I've been thinking about color a lot lately. Color is often taken for granted by those of us with color vision, but it is so important to our world as writers.We add imagery to our stories using color. The color of hair, eyes, complexion, along with other attributes, allows the reader to visualize our characters. Colors allow us to set a scene—the soft greens of a woodland, the vibrant reds, oranges, and gold of a summer garden, and the vermilion shades of a sunset.
What would a Regency romance be without rainbow-colored garments and opulent ballrooms? Does the choice of color for a contemporary heroine's blouse tell the reader something about her character? Does the colorful plaide of a Highlander inspire courage?
Color is important. We need to fill our stories with living color.
What about the cover? Color is really important there. I recently participated in a cover design workshop and learned the importance of color. Depending on the background, certain colors recede while others pop. We want our cover colors to catch the eye, especially as a thumbnail.
Do you find color important in novels?
~Dawn Marie
