No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - December 2023
a newsletter and voiceover podcast by Poet Laureate Wendy Van Camp
Welcome to the monthly No Wasted Ink Newsletter and Ramblecast. My name is Wendy Van Camp and I’m the Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter and ramblecast is not affiliated with the city and is my own personal newsletter. All views stated here are my own.
RAMBLE
December is my favorite time of the year. I love to stroll in our neighborhood and see all the colorful decorations. People are so creative. I remember when I was a kid, most people put up a single strand of those big bulb multi-colored lights and called it a season. Today, houses are alight with animatronic animals, projected dancing lights and balloon figures.
Honestly, my husband and I are still in the old school camp. Climbing up on ladders is not the safest thing for us, so we keep our holiday decor simple. I’d love to find another string of those old-fashioned lights though. The LED ones, while certainly better for the environment and the electric bill, are just not the same.
As a writer, I tend to close down appearances and in-person sales for the month. I would rather spend the time with family and friends. I hope to catch at least one Christmas concert and to attend a few gatherings of friends. To me, December is a time to be thankful for what I have and for the people in my life. I feel blessed to be here as a Cushings Survivor and doing what I love for a living.
Merry Christmas to you and to your family. I hope this holiday season brings you warmth and joy.
yours in poetry,
Wendy
ESSAY
Crafting Memorable Settings: Techniques for Building Immersive Worlds
As writers, we are the creators of worlds where we invite readers to join us on epic adventures, to travel uncharted territories, and to explore both the real world or ones of pure imagination. But what transforms these words into a vibrant tapestry to captivate a reader’s senses? How do we transport him into a world of our design? It is a matter of detailed worldbuilding, engaging the senses, and being consistent with the internal logic within our created spaces.
Imagine yourself an explorer, venturing into uncharted lands where every stone and tree holds significance. The key to creating an immersive world lies in the details. Consider the geography, history, and culture of your world. Paint a picture of majestic mountains and winding rivers, or sprawling cities pulsating with life. Develop a clear understanding of how these elements intertwine. How they shape the lives of your characters, and contribute to the narrative at hand.
There are many techniques to develop a detailed universe. You can use a program such as “World Anvil”. Originally, this online site was designed for D&D dungeon masters, but authors also discovered it to be a useful tool. One advantage of using such a site is you can set up a public file of the world for your readers to discover, or use it to create a settings book about your world later. This gives your novel’s universe additional value.
Sometimes a simple map of the territory and schematics of your buildings are enough to keep you on track of the details in your story. This is my favorite technique since I enjoy sketching. I will take out my art paper and pencils to create simple blueprints of houses, castles, or space stations where my stories take place. This becomes a visual reference for me. By investing time into building a rich and intricate world, we invite readers to embark on a journey they will never forget.
Next, it is important to engage the senses of your reader. By doing so, you allow them to enter the world and feel what your characters are experiencing. I like to use Diana Gabaldon’s rule of three senses to create more depth. For instance, you might write what the character is seeing and hearing, but also add either taste or scent as well. It is important to not always be in the character’s head, but to remember they have bodies. Add in those sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the world as your characters experience them. You will breathe life into your settings and allow your reader to feel the pulse of your world. Through vivid descriptions, we create a symphony of sensations that linger in the reader’s mind, long after the last page has been turned.
The importance of consistency and internal logic within our created worlds is vital to a good story. Just as in our own reality, every world must adhere to a set of rules, a foundation upon which its existence is built. From the laws of physics to the complexity of societal structures, maintaining the fabric of your story is essential. Avoid sudden shifts or contradictions that jolt readers out of the immersive experience. Instead, nurture an internal logic that guides the choices of your characters. By establishing a coherent world, you invite readers to suspend their disbelief and to become an active participant in the unfolding story.
Through detailed worldbuilding, engaging the senses, and maintaining consistency, we create settings that transcend the boundaries of ink and paper. We invite readers to walk alongside our characters, to breathe the same air, and to witness the wonders of the worlds we have crafted.
SCIFAIKU
This science fiction haiku poem first appeared in a magazine called “Far Horizons” in 2015. It is entitled “Exoskeleton” and was one of the first scifaiku I ever published. It is about using bio-printing to assist in exploring new worlds with a heavier gravity than our Earth. Poem is by Wendy Van Camp.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
December 7th - Anaheim Central Library Open-Mic 5:00pm (reader)
Merry Christmas! I am planning to spend time with family and friends during this holiday season. I will catch up with everyone in January 2024!
PODCASTS
Con-Tinual Panel Room #175 - “Time Travel and Multiverses”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LxjOmSwot8&t
LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Portfolio - http://wendyvancamp.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp
Medium - https://medium.com/@wvancamp
Twitter - https://twitter.com/wvancamp
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nowastedink
Mastodon - https://me.dm/@wvancamp
BOOKS
The Planets: a scifaiku poetry collection - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z8HMPF2
The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OU1V45A
ANTHOLOGIES
Eccentric Orbits: An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry
Volumes 1 - 4
Editor
https://dimensionfold.com
Anaheim Poetry Review 2023
Editor
Free to Read: https://anaheimpoetry.com
Eye To The Telescope: Quests #46 - Fall 2022
Guest Editor
https://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/046issue.html
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