about magic and new worlds.
The point I’m making is that really enjoyable books transport the reader to another place. That is done by appealing to one’s emotions. A reader is pulled deep into a book or movie and the reader feels the increased heartbeat, the rush of adrenaline, the hurry through the words to find out what happens to the characters. But, wait, these are not ordinary characters. These people are friends and family—we know them, we care about them.
That’s what I’ve been trying to create in the last scenes of the next Nightingale book. That’s also the reason why I have so many readers when I write about food.
People who read about Southern cooking remember their own meals and family and special moments.
Right now, I’m hungry for cream of wheat (or oatmeal) with brown sugar or maple syrup. That was often the breakfast before going out to get on a cold school bus. The house was cold because the fireplace couldn’t warm up quickly. But with my belly full of warm food and surrounded by love, I could conquer the world—at least for a few minutes.
Photo from Unsplash by Patrick Fore