What's the sound a person's feet make walking on sand?

May 17, 2013: One of the greatest challenges I find in writing compelling stories is engaging all human senses through the mere written word.  I make it a habit to describe places and settings with appeals to as many human senses as possible.  The wind rustled through the leaves, the sun danced on the water, the water chilled her feet, the air had the burnt taste of electricity in it, are all metaphors used to describe the scene and give the reader a deeper sense of place, intrigue, or drama.

I struggle sometimes to find the right words to capture the image I'm trying to paint.  For example, I was stumped recently by the sound feet make on sand.  What is it?  I can hear it in my head, but I'll be darned if I know the word that gives one the sense of feet squeaking across a beach. 

Do you have similar challenges?  How do you come up with the right word or words that best capture the emotion and feel for a scene? 

What is the sound a person's feet make walking on sand?

###

Sean Smith is an award-winning conservationist and author. He is a former National Park Ranger at Yellowstone, Glacier, and the North Cascades. He is a TEDx speaker and a private pilot. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 with a degree in Political Science. He got his master's in Natural Resources Management from Central Washington University in 1996. He currently runs Washington State's efforts to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals from consumer products and serves as the Mayor Pro Tem of Covington.

He has been writing stories and books since he was a child, and currently writes national park thrillers from the shadow of Mount Rainier.

All his novels can be found here: Mr. Sean D Smith

A tough but rewarding slog

As many of you know, the creative process behind my writing my new novel "Unleashing Colter's Hell" has been a tough slog. But as I near the end of the process and get ready to publish, I'm able to look back and also see how rewarding the entire journey has been as well.

In thinking back about the writing of the book an obvious linear path is apparent. I got an idea, started to outline the plot, fleshed out the characters, wrote a first draft, gave to test readers, rewrote the story, resent to readers, found an editor, talked to agents, sought advice of other writers, designed a book cover, developed a marketing plan, and on and on and on. However, this linear pattern is only now visible as I look back on the process. Two years ago, as I stood at the beginning of my journey, I had no idea how I was to get from idea to finished book. But I've learned that's okay. As David so wonderfully writes in his Truly Powerful people blog, the writing process was a one step at a time process. Setting out on the journey, taking the first step was more important than knowing where I'd end up or even how I'd get there.

One of the best things I did however, was to hire David Robinson, a life coach to help me through the creative process. We met regularly to go over my successes and challenges, identify next steps, and check off completed tasks. His write up of the process can be found here. I'd recommend David to anyone considering a book or other creative endeavor!

Thanks David for your help! Your guidance and encouragement kept me going!

Look for the book shortly!