Imagining your story

Sooo....Yesterday I began the editing process of "Love Me Always" yep that's right, it is finished and just needs editing. This time around I know what I messed up on and hopefully I'll get it fixed so it looks like a normal book.

So I think I'm going to start doing writing prompts/exercises, whatever you'd like to call it.
We'll start with shaping your world.

What I do (which I know many people do it differently of course)  is I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. Visualize what is it that you want to write about, for example: Say you have a fantasy book in mind, dragons?
Well first you need to decide what does the world look like? Is it here on Earth? Will dragons coming swooping down Los Angeles streets? Or do you want to create your own world? If so what will it look like; a barren wasteland  or a lush green field. Perhaps a sea side village/city. Either way while you are imagining these details write it down. It doesn't have to make sense, it doesn't have to have a plot or a reason. Right now you are planning out what you see, what you smell. Is the wind blowing? Is it summer/winter?
These are very important details, if you can see it then so will we. But, now don't go overboard. No one was a two page description of a house.

"The house was yellow and had windows and walls and a fence and there was a tree..."
 That is bland and boring. If this is your description then you did not visualize enough. There has to be a story behind the details.

"The house was a two story Southern belle style plantation home with a white picket fence. Every inch of the dilapidated structure had a little bit of history in it from the once a vibrant yellow walls now paled from the searing summer sun, to the twisted oak tree hanging precariously over the front porch. "
Make it interesting, keep their attention. Now the reader can see the house and its flaking paint. Their imagination will go wild and that's what you want. Keep your reader hanging on your every word. Give details but not too much, let the reader fill in the blanks. Let them become part of the story.

If you can see it they will too.