Voice Matters: Does Yours Fit Your Genre? by Ashley March

Hello, all! It's genre Monday and today I have the lovely and talented Ashley March, historical romance author extraordinaire, to talk with us about the ever-important voice.

Take it away, Ashley...

Voice Matters by Ashley March

I recently decided to try to write my first contemporary romance. I had great characters, a great storyline, and I figured it would be as easy to write as my usual Victorian romances. However, I realized very quickly that I had a big problem I never expected: I couldn’t find my contemporary romance voice.

We’ve all heard that each author has their own voice, but I believe that each author also has their own genre/sub-genre voice. Authors who write both romance and YA aren’t going to have the same voice, and the same is true for authors who write both historical and contemporary romance. As I struggled with finding my voice for contemporary romance, I realized that this is something I don’t often hear writers talking about. But the truth is this: voice matters not only as a means of making you stand out from among the crowd, but also as a means of putting you in the right crowd.

I’m a writer who believes in giving back to other writers and the writing community, and one of the ways I do this is by sometimes critiquing partials or fulls of pre-published writers. Often one of the comments that I have to make time and time again is that the writer’s voice sounds anachronistic. They’re using words that wouldn’t have been used in a certain period, or sometimes, even if those words were used, the phrasing simply sounds modern. As someone who pays a lot of attention to words—not only which words are chosen, but the rhythm of words, or how they sound when read—I know there’s a difference that can be seen in the voice of historical romance authors versus the voice of other romance sub-genres, and this difference is important. Not only can the right voice for a genre/sub-genre help the story feel more authentic, it can also help draw your reader more quickly into your story.

I thought this point would best be made through examples.

Here is a contemporary excerpt  (from Teresa Medeiros’ GOODNIGHT, TWEETHEART):

According to the page that popped up, Abby was now Abby_Donovan and she already had seventeen Followers. Having "Followers" made her feel like some sort of kooky religious cult leader. An empty box invited her to answer one simple question—"What's happening?"

Her fingers hovered over the keys, torn between typing, "None of your business" and "I'm sipping Cristal on the beach at St. Tropez with Brad Pitt."

Sighing, she finally settled on the truth: "I'm feeling sorry for myself." She hit the Update button and waited.

Here is a historical excerpt (from Teresa Medeiros’ THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID):

For the first time since he'd muscled his way into the abbey, the stranger's mocking gaze flicked toward her. Even that brief glance was enough to bring a flush stinging to Emma's fair cheeks. Especially since his words held the undeniable and damning ring of truth.

This time it was almost a relief when Ian Hepburn once again sought to impose himself between them. "You may mock us and pretend to be avenging your ancestors as you always do," he said, a sneer curling his upper lip, "but everyone on this mountain knows that the Sinclairs have never been anything more than common cutthroats and thieves. If you and your ruffians have come to divest my uncle's guests of their jewels and purses, then why don't you bloody well get on with it and stop wasting your breath and our time?"

*** 

            I specifically chose one author who writes different sub-genres because I don’t believe showing excerpts from two authors writing different sub-genres would be fair for our analysis. We need a real-world example of how an author uses voice to draw a reader into the specific genre/sub-genre she’s writing.

            As you can see above, Teresa Medeiros’ contemporary voice is far different from her historical voice. If I were going to describe her contemporary voice, I would call it light-hearted in comparison to her historical voice. The change can be seen in the way the sentences are structured as well as the words chosen and, I would also say, the way the author engages the reader. The contemporary makes me feel as if the heroine could be my best friend, while the historical invites me to be the heroine that could make such a hero fall deeply in love. One is light and flirtatious; the other denser and more dramatic. If we were comparing movies, I would say that it’s the difference between You’ve Got Mail and Jane Eyre. This doesn’t mean that all contemporaries are light—because they’re not—and it doesn’t mean that all historicals are comparatively darker—because they’re not.

            What it does mean, however, is that writing a historical isn’t as simple as researching a certain place during a certain time and writing the story that goes along with it. You must find your historical voice, and you must know your readers’ expectations for what a historical voice sounds like.

            The following are recommendations for several historical romance authors with very strong voices. You’re not supposed to try to model your voice after theirs, but you should read them. Analyze what is different about their voices and what is the same. Reading in your genre/sub-genre is always important to know your market, but with the historical romance sub-genre in particular, part of the escape into the historical world is having a historical voice. If you want to write historical romance, I would say that developing a historical voice is equally as important as doing research in terms of bringing a feeling of authenticity to your writing. Don’t be fooled into thinking you don’t need one.

Recommendations for historical authors with strong voices:

Sherry Thomas (tryPrivate Arrangements or Not Quite a Husband)

Julie Anne Long (try What I Did for a Duke or The Perils of Pleasure)

Anne Mallory (try Three Nights of Sin or Seven Secrets of Seduction)

Lisa Kleypas (try Dreaming of You or Devil in Winter)

Meredith Duran (try Wicked Becomes You or A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal)

Julia Quinn (try The Duke and I or Romancing Mr. Bridgerton)

This month’s must-read recommendation for both strong voice and for being a nearly perfect historical romance is Joanna Bourne’s

THE FORBIDDEN ROSE

A glittering French aristocrat is on the run, disguised as a British governess. England's top spy has a score to settle with her family. But as they're drawn inexorably into the intrigue and madness of Revolutionary Paris, they gamble on a love to which neither of them will admit.

How important is voice to you as a reader and as a writer? If you’ve written in different genres/sub-genres, what tips and tricks do you use for changing your voice appropriately?

Ashley March is a baby-induced sleep-deprived romance author who lives in Colorado with her husband and two young daughters. Her newest Victorian historical romance, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, is a love story about an earl and his best friend’s wife who are drawn together after their spouses—who were having an affair—die in a carriage accident. Her approach to the romance genre and the books she writes can be seen in the tagline on her website:

Choose love. Hope in love. Believe in love

www.ashleymarch.com

And Ashley has a new book out this month--

Romancing the Countess (Signet Eclipse)

! Go let her know how thankful we are for her sharing her insight with us by buying her super fabulous books!

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“...a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more!"

–Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION

Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey

 

Welcome again to genre Monday! Today I have the funny and talented Sierra Godfrey who will be sharing posts every 5th Monday of the month on topics related to women's fiction and/or marketing and promotion. Though today her post can definitely be helpful across all genres because none of us want to create a wimpy heroine. Ick.

So over to you Sierra...

Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey

In April, I had a baby boy. I also have a four year old son, which means I’ve become very much outnumbered by males in my house. Sometimes I have to work to understand them, I admit. My four year old is at the stage where he’s exploring and playing with his parts almost nonstop, and my infant son uncannily pees on me at diaper changing time with an arc of urine that boggles the mind in its reach. (In fact, right after I birthed him, he celebrated our post-utero bond by soaking me with pee. Kind of the same way you break a champagne bottle on a newly commissioned boat.)

Anyway, with all that male in my house, I found myself recently pondering strong female characters. Well, to be honest, I’ve always been interested in them. Some of the greats that come to mind:

• Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games


• Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


• Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice


• Claire from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Because I write women’s fiction, creating a strong female character is of particular interest to me. Strong leading ladies are independent, smart, and plucky. But there are some other key elements to strong female characters:

She’s got it hard
Create sympathy with your character, but don’t overdo it. Put her harm’s way, trot her through hardship, or dump a heap of bad circumstances on her. She’ll come through it swimmingly and without feeling sorry for herself if she’s strong.

She’s relatable
Strong women are also normal ones--and we want to see that we can identify with her. Then when she doesn’t cave under pressure, or she takes high road, it’s particularly satisfying because we know that could be us, too.

She’s witty
Funny ladies are also usually smart ones. We like a sense of humor and a good attitude. There are notable exceptions to this rule--Scarlett O’Hara is one. She’s got a terrible attitude and is super selfish, but she also nails the sympathy vote.

She has great inner conflict
She’s fearless, she’s sure, and she takes action. Great! Strong character, right? Well, no. We want some inner conflict that shows she’s also human, that she struggles with the same doubts that we do, that she works her way through life figuring things out as she does, just like us. But she does these things with grace and with ultimate success. She doesn’t hurt people on the way toward solving her conflict, either. She’s a fighter--and we love her because we know she’ll fight her way to solve her conflict.

The above traits don’t just apply for strong female characters, but serve as a good blueprint for all characters.

What are some of your favorite strong female characters? What are some of the things you've done to make your ladies strong?

Sierra's recommended read for August:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
In the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in  the English countryside lives Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the  unlikely hero of Helen Simonson’s wondrous debut. Wry, courtly,  opinionated, and completely endearing, the Major leads a quiet life  valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations:  honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his  brother’s death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali,  the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their  shared love of literature and the loss of their spouses, the Major and  Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But  village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and  regarding her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship  survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of  culture and tradition?

The character of Mrs. Jasmina Ali is a fantastic example of a strong woman. She has a wonderful dignity, she's resolved, she's smart and funny, and she has great inner conflict.

Sierra  has enjoyed crafting stories for as long as she can remember. She  especially likes stories that feature women who grow from the choices  they face—and get the guy at the end. She's a member of RWA and RWA-WF, the women's fiction special interest  chapter, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two  little boys, and two annoying cats. She is always working on a story. When she's not writing stories, she works as a freelance technical writer and designer.

Find Sierra at her blog or on Twitter.

Thanks, Sierra! And remember that all of our guest contributors have their own blogs, so if you like what they have to say here, be sure to check them out on their own blogs as well. :)

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    All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

There Is No Such Thing As Writers' Block by Joseph Selby

Today I have a special guest blogger for you--Joseph Selby. Or as I like to think of him--the guy who doesn't let me get away with anything on Twitter. ;)  He always calls me out the moment I get overly dramatic. And now he's going to call all of us out because I know I'm not the only one who has used the excuse of "writer's block" to explain away why I haven't written.

So Joe's going to give it to us straight and tell us why we might be feeling like we're blocked and will give us some great tips on what we can do about.

So without further ado, take it away Joe...

There Is No Such Thing As Writers' Block by Joseph Selby

Terry Pratchett has a famous quote, "There is no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California that cannot write." I heard something similar when I was a freshman in high school (possibly by Vonnegut but I cannot remember now). It has proven to be the most valuable tip on writing I have ever heard.

Why? Because there is no such thing as writer's block.

There are factors that may inhibit one's writing: excessive stress from finances or health, relationship woes, etc. Stress can grind creativity into meal. But that's not writer's block. That's stress.

The big WB is some invisible curse that hides one's creativity behind a glass wall. You can see your creativity there. You remember it fondly. It waves and tells you to come over and play, but you cannot get to it. Bang all you wish against that glass wall, you cannot shatter it. Your momentum stalls or worse, your entire manuscript is ruined!

But the wall is not glass. It is imaginary. Now you may have encountered the WB a time or two, had a moment where all sense of what happens next deserted you. You were writing and writing and writing and...stopped. Your story looked out into a void and was consumed by the Nothing. Writer's block, you moan! Oh no! I was doing so well but now the Nothing has consumed my ability, and I have no luck dragon to help me escape! So you think I am being unfairly dismissive. Oh no, friend, I am being quite fairly dismissive.

Here's what really happened: You made a mistake. First, let's go down the checklist. Were there no external stressors like your partner leaving you or the bank foreclosing on your house? Are confident enough in your ability as a writer that you did not sabotage your own effort? That leaves writer's block. Or in reality, it leaves your subconscious writer telling your conscious writer that you made a mistake.

Now depending on how you write, you may follow an outline or you may be going along by the seat of your pants. In either case, your first draft is not going to be your final draft. It will require a lot of spit and a lot of polish before it's good and ready. You may edit while you work (like Roni) or you may wait until the draft is finished and then go back to revise (like me). But when writer's block strikes, you have made (and missed) a mistake that your subconscious knows will derail your entire effort later. Enough so that regardless of when you prefer to revise, you need to stop and do it now..

Perhaps it was an action against character or an event that could not happen based on the time and location of characters described in previous chapters. Perhaps you accidentally channeled Darth Vader's redemption scene without knowing it but everyone else in the world will point and mock you for it. Whatever you've done, your subconscious writer is telling you that you cannot go forward until you fix the problem. It turns off the creative switch and chains up your momentum, holding them hostage until you bow to its will.

Since you're stopped anyway, go back and check the previous two chapters. Often, the error is in the chapter you just finished.

Examine these chapters and compare them to the chapters before and the direction in which you want to take the manuscript. Is there something that doesn't sit right with you? Or is there something else that could be a hundred times cooler and you just missed it the first time around? If you do not find the error in these two chapters (you probably will according to Pratchett, and I've found that he's right), continue to work backward until you do. If you do not find an error, examine your plot as a whole. IS there a gaping pit in logic or character motivation? IS there logic or character motivation? IS that character just Darth Vader without a rebreather helmet and a light saber?

You made a mistake and as soon as you fix it, your creativity and momentum will rocket back like Augustus Gloop getting sucked up a liquid chocolate tube.

If you cannot find a mistake and you genuinely think you have writer's block, Sir Terry suggests you move to California.

Joseph L. Selby

is a fantasist seeking representation. From 9:30 to 5:00 he works as a media project manager for an educational publisher, bringing about the epocalypse. He blogs at

josephlselby.com

 and tweets as

@jlselby

You've Got Rhythm, But Does Your Story?

As I wade through my editing for MELT INTO YOU, I'm discovering that one of the big things I pay attention to when doing my read through is cadence, or the rhythm of the words. I think it was Margie Lawson's workshop where I first heard this term used in relation to writing.

We all know about voice and style, but cadence is more the way the words sound in your head as your read them. It's the flow and the music of the prose. It's why I may use a one-word incomplete sentence somewhere instead of something longer. Part of that is my style, but a lot of it has to do with making sure the rhythm works.

And one of the best ways to see if your story has good cadence or rhythm is to read it aloud. A lot of times when we read our own work in our head, our brain naturally skims. Hell, we've written it, we know what's there and what's coming. But this can hurt you because you may be missing places where a reader with fresh eyes may stumble on a sentence. Even in our heads we need places in prose to "take a breath" while we're reading.

Maybe your crit partners point this out, but most likely it's such a subtle thing that many will intuitively feel the little stumble but not really get hit over the head enough to mark it down and bring it to your attention.

So I literally sit in my office and read passages of my book out loud. Pretend you're the narrator doing the audiobook. Does it flow? Does the scene sound how you want it too--pretty, ethereal, hard and fast-paced, sensual, etc?

Not every scene is going to have the same cadence, nor do you want it to. If they're in the middle of the car chase, the words better not read like poetry. So know what your intention is and then see if the rhythm of the words fits what you were going for.

So here are my opening lines of my prologue in my draft. (And yes, I know, a prologue! *gasp* But well, it's there. I like it. Sara or my editor may cut it, which is fine, but for now, this is how the book opens.)

Most of the time temptation climbs onto your lap and straddles you, demands you deal with it immediately. Give in or deprive yourself. Choose your adventure.

Jace’s general stance: deprivation was overrated.

But he’d never faced this kind of temptation. The kind that seeped into your skin so slowly you didn’t even notice until you were soaked with it, saturated. To the point that every thought, every breath seemed to be laced with the desire for that thing you shouldn’t have.  

            And right now that thing was nibbling flecks of purple polish off her fingernails.

So okay, see where you'd take the breaths (hint: breaths happen at commas and periods)? And we're in a dude's head so the thoughts start off short and to the point, but then he gets wrapped up with how much this is getting to him. If you read it aloud hopefully it flows. It did when I went through it.

But do you see where I'm going with the cadence thing? Do you think about this when you're going through your work? Do you read it aloud either to yourself or to a writer's group?


Also, because I forgot to announce on Friday with all  of Blogger's problems, the winner of Elana Johnson's Possession (ARC) is MayDay_Aura! (I'll be emailing the winner.) Thanks for all of you who commented and entered! :)

DO Get Fresh With Me: Amping Up Your Writing

Photo by Miheco

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Dallas Area Romance Authors Dreamin' in Dallas conference. The speakers (Richelle Mead and Allison Brennan) were phenomenal and the workshops were SO helpful. Sometimes you go to a conference (after you've been to a few like me) and it feels like same old stuff, nothing new. But I had many an a-ha moment at this one, so yay for that. :)

And one of the big light bulbs for me was while I was taking three classes in a row from Margie Lawson. I'd never seen her speak before, but I had heard fabulous things about her writing and editing workshops. And, believe me, I wasn't disappointed.

She has way more information than I could ever share on here (more on how you can get all that fab stuff at the bottom), but one of the big things that stuck out for me was her focus on FRESH WRITING.

It seems like such a simple concept--a well-duh kind of thing. Write things in a way that is fresh, non-cliched, and doesn't sound like just any old book. Easy-peasy, right? Um, yeah.

How many she smiled, grinned, lifted the corner of her mouth, smirked, lips curved, one side of her lips tilted up, smile that didn't reach her eyes, and on and on do you have in your manuscript?

Using a synonym for smiled or one of the tired cliches is not fresh writing. It's just writing the overused stuff in another overused way.

What Margie suggested you do is look at those boring ways of saying things and amplifying them, making them sing and speak to the reader (instead of inspiring them to skim.)

Here's one example she used from Harlen Coben's HOLD TIGHT (2008)

His eyes were black, lightless glass, like someone had randomly jammed them in, like they held no life in them.

Whoa, right? How much more impactful is that than "He had dead, black eyes" or "He stared at me with lifeless eyes."

Or this one from Brad Meltzer's BOOK OF LIES (2008)

In mid-air his mother was turned toward him, her alligator eyes still burning through him.

Can't you picture that? It's so clear what the eyes of an alligator would look like. And once again a way to say something different than cold or lifeless eyes.

And last one, from Stephen White's DEAD TIME (2008)

"Listen," he said in a voice that cut off the small talk the way a sharp knife takes the top off a banana.

How much better is that than saying "he said, his voice sharp"?

This whole concept is such a basic idea, but it was totally a kick in the butt for me to work harder and do better. To really look at things I may just put on the page--a smile, a laugh, the way a person's eyes look--and really push myself to find a fresh way to say it.

Margie says she reads books and puts sticky notes on the pages where an author really wrote something that impressed her. If someone does that with my books, I want that thing to look like tabs in a packed filing cabinet when they're done.

Now, one little warning. You can't write every single sentence like this because then it will be overwritten and the prose will get mucked up. Sometimes simple is better. But I guarantee you there are many places in your WIP where you can do better, where you chose the easy, cliched way to say something, where you missed an opportunity to be amazing.

So, I only talked about like 1/100 of 1% of what Margie covers. BUT she has these totally kickass lecture packets that you can download and do a self-study course with. Each packet is $22, but OMG, the first one I bought is like 250 pages. So "packet" really means "book". The one I'm referencing today is the Empowering Characters' Emotions. You can get it here along with many others. I can't give it a high enough recommendation. So, so, so helpful. (And no, Margie hasn't paid me to say any of this, lol.) I just have to pass along an amazing resource when I stumble across them.

So, I encourage to check those out and I also encourage you to read through some of your favorite books and mark those passages or phrases or whatever that stand out and impress you. What did those writers do that was fresh?

What do you think? Are you overloaded with boring or tired ways of saying things when you're writing? Are you characters smiling and raising eyebrows and winking all over the place? What writers can you think of off the top of your head that really excel at writing fresh?

The Ten Commandments of the Successful Author

So as I go through this whole writing journey, I spend a lot of time observing other authors--be it in person or, more likely, on the internet. I want to know what makes one so successful and the other not as much. What makes one likable and another unapproachable. In other words, what separates the good from the great. And so, based on my very unscientific observations, I've come up with my own Ten Commandments. These are the things I've seen successful authors do and the things I strive to emulate.  So here we go...

The Ten Commandments of a Successful Author

1. I will always strive to make the next book better than the last.

This is one that keeps me awake at night sometimes. The desire to make this next book better than the first one, to improve on every new project. We put so much effort into THAT book, you know the one to get the agent and the book deal. It's the best we have to give on a page. Then the dream happens and you're faced with book two and oh, you have a time limit this time, and oh if this one tanks, there may not be another book deal. *breathes into paper bag* The best authors out there manage to do this, even on tight deadlines, even when the check is already in the bank. They keep topping their own work.

2. I will not fear risk.

It's tempting to be safe, to stick to what you know and what you know works. But the best authors don't just put out book after book that follow the same formula. They take risks, they push boundaries, hell, some of them even test out different genre waters. With no risk, there's no challenge. Write the stories you want to write. If some don't work out, that's okay.

3. I will never believe "I'm the sh*t." Well, at least not for an extended period of time.

We've all seen it. The author that hits whatever level and now seems to wear the "I'm the sh*t" tiara. Don't do it. No matter if you top every bestseller list. It's okay when you get a good review or hit a list or write a passage that rocks to think to yourself--yep, I'm the shizz nizz, baby. But keep it to yourself--please--and don't let it go to your head. No one's that awesome. 

4. I shall not wallow in a pool of self-pity and doubt when someone doesn't like me or my writing.

Someone, probably many someones, will absolutely hate your writing. It's inevitable. You can't please everyone. If you let negative feedback get in your head, it will eat away at your confidence like cancer. This goes for rejections too. Feel the sting, eat a piece of chocolate or take a shot of whiskey--whatever you're preference--and move on. 

5. I will never respond to a bad review. 

I said never. You hear? Never. Unless to say, "Thank you sir, can I have another?" I'm sure most of you saw the brouhaha on Twitter/Facebook/message boards the other day over a writer who lashed out at a reviewer online. At some point in your career, you will want to do this. It's human. You will want to yell, scream, insult, bestow your wrath upon someone who said something bad about your book. 

Don't do it. This is what friends and spouses are for--call them, let it out, cuss the jerk who gave you the negative review. But never lash out publicly or at the reviewer. This will only serve to make you look petty and childish, which will make people not want to deal with you or buy your books. (And remember, lovelies, the internet is viral. One untoward comment can make the rounds faster than a case of croup at a daycare.)

6. Covet your neighbor's success. A dose of envy does a writer good.

There are all these posts out there about writer envy and jealousy telling you how you shouldn't waste time being envious of other writers and what they have, their level of success, etc.  Yes, that's true. If you spend all your time burning green, you won't get anything else done. BUT, a little bit of this can be helpful. So and so got an agent and you haven't yet? Your crit partner hit the bestseller list but you can't seem to? Feel that envy and USE it. Use it as kindling under your butt and light a fire to keep going, to get what you want, to grab that success too. Envy with motivation can be very productive. Envy with whining and no action is what you need to avoid.

7. "Good enough" will never be good enough.

The best authors don't settle for good enough. If you've sold a bazillion books and you already have a deal for the next and everyone is lining up just for the privilege of sharing your air, it could be tempting to just write something that's "good enough". But the best authors don't. They put as much heart and guts into every book they put out every time.

8. I will not apologize for what I write.

Do not apologize for your passion. There are stigmas against all kinds of genres, not just romance like I talked about last week. But this is your writing, your story, and your blood on the page. Playing down what you write is playing down who you are. I know this one will be tough for me because once my book comes out, people in my life will know exactly what I write. I know some will judge me for it. I do not want to apologize for it. I'm proud of it.

9. I shall pay it forward.

The best writers give back. If any of you stopped by the blog Monday and saw the Operation Auction information, you know this is true. No we can't help others all the time. If Stephen King answered every email from a newbie on how to be a writer, he'd never get anything done. But he did write On Writing, which is a way of giving back what he's learned (even though, granted, he did make money writing that book.) So no matter how busy you get, try to find time to help others out. Maybe it's to offer a query crit to someone who hasn't queried before, maybe it's having a blog that gives information that everyone can benefit from, maybe it's volunteering your time at conferences or judging a contest. Whatever it is, find something. Think of those who've helped you in your journey. Don't you want to be one of those people another writer can think of?

10. Don't forget to have fun--you love this, dumbass. (Even when it's hard.)

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day--this chapter is so hard, I  have a saggy middle, why won't these agents answer my queries--rut. But never forget, this is your dream. Enjoy the act of writing. And good Lord, if you do get the elusive book deal and become published, don't spend your time whining about the minutiae. It's okay for authors to tweet if they're struggling with an edit or whatever, but too much of that sounds like a whole bunch of whine. So many people want this. If you get it, be thankful and for heaven's sake, enjoy it! You get to make stuff up for a living.

So those are the ten writing commandments I'm working toward, what are some of yours? Which would you add? And which authors do you think emulate these things?

Nine Writer Woes and the Books to Cure Them

headdesk colbert pics on Sodahead

I'm a writing book whore. I can't deny it. I know every how-to-write book says this ones is "the only writing book you'll ever need". But yeah, whatever. Not true. Every book on craft I pick up, I learn SOMETHING new. A new technique, a new way to look at things, an a-ha moment on something I was having trouble with. These books feed your writer brain like Reese's chocolate easter eggs feed your soul--wait, the egg thing may just be me, but you see what I'm getting at. So I figured I would compile a list from my personal stash of writing books to recommend.

Nine Writer Woes and the Books to Cure Them

Problem #1: You're a pantser and are dying to figure out a way to SIMPLY plot. 

Though I have a little nerdgasm looking at pictures of people's plotting white boards with all their notes and post-its and color-coding and index carding, the idea of actually doing that to one of my stories makes my throat close up in anaphylactic shock. But, at the same time, I crave some organization, some rough map of where I'm going. Enter my newest favorite book, *pets its cover* Seriously, life-changing. I'm planning a guest post going into more detail on this one. But for now, just go buy it. : ) Don't worry that it says screenwriting, it totally applies to novels as well.

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Problem #2: You keep getting partial requests but not follow-up full requests. So, you may, um, suck at openings. 

Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

Problem #3:  You're writing your first book and are absolutely overwhelmed by the process.

Your First Novel: An Author Agent Team Share the Keys to Achieving Your Dream

Problem #4:  Your stories seem to lose focus or meander during the process.
Or maybe you're getting feedback from critters saying--I'm not really sure why your character is doing this or this scene doesn't seem to have a focus/point. This means you need to get down to the bones that hold a character and story together. This one is a classic you'll hear recommended over and over.

http://www.debradixon.com/gmc.html (If you buy this one, get it from this link. It's cheaper directly from her site.)

Problem #5:  You know you can write, but your books still aren't getting that agent or publisher. 
You get feedback like, "You clearly have talent, but the story or characters just didn't resonate with me or reach out and grab me."

The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great

Problem #6: When you go back to edit your book, you have to cut a ton of scenes because they just aren't moving the story forward or adding anything.

Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time

Problem #7 You need to write some hawt scenes, but whoa, shock of all shocks, sex isn't that easy to write! Who knew?

Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance

Problem #8: You've been told you need to "tighten" your writing.

A nuts and bolts guide that will get your waistband cinched up quicker than Jenny Craig...

The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well

Problem #9: You just want a kickass book on writing and want to hear Stephen King talk about what adverbs have to do with hell. 

On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft

Yeah, so I don't  have a tenth, I know. Round numbers and all, but whatevs. On a different note though, I do have a bit of news. I found out yesterday that my official release month for my book is January 2012! So you all need to make sure your New Year's Resolution next year is to treat yourself to some hawt romance and read CRASH INTO YOU. That is all. :)

So do you suffer from any of these above afflictions? Which one? Do you have any of these books? What's your favorite craft book and why?

Author Voice vs. Character Voice - Finding Both

Photo by Stefan Powell

Voice is one of the most sited components of writing a great story. Publishers/agents are looking for a strong voice, a fresh voice, a clear voice, etc. Unfortunately, it's also one of the things that we as writers struggle with and stress about the most.

I think the first thing that confused me early on was the difference between author voice and character voice. At first, I thought they were the same thing. They're not.

Author voice "encompasses word choice, rhythm, pacing, style, tone and structure." (source)

Character voice also affects word choice, rhythm, and pacing. But in character voice those things are influenced by the character's background, gender, history, age, education, regional location, time period, etc.

Crystal clear, right? *snort*

Finding Author Voice

Okay, maybe this will help, because it definitely helped me. I attended a workshop once where the author explained author voice by saying that you could pick up any one of her books no matter what the subject/character/plot and know that she wrote it.  

For instance, I've read Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues. I'm a huge fan of her YA Vampire Academy books, but this was the first time I read any of her adult books.  The story and characters are completely different, but the quirky sense of humor and style are still there.  I could tell they were both written by the same author, so I'm "hearing" her author voice.

Think of an Aerosmith song or a U2 or a Nirvana. Even without the lead singer's voice to give it away, the songs all have a certain style, a particular way the instruments are played. Do all the songs sound the same? No. But they all have that band's "voice".

And you have one, too!  We all do.  Your voice is who you are. You just have to make sure it gets onto the page.

My author voice is wry and casual. My style matches that--I use deep POV, like using some incomplete sentences for impact, and have a lot of dialogue.  And though I tackle very heavy and dark topics at times in my stories, humor will always be present.   

Why? Because that's who I am. Humor is my go-to defense mechanism even when things aren't going so well. Sarcasm is my favorite pastime and self-depracation is a way of life for me. I can't escape my voice.

So there's good news in that! Voice just is. (Read your own blog, you'll probably see your voice shining through. Or if you want a great example of a unique blogging voice, go visit Chuck Wendig's blog.) We can hone it and analyze it and strengthen it but our author voice is already there. It's who we are. 

The only thing that gets in the way is when we try to imitate some other author's voice. "I want to write books just like..." It's good to study other people's writings and pick out what you enjoy about it, but be careful not to let what you "think" your voice should be overtake what it actually is.  You can never be such and such author, you can only be you.

Finding Character Voice

So, if author voice is just waiting there to be discovered, what we probably need to worry about more is making sure we have an accurate character voice for each of our players. 

To do this, we need to analyze our characters, get into their head, know their history. As one of my handy dandy critiquers pointed out a while back about one of my characters: she's from the south, she wouldn't say "you guys", she would say "y'all". Of course, I know this (being southern and a over-user of y'all) but I lost her voice for a minute trying to sound more proper. These are the small nuances we have to watch out for. If our characters don't sound believable, we'll lose the reader. The character's education, gender, situation all play a factor. 

Well, that's my take on the whole thing, but I'd like to hear your opinions.

How would your describe your author voice?  Do you struggle to nail it down or is it one of those things that comes naturally?  Which authors voices do you totally envy?

*This is a revamped version of a post from Sept. 2009.  Thanks to Sierra Godfrey's post today for sparking the idea to pull this one out of the vault.*

Building Character Arc: Why a Motto Is Vital

 

Photo by Donna Marijne

When developing characters, many of us use the method of "interviewing" them before we start the story. We need to know who they are and how they approach the world. What colors the view through their personal glasses? One of my favorite questions to tease out that issues is "What is his or her motto?" 

Yes, you can write notes and notes on their backstory, what they look like, what clothes they like to wear, whatever. But usually the essence of who the person is and how they're going to react in your book is the answer to that simple question--what is their motto? 

Susan Gable defines a motto as: A deeply held personal belief, stemming from the characters backstory, that impacts the way s/he views and world and behaves.

 

This motto is  a quick way to boil down to the bones and find your character's internal motivation and conflict. What world view do they have to change in order to resolve their internal conflict? What is ground zero for their character arc?

Here are some examples:

 

People always leave.

(Old school One Tree Hill fans will recognize this as Peyton's motto.) 

This is actually the motto of my current heroine as well. So from that simple three word motto, I can tease out so much more about her. If people always leave, then that means she's slow to trust, has feelings of inadequacy because if people always leave her that must mean something is wrong with her, and believes that love must be conditional. This also gives me my arc endpoint. At the end, she's going to have to trust someone and make herself vulnerable, will have to believe in her own self-worth, and have to accept that there is real love out there. All that from one motto.

 

Get them, before they get me.

(Puck on Glee)

 

It's better to burn out than fade away.

(Def Lepard lyric and a line in Kurt Cobain's suicide note)

 

When you know better, you do better

(Oprah's mantra from Maya Angelou)

 

Second place is first loser.

(The Karate Kid)

 

People who think they know it all, annoy those of us who do.

(Dwight, The Office)

 

Commitment=death

(Barney, How I Met Your Mother)

 

Revenge is the only answer.

(Damon, The Vampire Diaries)

So what is your character's motto? Or what is your favorite book/tv/movie character's motto? I'd love to hear your own examples. Do you this this is a helpful exercise in developing internal motivation?

*This is an updated post from 2009

Query Writing: How Brief is Brief?

More Briefs by Alberto Alonso G

I've never been known for brevity. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I almost always break that "keep you blog posts under 500 words" rule. Pfft! Five-hundred words? I laugh in the face of that rule.

However, where the lack of brevity can really kill you is in that query letter. I recently posted about the Reasons Agents Gonged Queries at the writer's conference I attended, and by far, the biggest reason people got gonged is because they went on TOO LONG and tried to include TOO MUCH. The query is not a synopsis. It is a hook and a catchy paragraph to make the agent or publisher want to flip to the manuscript.

In essence, it is a back cover copy or a blurb for your manuscript. Pick up any book you have, that stuff on the back has one purpose--to make you want to buy and read the book. It is a marketing tool. And that's what you need to keep in mind when you query. You are SELLING your book, not explaining every person, plot line, subplot, theme, etc. Pick the things that are most important and hooky in your story and focus on that.

I thought I was pretty decent at this whole query writing thing. Every novel I've queried (even the REALLY bad one) got a good number of full requests. However, when I got my draft of my back cover copy this week, it was glaringly obvious that I could've made my query a lot shorter with a lot more punch. So I'm going to use mine as the example.

The summary section of my original query:
Since her mother’s murder, social worker Brynn LeBreck has dedicated her career to helping women in crisis. But when Brynn’s sister goes missing and is rumored to be at The Ranch, a secretive BDSM retreat for Dallas’ elite, Brynn must tackle her own traumatic past and go undercover as a sexual submissive to find her.  Unfortunately, she can’t get an invitation to the exclusive resort without the help of the one guy she never wanted to share air with again—Reid Jamison, the lawyer who recently defended her mother’s killer and the man who, ten years earlier, opened her heart and shredded her defenses, only to crush her trust when she was most vulnerable.

After a failed marriage and a crippling defeat in the LeBreck case, Reid needs a fresh start.  The first steps—move out of his family’s high-profile practice and construct his client’s appeal. But when he discovers he’ll be sharing an office with the woman he’s never been able to shake from his bones, the one who taught him how to embrace his dominant nature in the first place, the fresh start gains new meaning.  Being near Brynn stirs up the primal desires he hasn’t indulged in years, and he’s not going to let her “I-loathe-you” attitude stand in the way when he finds out she’s in search of a master. Only one man will get the privilege of calling her his, and that man is going to be him. 

The two can't find a future without facing the demons of the past, however, and some of those demons want to make sure Brynn and Reid are never together—even if it means one of them may not make it through their erotic weekend alive. 

See how long that is? It worked for me, but look at the difference between that and what we've come up with for the back cover copy...

CRASH INTO YOU back cover copy:

 

Sometimes the past can bring you to your knees...

Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but she never imagined how personal her work would get, or where it would take her. Her younger sister is missing, suspected to be hiding from cops and criminals alike at a highly secretive BDSM retreat—a place where the elite escape to play out their most extreme sexual fantasies. There’s only one way to find her: go undercover as a sexual submissive. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only. And the only Master who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn’s past.

 

Only Brynn knows what attorney Reid Jamison is like once stripped of his conservative suit and tie. Years ago she left herself vulnerable only to have him crush her heart. Now she needs him again. Back on top. And he’s all too willing to engage. But as their primal desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate—and so does the danger.  Their hearts aren’t the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules. And his game could be murder.

Here's what I see as the differences:

1. Significantly shorter

2. Focuses on the two major plot threads
There is a romance between old lovers and there's a murderer out there. (romance and suspense, done.)

3. Backstory, just like in the book, doesn't have to be fleshed out in the query.
No mention of my MC's traumatic past, which is vital to the story, but not necessarily to the summary. No mention of my hero's backstory--his failed marriage, his job troubles, etc. We don't need to know that to want to read the book.

4. The hook is clear
Woman is in danger and has to find her sister, but the only way to do it is to give up control to the only guy who ever broke her heart.

5. Makes you want to read more (hopefully!) 
Neither my query or the cover copy tells you what happens, or who the villain is, or why someone wants someone dead. That's synopsis stuff. The query should leave you with the urge to find out what happens next. It's the appetizer.

QUERY HOMEWORK: So when you start to craft your query, go to the store or your bookshelves and pick out ten or so books in your genre and read the back cover copy. It should be books you've already read so that you can see what was included and WHAT WAS LEFT OUT. Train yourself to recognize what are the most important points in your story and what is vital to include in your query. And focus on hooking, not just explaining.

So what do you think? Do you struggle with brevity like I do? Does my back cover copy do a better job at hooking you than the query? Why or why not? Pick up a few of you favorite books, what are surprised was left out in the back cover copy?


AND A QUICK PSA for an AMAZING opportunity...


Author Ashely March is offering a FULL critique to an aspiring romance author! But you must enter by noon MST today. Go! Hurry! Full crit by a pubbed author people!

Oh no! Melodrama! -- Avoiding the Reader Eye Roll

Photo by Joe Green

There are a lot of fine lines in writing: creating a sense of place v. bogging down reader with description, creating a new spin on an old idea v. being derivative, creating characters with depth v. backstory overload, etc. Another one that I've had trouble defining the line between is drama and melodrama.

Our stories are supposed to have conflict and drama. What's the point otherwise? However, when that story inches into melodrama we risk losing our reader. Instead of connecting with the characters and feeling part of the story, our readers start rolling their eyes. So how can we tell the difference?

This is especially difficult to determine if we're writing a teen story. I'm not going to stereotype, but looking back at myself as a teen, I was quite melodramatic. My high school was my whole world and every event and emotion was amplified. When my crush didn't like me, it was cause for tears and incessant listening of depressing and sappy music. When a good friend gave me the silent treatment for a week, I thought we would never be able to overcome such a terrible turn of events. So how do we make sure our characters and plot are authentic and believable and interesting without sending it into the realm the soap opera?

First my quick definition...

Melodrama is when emotions, plot, or actions are too over the top. My litmus test is if a scene that is intended to be emotional/heartfelt/painful would tempt readers to groan, roll their eyes, or laugh, then I've crossed over the line.

I'll use Twilight as an example since most of you have probably read it or seen the movie. In the scene at the hospital in the first movie, Edward tells Bella she needs to stay away from him for her own safety. Bella sits up, panicked, stuttering "No, you can't leave me! We can't be apart." The line in and of itself is fine, but this scene made me giggle in the theatre. Also, in the book New Moon, Bella's reaction to Edward leaving is um, intense, to say the least. Months of depression and becoming an adrenaline junkie seem a tad melodramatic to me. (Disclaimer: I have admitted to enjoying Twilight, so please no hate comments from devoted fans.)

So what can we do to avoid crossing this line?

• Beware the exclamation point! It's rarely needed and is usually a beacon of melodrama!

 

 

• Watch words like screamed, shouted, sobbed, cried, etc. Use them sparingly.

• Put yourself inside your characters. If A, B, or C happened to you, how would you react? Of course, your character hasn't a different backstory than you, but this will give you a start to find an authentic reaction. I mean, really, how many of us are actually swooning or drooling when we see a hot guy?

• Don't have your characters act contrived just to fit a plot need. They're actions must be based on realistic/logical motivations that you've developed in the story. i.e. If a character is mild-mannered throughout, but you need an emotional scene so all of a sudden she flies off the handle with no logical motivation to do so or previous behavior to back it up.

• No TSTL (too stupid to live) characters. i.e. running up that stairs when a serial killer breaks into the house, heroine believing something the bad guy tells her when she KNOWS he's the bad guy. Your readers won't buy it.

• Avoid stereotyped characters--the wise old man/woman, the evil ex-wife/other woman, the naive virgin, the bitchy popular girl, the hooker with the heart of gold, the perfect/infallible male love interest. If you use any of these, you need to make sure there is a twist on it. For example, in PC Cast's Marked series, Aphrodite starts as the stereotypical blonde mean girl, but develops into something much different as the series goes on.

• Watch out for huge coincidences. Yes, when writing, we're playing God, but that doesn't mean we can twist fate to create unbelievable coincidences. Your reader will give a big "yeah right" or "my, isn't that convenient?"

• This is related to the coincidence thing, but be careful of creating conflict after conflict after conflict to where there is no way to believe that all that would happen to one person. The best example I can think of is the first seasons of 24. Jack's daughter's Kim couldn't keep herself out of trouble. How many times can one girl get herself kidnapped or put in mortal danger? It became a joke in our house--how will Kim try to get herself killed this week?

 

And if in doubt, picture a scene through the eyes of a Saturday Night Live writer. How much rewriting would you have to do on that scene to recreate it for comedy/satire on the show? If the answer is "not much", you may have jumped into the melodrama hot tub.

So am I the only one who struggles with this line? How do you determine if you've gone too far? And what are some of your favorite melodramatic books/movies/tv shows?

*repost from 2009

 

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Selling the Drama" - Live

(player below--go ahead, take a listen)

Author Elizabeth Craig on The Elements of Mystery Writing

Today, I am so excited to host mystery author Elizabeth Craig as my guest blogger today.  Elizabeth has a new release, a fabulous blog, and is, by far, the most helpful writing person to follow on Twitter.  If you're not following her, get to it as soon as you finish this post!  Now, I'll turn it over to over to Elizabeth.

Some Basic Elements to Remember When Writing Your Mystery

Thanks so much, Roni, for hosting me today at Fiction Groupie!  I always enjoy reading your blog and all the useful information you provide for writers.

Today I’m going to be genre-specific and talk a little about writing mysteries.  Mysteries aren’t only my favorite genre to read, they’re my favorite to write, too.  I think that’s because you get all the character development and conflict resolution of a novel with the added bonus of a puzzle to solve.

First of all, you need to consider your mystery subgenre. What types of mysteries do you enjoy reading?  If you like a faster-paced book, then consider writing thrillers. Slower-paced and less-gory?  Try writing cozy mysteries.  If you enjoy following along as fictitious detectives crack the case, then try your hand at police procedurals.  Other types of mysteries include noir and hardboiled (private investigator stories.)  Whichever subgenre you focus on, make sure you’re able to identify it in your query or cover letter.

Follow the rules:  Mysteries have to be fair. You’ll want to make sure that you’re letting your reader in on the fun of solving the case alongside your sleuth.  Clues should be in plain sight (no moments where the detective goes “Hmm. Very interesting…” and doesn’t share the information with the reader.)  The murderer should be introduced at the same time as the other suspects—there shouldn’t be any 11^th hour introduction to the culprit.

Setting: Frequently, setting plays a role in a mystery novel. The setting can limit the number of suspects if it’s a remote island, for example. For a thriller, you may want a faster-paced, big-city environment. Check and see  how the setting plays a role in your book. If it doesn’t, you may want to consider tweaking your manuscript.

An Engaging Beginning: Have you started out with messy backstory that no one wants to wade through at the beginning of your book? Make sure you’ve lured your reader in from the very beginning so they’ll want to stick with you.  Think twice before using flashbacks at the beginning of your manuscript.

Have You Got A Murder that Happens in First 50 pages or so? Don’t wait until you’re half-way through the book for a body to be discovered. The sooner the investigation is started, the better (as a general rule.) And most mysteries out on the shelves today are murder mysteries. Yes, you can definitely find examples of cat burglar-type mysteries, etc., but usually mystery publishers are looking for murders in the mystery genre.

Sleuth: Is he or she interesting enough for your readers to want to spend time with? What special talents do they have that make them especially capable of solving the crime? Are they easy to talk to? What sets them apart?

Suspects: Do your suspects all have motive, means, and opportunity?  You’ll want to make sure that the suspects’ motive makes sense and is believable.  Have you given the reader a chance to meet each suspect and learn about them? Have your suspects misdirected your readers and provided some red herrings? Have they lied to the sleuth and the reader? Do they have secrets? Do they have some depth?  


Murderer: The killer will need to be fairly clever so he isn’t caught right away. Is your culprit believable but not obvious?  If the murderer ends up being the least likely candidate, have you made his motivation realistic?
 
Clues:  The clues need to be made available to the reader as well as the detective.  You have to be fair with your reader in providing them the clues, but make sure they don't stand out too obviously in the scene.  If they do, think about pointing the reader's/detective's attention in another direction, quickly.  Providing a distraction is a useful technique. There also needs to be more than one clue.

Red Herrings:  Make sure your red herrings don't last the entire length of the book---that's generally considered unfair.  Red herrings are a good technique to mislead your reader, but  they can be taken too far. If the entire focus of your murder was blackmail and the ensuing investigation is wrapped up with blackmail victims and scurrilous gossip: and then the real motivation ends up being revenge or obtaining life insurance money,  most readers will end up wanting to throw your book in frustration. 

Victims: You know you need at least one. Do you need two? Do you need more? (Remember that some genres, like cozies, generally don’t have a high body count.)

Element of Danger: Does your sleuth or detective know too much? Are they getting too close to the truth? Adding some action or a touch of danger can help with sagging book middles, or can provide an exciting showdown between the killer and the sleuth.

Resolution: Did you catch the bad guys in the end?  Check and see if you’ve tied up all the loose ends that you created.  Did you explain how the sleuth/police followed the clues to deduce the killer?

Need some extra help? Try checking out these sites:
Book Crossroads , which has links to online mystery writing groups, hardboiled slang dictionaries, forensic information, and legal overviews.
A Yahoo Group for writers on firearms : a good place to start your research.
Tripod.com's Classic 12-Chapter Mystery Formula : Reading this can help you see the bare bones of many mystery novels. You don't have to follow it exactly--it's just a guide.
Don't Drop Clues: Plant them Carefully! by Stephen Rogers does a great job covering the types of clues, how to misdirect your reader, and mistakes to avoid.

Bio:  Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin as Riley Adams, the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink (under her own name), and blogs daily at http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010. Delicious and Suspicious released July 6, 2010.

As the mother of two, Elizabeth writes on the run as she juggles duties as Brownie leader, referees play dates, drives carpools, and is dragged along as a hostage/chaperone on field trips.
Elizabeth Spann Craig (Riley Adams)
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com
http://mysteryloverskitchen.com
Twitter: @elizabethscraig

Elizabeth will be checking in throughout the day, so feel free to ask her your burning questions in the comments!  

**Today's Theme Song**

"Building a Mystery" - Sarah McLachlan

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

The Power of Weather in Your Story

Photo by Moyan Brenn

Symbolism--one of the words we heard a lot in high school English class.  We were supposed to decipher the complicated messages of the authors through the symbolism they used in their stories.  Now some of it was a bit of a stretch--the hole in his shoe is supposed to represent the moral failings of the larger society and the emptiness of his soul blah blah blah.  Honestly, a lot of it was lost on me back then (and *cough* now), but some of the more straightforward symbolism devices you can use are seasons and weather.

A lot of times, we can get caught in a rut and just choose the weather and season randomly.  If left to my own devices, when I start writing a WIP it's natural for me to defer to the current season I'm in.  It's hot outside, so my mind doesn't think winter.  And then within the story (because writing setting descriptions is one of  my least favorite), they end up all being clear days because that is the assumed state.

This is a lost opportunity.  Weather and season are great ways to add another layer to your scene.  For instance, this weekend, I added a scene to my current WIP where the couple gets caught in the rain.  This scene is at a climactic moment in the story and is a turning point where each have to let go of past things in  order to move forward.  So, in this case, the drenching rain of the thunderstorm plays off both their anger at what's happened and the need for a deep, cleansing before a fresh start.

Mine was pretty straightforward, but you don't always have to go for the obvious choice.  Yes, a dark and stormy night might be a goto for the scary point of your story, but sometimes the unexpected can be more powerful.  How scary is it if the evil can touch you even under the bright sunshine?

So here are some of the general things you can use with weather and season in your setting.

• Spring: new start, beginnings, renewal, growth after being stuck, birth, hope
• Summer: happiness, relaxation after stressful time, height of life, strength, abundance
• Fall: waning life, transition from one state to another (like the leaves), preparing for something difficult
• Winter: sadness, being stuck/frozen, lacking comfort, death, hiding, or on the flipside because of Christmas--reconnecting with family/past
• Rain: cleansing, renewal, mixed emotions, depression
• Thunderstorm: anger, danger, strong emotion
• Blue Skies/Sunshine: hope, happiness, absence of trouble, purity
• No Wind  or humid: stagnant, unable to  move forward, smothering
• Windy: change, things moving too quickly to grab onto
• Snow: inner coldness, sadness, cleansing, covering the bad, a quiet calm, purity
• Blizzard: overwhelmed, trapped, helpless
• Fog: unknown, fear, confusion, foreboding danger
• Distant Storm/Heat Lightning/Clouds Rolling In: danger on the horizon
• Overcast: change coming, sadness, something is preventing reaching happiness
• Sun breaking through clouds/rainbow: hope, change, victory

These are just some I could think of.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on some other meanings for these.  Also, do you consider the weather/season when writing?  Which have you used in your stories?  Can you think of a scene in a book or movie where weather made the scene shine?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Only Happy When It Rains" - Garbage

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What to Ask Beta Readers

Photo by Bilal Kamoon

Sometimes the hardest part about a a critiquing relationship is finding people to exchange work with in the first place.  Yesterday, I put the call out asking for beta readers and you guys were awesome.  Thank you to each of you who volunteered.  I'm beyond appreciative.

But now that I have readers for my book and am going to be beta reading in return, what's the next step?  What exactly do I need from them and they from me?  These expectations are important to set up before you exchange work.

One of the biggest issues is what level of feedback you are looking for. With my critique group, we want it all--detailed line edits, big picture stuff, repetitive words, whatever we can find (similar to what I give on Beta Club days).  This is great to get but is also a slow, time-consuming process.  To get through one book that way can take months.

For the new betas I connected with yesterday, I'm going to be asking for global feedback.  Did you like it?  Did it make sense?  What parts lost your interest?  Did you fall in love with my hero, connect with my heroine?  Did anything make you want to beat your head against the wall?  Were you invested in the story and the characters?  etc.

But as I was thinking through my questions, I searched to see if they was something more organized and ran across the questionnaire below.  I really like the structure of this one, although I will be tweaking a few things. (Don't worry betas, I won't be asking if the love scenes made you hot.  I don't need to get that personal, lol.)

Now, I'm pasting this in because the author said on the site to feel free to share, so that's what I'm doing.  You can find the original copy here.  Hope you find it as helpful as I did.

Is it BORING?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Does any part of the story Drag?
• Are their parts that you skipped to get to ‘the good part’?
• Do I over-inform anywhere?

Did you Get it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Did you understand every phrase / term I used?
• If someone unfamiliar with this world or genre read this, have I explained enough for them to understand everything?
•  -- Did I forget to mention that someone was demon-possessed, half angelic, or had mystical powers?

Love Scenes?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Do any of the love scenes seem overly cliché? (Or overly sappy?)
• Were the love scenes too fast, too slow, or too frequent?
• Did you have to reread any part of the love scenes to understand who was doing what?
• Did any action in the love scene make you cringe?
•  -- Was your Comfort-Zone line crossed?
• Did it make you hot?

Do the scenes FLOW?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Does one scene lead logically into the next?
• Is there enough downtime between intense scenes to allow it to build to the next?
• Did the actions & positions flow smoothly from one to the next, or did they jump as though something was skipped?
• Were the Flashbacks smoothly integrated to fit onto the current scene -- or did they seem plopped in, like a chapter that was in the wrong place?  

Is anything VISUALLY Confusing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Can you SEE every action clearly?
• If you went there in real life, would you recognize the places?
• Did you have to reread any part of the action sequences to understand who was doing what?
• Could you SEE what the characters looked like clearly?
• Did I forget to describe their Clothes, their Hair, their Eyes, any other distinctive feature that pertains to a specific character?

During DIALOGUE scenes…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Could you SEE what the characters were DOING while talking?
• Could you SEE where the characters WERE while talking?

Did the Characters WORK?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Do the characters ACT realistic?
• Does the Dialogue sound realistic?
• Do their reactions seem logical & realistic?
• Could you feel the Emotions between the characters?
• Did the characters seem IN CHARACTER?

• Who did you like best and WHY?
• Who did you hate and WHY?
• Who got on your nerves and WHY?
• Does any one character get in the way of the STORY?

By the way, if you want more on beta-ing relationships, check out Justine Dell's blog.  She's done a whole series this week on her relationship with her beta, including sharing samples of their crits.

Alright, so I'm curious how your beta relationships work?  What expectations do you have for each other?  Do you seek the details or the global?  Do you give them questions upfront or do you wait and just ask follow-up questions when they're done?  Also, how'd you find your betas?

**Today's Theme Song**

"You Get What You Give" - The New Radicals

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Enough with the Eyebrows: Showing Emotion

Photo by Buster Benson

We hear it over and over again--show don't tell.  Don't tell us your character is angry, show it through their words, their visceral reactions, their body language.  Easy peasy, right?  Um, yeah.

What this ends up looking like for me is a lot of eyebrows in my first draft--they raise, waggle, arch, knit, furrow, and on and on.  I'm also a fan of crossing arms, shoving hands in pockets, throats clearing, swallowing hard, cheeks reddening, and narrowing/widening/rolling eyes.  And don't even get me started on smiling and laughing.

I know I need to change it up, and I try to do the showing more with dialogue and such, but many times you need to use expression and visceral stuff.  This has become a major focus for me because I write romance and attraction is such a whole body/mind experience.  And I don't want to resort to using the cliches--knees weakening, desire racing through veins, etc.

So what I've started to do is as I read other's work, I keep a notebook nearby to jot down those reactions that don't automatically come to my head--bobbing Adam's apples, pupils dilating, whatever.  This has been very helpful.

BUT THEN, I went on the RWA site to start downloading my worksheets for the National Conference and found THIS.  Author Marilyn Kelly is offering an 11 Senses workshop at the conference, and although I know most of you won't be attending, the worksheets alone are gold, GOLD, people. (UPDATE: 8/2013 - These worksheets are no longer available. The only place I could find a version is here.)

There are exhaustive lists of words and synonyms that relate to all  of the (eleven) senses, but most helpful to me is the list of body language cues for each of the big emotions.  I'm talking like thirty different ways to show anger or sadness or confusion, etc..  It's fabulous.  And free. 

And as additional resource, Angela over at The Bookshelf Muse does something similar doing thesaurus-style posts for emotions, settings, colors, etc.  All the former posts she's done on each emotion are listed in her sidebar on the site for easy reference.  Make sure and check her out as well because she's having a terrific contest right now offering critique-related prizes. (UPDATE 8/2013: Angela has compiled all the information from her site into a book, you get The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression  in paperback or ebook.)

Alright, so am I the only one who gets stuck using the same body language cues over and over?  What emotions or what type of scenes do you find the most difficult to convey?  What are some of the ones that keep popping up in your manuscript?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Endings: Happily Ever After or Not So Much...

Image by Magenta Rose

Have you ever read a book that you loved the whole way through, then you reach the ending and the author totally blows it? I've talked a good bit about beginnings and first chapters (here, here, here, here and here.) because that's what hooks your readers/agents/publishers, but endings are just as vital. I don't care how much I loved a book, if the author lets me down at the end--that is the lasting impression, that determines whether or not I go out and buy another book by that author. (Thanks to CKHB, btw, for suggesting this post topic.)

I have to admit, I struggle with endings. I go through this whole process of writing a book then when I get to the end I'm like, uh, hmm, well--even when I know how I want it to wrap up. I enjoy writing the journey much more than the destination. So this is definitely an area I am working on.

First, let's look at some common ending options:

1. Happily Ever After (HEA) or Happy For Now

--This is the most common ending, especially in romance.

--When I pick up a Harlequin, I know that no matter what crap the characters have to go through, they will be together in the end. It's the same with romantic comedy movies--you know when you go see them what the end will be, you're just not sure how they are going to get there. It seems like knowing the ending would ruin the process, but it doesn't--we enjoy the journey.

--And be careful setting up this expectation then pulling the rug out from under your reader. As with any rule, it can be broken, but be careful having a happy lighthearted novel then at the end you decimate every relationship or good thing.

2. Sad Ending

--These are trickier, in my opinion. Some people like to cry with their books (*waves at Oprah*), but you don't want to end sadly with no kind of resolution or lesson.

--Give the reader something to walk away with. In Titanic, it's horrible that sexy Leo dies, I ugly-cried in the theatre, BUT I was left with the sense of the undying power of love and how someone who we meet only briefly can touch our lives forever.

--This kind of ending also works when the only logical place for the story to go is down the sad road. If you're writing a story about the Holocaust, you probably aren't going to be able to wrap it up with balloons and sunshine. (And your readers won't expect you to).

3. The Cliffhanger

--These are only okay if you are planning a series, in my opinion. Nothing with piss me off more than a book ending with no wrap-up and no next book. That will ruin me on an author.

--Even if you are setting up for the next book, make sure that you have some resolution with some of your story threads so that your reader has some sense of satisfaction (along with a desire to know more on the unresolved ones.)

--These can be very effective, as I mentioned in my review yesterday. The cliffhanger is the only thing that's going to get me to buy the next book. I also just finished the first four books of The Vampire Diaries and LJ Smith is great at the cliffhanger. I read all four books in about three days because of those darn cliffhangers.

4. The "Things That Make You Say Hmm" Ending (yeah, I just pulled out that old school reference)

--These endings are more common in literary fiction than genre fiction.

--This ending leaves you with something to think and ponder on. If someone were to ask you what you thought of the book right after finishing it, you'd probably say "I'm not sure yet."

--Sometimes books with these endings provide a profound experience, other times it's just frustrating, so it has to be done artfully.

In my YA, I struggled with the ending, rewriting it at least three times. I started out with HEA, then changed it to a sad ending + cliffhanger, and now it's a happy for now (with the romance thread) and a cliffhanger with the external plot. My adult romance was always a HEA, but it still was difficult to write and make it feel fully satisfying and not rushed.

Alright, so those are some of the options for endings. Tomorrow I will cover what to do and not to do when creating your ending along with some tips of how to come up with the direction you want to go in.

So do you find beginnings or endings harder? Which types of endings do you prefer to write or read? Have you ever read a book that you loved the journey but loathed the ending? How do you feel about cliffhanger endings?

**Today's Theme Song**

"It Ends Tonight" - All-American Rejects

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

The Title Struggle

Many writers say not to worry about the title of your WIP because most of the time, the publisher's marketing department changes it from whatever your name was anyway. However, I have also read that agents (can't remember which agent blog this was on) sometimes ask to see pages even if the query was only alright because the title was really great. So, I think it's worth giving more than a passing thought.

Coming up with a title is HARD. How are you supposed to come up with a few words that a) make a reader want to pick up the book b) relate to some important aspect of your book and c) hasn't been used before? It's daunting.

Some writers say that a name pops into their head before they even start the story--that the title itself was part of the inspiration. This was not the case for my first two novels. Shadow Falls was titled The Scholarship until I got through the second draft. I didn't like the working title, but I needed something to call the thing besides "the book". Wanderlust was the same way. I started off calling it Rockstar. However, with my most recent WIP, the title finally came to me first: Exposure Therapy. Now that third one could change since I'm just starting the book, but I kind of like it.

So what can you do to help come up with title possibilities?

Brainstorm a list of words that come to mind about your book. Don't edit yourself, just make the list.

--Some obvious things that could inspire the title

• Character names (Carrie)
• Character career
• Setting (Twilight)
• Theme (Atonement)
• Conflict/Turning Point (Marked)
• Time Period
• Special object that plays role in the story (The Sword in the Stone)

--There are some titles that aren't so literal and this is a good way to come up with them. For those of you who have read Hush, Hush, you know that those words aren't uttered in the book. So why is it called that? According to the author, it's because the book is about secrets.

Look for inspiration in unexpected places.

--Music: song titles and lyrics have been used for titles (Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True and She's Come Undone; In the Still of the Night has been used multiple times, Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts). However, do note that song lyrics are subject to copyright laws but song titles are not. Either way, this doesn't come into play until you get published.

--Nursery Rhymes: James Patterson has used this as a theme--Along Came a Spider, Jack and Jill

--Cliches & Puns: something to avoid in writing, but if twisted a bit for a title it can work. Tall, Dark, and Dead by Tate Hallaway, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy and Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

--Classic Literature/Shakespeare: The Sound and the Fury, A Rose by Any Other Name

Alright, I hope that gets your brain cranking. In case your wondering about my titles, here's where I got them from:

 

Shadow Falls is the name of the town in the book, but is also a play on the fact that something dark is trying to consume the character

Wanderlust is the name of the hero's band, but also a play on the fact that he can't settle down. It also plays into the MC because although she has the desire to see the world, something in her past keeps her stuck in one place (emotionally and literally)

Exposure Therapy is from the MC's job as a social worker. She has something to overcome in her past and exposure therapy is a technique used by counselors to work through phobias and such. It's also a play on the fact that the book will be sexy and well, things will be exposed, lol.

So what's the title of your WIP? How'd you come up with it? What are some of your favorite book titles?

Also, don't forget my Amazon gift certificate contest is still open until midnight (central) tonight, so if you missed yesterday's post, check it out to enter.

**Today's Theme Song**

"I'm Like A Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off"-- Fall Out Boy

FOB are masters at the unconventional yet awesome punny titles

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Naming Your Characters

Photo by Larry Page

When I was pregnant, deciding on a name for my son was a highly researched project. I studied name books and the social security lists, said the names out loud, tried to think like a third grader to make sure the name couldn't be turned into something for merciless teasing. I drove my husband crazy.

Now, I don't know if you need to put quite as much time in as I did for my son into your characters' names, but you also should not take it lightly. Names define us and conjure up an instant image.

The name Candy is going to produce a much different image than Francis. A Caleb is very different from a Murray. When people hear my first name, they probably aren't going to picture some elegant debutante, they're going to picture a spunky tomboy (which, in my case, worked because I indeed was a tomboy.) You want your character's moniker to ring true with your reader and produce the desired image.

Some things to consider. These are NOT rules. 

1. Make the name true to the person's age

--You're not going to have a sixty-year old Jayden

--Also, don't show your own age if you're writing YA by naming teen characters Cathy and Deborah and Barbara.

--Go to the Social Security website which will give you the top baby names for each birth year. If your character is 16, go back to that year she would have been born to see what names were popular.

2. Check if the name rolls off your tongue because the reader will be saying it in their head.

--Don't use names that are impossible to pronounce (Fantasy writers maybe can get away with this. But try a spelling that readers will at least be able to sound out. Otherwise, we'll just reassign the name in our head.)

--It's also advised not to use first names that end with S because it causes hissing when reading the possessive form. (I've done this many times, so *shrug*, I choose to ignore this suggestion.)

3. Avoid naming multiple characters with names that start with the same letter or sound similar because the reader could get confused.

--Billy and Bobby, Jack and Zach

4. Let the name fit the gender. That doesn't mean you can't give girls names that are traditionally male though. (Says girl who is named Roni.)

--Names with hard consonant sounds create a more masculine feel (Jake, Tate, Todd, Kirk) whereas softer sounds are more feminine (Lacey, Alanna, Jennifer). Once again, this isn't a rule, just food for thought. I have a Jace, which has a soft sound and he's a tough guy.

--One syllable names scream alpha male. (I don't pay attention to this at all. Jace, Grant, Reid, Pike, Kade, Keats. *cough*)

5. Be careful of alliteration

--It can make the name sound silly and contrived. Jenny Johns, Bobby Buckwell

--However, I think this can also work well My hero in Wanderlust is Lex Logan, which I think works for a sexy rockstar.

--And Charlaine Harris has definitely made Sookie Stackhouse work

6. Make it fit the region of the character.

--Where are they from? How would that affect their name?

7. Avoid names that conjure up images of other well-known characters (especially in your genre).

--Don't think you're going to get away with naming a character a Bella in YA paranormal for a while.

--This isn't just for books, TV shows count too.

8. Beware the extremely odd name.

--These can annoy people. I personally don't mind a unique name as long as it's not too distracting. But if you're hero is named Satan or something, that might throw people off, lol.

9. Don't fall into stereotypes, but also have the name fit the person's personality and occupation. (Or on the flip side, you can play with it and give a really tough character a dainty name she hates.)

--True Blood is a good example: the name Sookie Stackhouse is fun and perky like the character, Bill Compton is the boy-next door vamp so has an accessible, softer sounding name, Eric Northman is the bad boy and his name sounds more mysterious and tough (to me at least)

10. Don't be afraid to change your character's names if you get halfway through the book and it's not working. That Find/Replace feature is your friend.

--However, try to get it right the first time because even if you tell yourself it's a placeholder name until you come up with the real one, you'll inevitably start thinking of the character as that name and it will be hard to change.

So what are your MC's names? How'd you come up with them? Have you ever read a book that the name was too odd or it didn't fit the character to the point of distraction?

POV Advantages and Pitfalls

When I started my first novel, I didn't give POV much thought. I was going to write in first person. Why? I dunno...seemed obvious. I wanted my readers to feel close to my character. And that's the best way to do it, right?

Well, maybe, but not necessarily. First person came with a lot of restrictions and forced me to tell the story from one character's perspective. So making sure she "saw" everything that needed to be seen was a challenge. At the time, I didn't even realize I had another option at my disposal.

But then when I started to research my romance, I realized that the common romance structure is third person limited or deep third person POV. I had read hundreds of books using that POV, but had never realized exactly what I was reading. I just lumped third person into all one category. And once I started writing in deep POV, I found that this style POV came much easier to me and allowed me the flexibility I wanted.

So I thought I would give a brief overview of POVs so that you can know what options are out there:

First person

Told from the inner perspective ("I") of one character.

Ex.) a LOT of YA novels, the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series (although after seeing the show, which deviates from only Sookie's perspective, we've gotten a number of new interesting story lines with secondary characters that would have never been possible in the books because Sookie wouldn't have been privy to "see" them.)

Exception: in rare instances, using more than one "I" perspective can work. New Moon did this with Bella and Jacob (kind of drove me crazy though), Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles alternated chapters with the heroine and hero from first person POV.

Advantages:

--If written well, your reader will feel like they are part of the character and will get to know them fully through their inner thoughts and storytelling voice.

--Intimate and emotionally intense

--When writing it may be easier to become the character

--Makes the story feel "true"

--This often feels most natural when you first start writing because, well, we think in first person.

Disadvantages:

--First person can sounds monotonous for an entire book

--If the reader doesn't like the main character of his/her voice, you're toast

(I've heard people say this about PC Cast's House of Night novels. I enjoy the MC's voice, but some people find her annoying and therefore don't like reading the books despite a good story.)

--It's easy to get a little too wrapped up in introspection and not enough dialogue

--Sometimes when writing "I" you let too much of yourself enter the character. Have to remember to react as the character not as you.

Third Person Limited/Deep POV

Very similar to first person. You write from inside one character's head at a time--but it doesn't have to be the same character for the whole book (although it can be).

Ex.) Wicked Lovely (Melissa Marr), Uglies (Scott Westerfeld). Almost any romance you pick up.

Advantages:

--You can write from more than one character's POV. In romance, that means you get the hero's perspective as well as the heroine's which adds to the tension. In suspense, you can have a few chapters from the villain's POV.

--Your MC doesn't have to be everywhere and with everyone to make sure the reader gets all important facts of the story.

--Readers are used to this POV and it becomes invisible

--Less likely to become monotonous because you're getting different perspectives

Disadvantages

--Not as immediate and intimate as first person

--You can be tempted to head hop

--You have to get to know every POV character intimately and develop distinct voices, which can involve more work. Your villain's POV can't sound like your MC's. And your hero needs to think like a guy, not a woman--there's a big difference.

Third Person Omniscient

Narrator is all-knowing and separate from the story--playing God. He/She knows what each character is thinking and can see it all. "Little did Bob know that today was the last day he'd see the sun."

Ex.) This is seen mostly in classics and epic fantasies/sci-fi. Lord of the Rings.

--I won't do a detailed breakdown of this one since it is not commonly used in modern fiction. But the main advantage is being able to tell the reader anything you need them to know. Disadvantage is it distances the reader from the characters.

WARNING: What to watch out for in first and deep third person POV...

• Cut out these words from your MC's voice: decided, thought, knew, remembered, noticed, saw, smelled, realized, heard, felt, understood, etc. These take us out of deep POV and "tell".

Wrong: She saw him smile at her and felt warmth course through her. She realized with dismay that she still loved him.

Better: He smiled and warmth coursed through her. Crap. I still love this idiot.

Wrong: I saw the empty living room and remembered how my grandmother used to braid my hair in front of the fireplace and tell me stories about her childhood.

Better: I stared at the empty living room and tears stung my eyes. Grandma used to braid my hair in front of the...

• Don't report things that the MC can't see/know for herself or wouldn't notice under normal circumstances. Stay in her head and see through her eyes.

Wrong: Her face turned beet red. (She can't see her own face.) The girls in the corner laughed at her reaction. (She can't know exactly why they are laughing, only guess.)

Better: Her face grew hot, and the girls in the corner pointed and laughed.

Alright, that turned out longer than expected.

So what about you? What's your favorite POV to write in or read? Do you find yourself falling out of POV with those last two things (I do!)? Have you ever read a first person book that you couldn't finish because you didn't like the MC?

**Today's Theme Song**

"Lost in Your Eyes"-- Debbie Gibson

(player in sidebar, take a listen to do it old school)

He Said, She Said: Dialogue

Yesterday Stacey asked in the comments if I would do a post on dialogue. So Stacey, here's your request and dedication (said in the voice of Casey Kasem).

Dialogue is one of my favorite things to write and read. It's a great workhorse in your manuscript and can handle many tasks for you: advancing plot, building tension, revealing character, establishing motivation, and setting tone among other things. And with all these roles to play, make sure it is filling one on of them. Don't have lackluster chatter just to fill space--like anything else in your story, it must serve a purpose.

Okay, so once you have a purpose for your dialogue what dos and don'ts should you watch out for?

Red Flags

Using too much dialect.

--Regional dialects can add authenticity to your story, but too much becomes tiresome to read.

Being too formal. People don't talk in complete sentences all the time.

--"Are you ready to go to school today?" vs. "Ready for school?"

Trying to recreate dialogue too realistically.

--Yes we pause a lot and say um and uh in real life, but you don't need to put that in your writing, unless you are trying to show nervousness or something.

Addressing the person by name all the time.

--Think about how many times you actually say the other person's name when having a conversation--hardly ever. (I used to do this is my writing ALL the time.)

--"I don't know, Bob. Those pants make you look fat." "But Helen, they match my shirt."

Vague pronouns.

--If three women are talking, be careful of saying "she said" and not defining which she it is.

Having characters tell someone something they already know or would never actually discuss just so you can let the reader know.

--"As you know, you're boyfriend cheated on you."

--"You're never going to catch me. As soon as I kill you, I'm going to escape to my secret house in Seattle where no one will be able to find me."

Long drawn out speeches. You're not Shakespeare--drop the soliloquies and monologues.

--Telling in dialogue is STILL telling

Going nuts with non-said dialogue tags or adverbs modifying said.

--In many cases, we're told to use a stronger verb instead of the standard one for verbs such as walked, looked, stood, etc. However, this does not apply to "said". Said is considered invisible to the reader. The shouted/muttered/expressed/pontificated stand out to the reader and remind them that they are reading a story instead of experiencing it.

--This goes for tagging that said with adverbs as well--try to avoid it.

All characters sound alike

--Even without speaker attribution, you should be able to tell most of the time who is talking just by how and what they say.

--Your male lead and female lead should not sound identical. Men and women talk differently. Men, typically, use fewer words to get a point across.

Watch your punctuation.

--Avoid the exclamation point except in rare circumstances--it's melodramatic.

--Semi-colons and colons are not for speech.

--Em-dashes can be used to show a break in thought or an interuption.

--Ellipses can be used to indicate a pause or speech that trails off (use sparingly)

Direct thoughts should be italicized.

--This doesn't mean every thought the narrator has--but a direct thought. Usually you can distinguish them from narrative because they are in present tense vs. past.

--How had she had gotten herself into this position? God, what is wrong with me?

 

Don't bury your dialogue. I talked about this before, but here is a refresher for those of you who are new to the blog.

Dialogue should be in one of the following structures:

Dialogue(D)-->narrative(N)-->dialogue

"Hello," she said, smiling. "What's your name?"

N-->D

She smiled. "Hello, what's your name?"

D->N

"Hello? What's your name?" she asked.

Don't do what I used to do all over the place:

She grinned at the boy. "Hello, what's your name?" she asked.

--see how the dialogue is buried in the narrative? This slows down your pacing and gives the dialogue less impact. Think of dialogue as a book end--it never should be hidden amongst the books (narrative).

Make your dialogue rock:

Read it out loud or have someone read it to you. Does it sound natural?

Contractions are your friends.

When you can avoid attributions (said), do. Either take them out completely or use action beats.

--She hugged her mother. "I love you." (It is assumed that the person doing the action--the beat--in the sentence is the speaker.)

Ground your dialogue in action. Otherwise, you have talking heads.

--This doesn't have to be for every statement uttered, but people move while they are talking, they sip drinks, smile, adjust their skirt, play with their hair, etc.

--Imagine you are writing a screenplay, the actors would need stage direction to tell them what they should be doing during that dialogue.

source

So what about you? What are your biggest challenges with dialogue?

 

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Talk to Me"-- Buckcherry

(player in sidebar, take a listen)