Feeling Stimulated Yet?

It's been a while since we've shared one of our writing tips with you. I know you will enjoy what Sandra Byrd has to say about how a writer uses stimulus and response in her or his writing. Read on and see if it applies to you.

Chekhov's Gun

By Sandra Byrd

For every stimulus, you must have a response.

For every response, you must have a stimulus.

 When we write novels, we don't include every word spoken, every action taken, every plan proposed. We include only those elements that either characterize or move the plot forward, or  hopefully, both.  Therefore, by introducing an element, especially one which is unusual and flags the reader's attention, we are indicating that it is significant. By that, you assure the reader that this element is worthy of their mental tracking. You're promising that there will be a response to that event or item, and that both stimulus and response will be critical to the story.

This is the classic writing rule known as Chekhov’s gun, after Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. He stated, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.” Hanging the rifle is the stimulus. Firing it is the response. Implied, then, is that when it goes off, that will be the stimulus to a following action in the plot. As a corollary, you can’t simply have something happen “out of the blue.” You must have a stimulus before a response or your readers will feel set up, asking themselves, “Where did that come from?”

In my current work in progress, Queen Kateryn Parr responds with anxiety and dread when one of Henry the Eighth’s councilors states publicly that the queen’s religious opinions differ from the king’s approved Six Acts. Because another woman, Anne Askew, was burned at the stake for that very same cause some chapters earlier, we understand, without a word, why Parr is filled with dread. The stimulus - Askew's "illegal" teaching.  The response - her public martyrdom. Because the charges brought about a death, the next stimulus is an accusation of the same against the queen. The response - Parr's anxiety.  This anxiety becomes the next in the chain, a stimulus, and will demand a response from her.

Think of this like a person on overhead monkey bars. Both hands start out at the same place, but then hand over hand, one after another, pass down the overhead bars, with both hands meeting on each bar before reaching for the next. Stimulus leads to a response, that response leads to the next stimulus, leads to response, till the end of the row. Because the events are all connected, your readers will never ask, "Where did that come from?"

Do you make good use of stimulus and response?

Posted earlier at Christian Writers Guild

 Please sign up for my contests at www.sandrabyrd.com .  I like to keep in touch!

Angels Watching Over You and Me, My Lord? See what Lisa says

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear about angels?  This week I am sharing with you, Lisa Grace, an author who chooses to write about angels in her stories, but in a different and unique way,  and with subject matter, I've never before shared about here at my blog.

Let's begin by learning a little about this author.

Lisa Grace lives with her family along the Gulf Coast of Florida. She loves to think she may have entertained angels, and is busy creating windows that open to the supernatural world that surrounds us. During her off time, Lisa enjoys hiking, fishing, boating, and watching nature. That's when she is not volunteering at her church where she works with the teens. Lisa says she uses what she calls the BIC (butt in chair) method to write two thousand words a day.  Her mission? To reach unsaved teens with all her young adult novels. To reach adult readers with her other work.

Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 and  Angel in the Storm, Book 2 have both  been optioned for a major movie by a production company that has worked on five Academy award winners including Fargo, Shakespeare in Love, and It's a Beautiful Life. Elaine P. English, Lisa's entertainment lawyer is at work, writing up the final negotiated changes to the contract. Lisa's most recent book, Angel in the Ice will be released as an eBook late this month. I know you must be as interested as I am to read this upcoming book.
Angel in the Shadows


Fifteen-year-old Megan Laughlin has a gift; or what seems like a curse at times. Megan sees angels and demons. Megan knows her destiny is to protect her friends against dark angels who try to sawy them into situations that can destroy their souls, their lives, and their eternity.
At school she recognizes an uber popular boy, as a demon hell-bent on detroying her and everyone she loves. As Judas spreads horrible rumors and overdoses two of her classmates at a rave, Megan realizes the enormity of his power. While classmates die, Megan, with the help of an angel, Johnny, and a team of friends will face the fight of their lives as they battle Judas. 

Megan thinks God hasn't given her any "special" powers, but discovers she has what she needs as she confronts Judas and his seemingly unconquerable power.

Angel in the Storm
Max, Megan’s younger brother, is missing. He’s been sold to human traffickers in New Orleans by the evil angel Judas. Megan is soon arrested and charged with her missing brother’s murder. The only way to clear her name is to find Max. With the help of Johnny, who is a good angel, and her friends, Megan is soon on the run in a desperate attempt to find and rescue Max.

When Judas offers her an impossible choice, how can Megan choose? The battle continues as lives are threatened and lost, not only by the rising waters of a hurricane, but in a climatic confrontation with Judas, and some will not make it out alive...

A COUPLE OF EXCERPTS FROM SOME REVIEWS LISA HAS BEEN RECEIVING

"Lisa Grace is a talented and exciting author. Suspense drips off each page. I look forward to her next work." Gretchen Helgeson

Phoenix, AZ, - Book Reviewer

Lisa Grace creates a supernatural world, where the heroine is 100 percent human - a brilliant alternative to the vampire novels. If this is her first novel - I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for readers. A page turner from start to finish.”Alexis Del Cid, CBS NEWS, KOIN-TV Portland, Oregon

"Ms Grace rocks the originality." Werevampsromance.org
Is this the kind of book that interests you?  What do you think about when you read about angels? Do you have a favorite scripture that deals with angels and how God spoke about them in the Old or New Testament?

We want to hear from you. Please leave your email address when you write in. Perhaps I will draw your name and you, too, can be a winner of one of Lisa's books.