Robyn Campbell at Red River Writers Blog Tour

Robyn Campbell writes picture books, MG novels, and is working on a YA mystery right now. Robyn home-schools and is refreshing her email every few seconds waiting on THAT special email from an agent. She is very excited about the project she is querying. An adventure novel set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Robyn supports writers through her blog and gets as much as she gives from her writer friends.

 

    Robyn's current projects include two more picture books nearing completion and her young adult novel that she is very excited about.

 

   Robyn is from South Florida and in now living near the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where she rides her beautiful horses and gets inspiration from her family including her husband Gene and their sons, Randy, Kevin, Patrick, Shane, Christopher and Cameron. The lone girl in the bunch, Ivy, provides many an hour of muse too.

 

  You can check in with Robyn at http://robyncampbell.com  and visit her blog on writing at

http://robyn-campbell.blogspot.com 

 

 

    What makes a Story?

 

Powerful emotions, great characters, fascinating plot,  interesting settings and of course, showing instead of telling. When writing a story I love to show it from the heart just as much or more as showing it from the head. I'm painting pictures in the minds of my readers and weaving details to help them imagine themselves as my characters. To me that is the single most important thing about writing a story.

 

    Each word you write leads you to the next word. And every word makes the reader want more. And more. Scenery that you may have never seen before suddenly comes alive and you experience it for the first time in the words you write. For instance, a writer has never seen snow. When the writer paints it on a piece of paper with the words the writer uses, it quickly becomes very real.

 

   "A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end." This is a start, but it doesn't accurately describe what a story is or what makes a story. We writers want to entice a reader to come in and visit the pages of our stories. To do this, we must write convincingly and the story must have a hook that invites the reader to come in. A writer can direct the reader through the story or let the reader find his/her own way and form his/her own ideas about what the story is saying. Using characters that have never lived any place but in our own minds. How exciting is that feeling? And the total bliss to actually have the story down on paper. To know these characters. To be a part of this world. If we look at the story like this, there is no fear in writing it. We will want to visit the world and be the characters that live there.

 

   Thank you April. I am glad to be a part of the Red River Writers.

Comments

[Robyn Campbell]

April, thank you for adding me to the blog tour. It is an honor to be in such wonderful company. And very exciting to be a part of The Red River Writers. YAY!!!! Thank you for all this work that you do too. It is very much appreciated. =)

[Katterley]

Wishing you the best with your YA novel! Great interview! I love your ideas on what a story is.

I also like the picture book stories I read on your website, Robyn, although they made me hungry! Must go cook up some veggies now :)

[Robyn Campbell]

Thank you Katterley. I query agents with my MG story this month. So I hope they will also sell my picture books and my YA novel too. Cook those veggies! =)

[Linda Kage]

Hi, Robyn! I agree with Katterley; love your ideas on stories. Congrats on being in the Red River Writing Blog Tour!

[Robyn Campbell]

Hey Linda!! Thanks for stopping by. I love being a member of the Red River Writers. So cool! =)

[Susan R. Mills]

Great interview. You have some great ideas on story.

[Karen Lange]

Good post! Glad I came by:)
Blessings!

[Robyn Campbell]

Thanks Susan. Glad you stopped by. =)

[Robyn Campbell]

Hey Karen! Thanks for coming. =)

[HonoluluSprite]

"To know these characters. To be a part of this world. If we look at the story like this, there is no fear in writing it. We will want to visit the world and be the characters that live there."

I can't think of a better way to put it! Makes me think of where my own mind goes! Inspirational, Robyn!

Aloha,
Evelyn

[Robyn Campbell]

Thank you so much Evelyn. I'm very glad to hear that. Aloha to you too. ;)

[Crystal]

GREAT, GREAT post, Robyn! I agree with so much of what you've said here. It's such a wonderful reminder for when we're in revisions. I especially like your definition of what makes a story and the part where you say, "When writing a story I love to show it from the heart just as much or more as showing it from the head. I'm painting pictures in the minds of my readers and weaving details to help them imagine themselves as my characters." Writing good description is one of the hardest things for me in writing stories and yet, it's one of the most important elements in writing a great story.

So glad I stopped by here, today! Thanks, Robyn! :)

[Robyn Campbell]

Thanks Crystal. I'm glad you clicked over. Show it from the heart as much as the head. UHHUH! =)

I'm glad you stopped by too. Thanks for reading.