Tonight's Novel Writing class will center on writing dialogue. Writers often stumble on two points--the content of their dialogue and writing dialogue in correct form.
For many writers,the first is the more difficult to master. Good dialogue sounds like real speech, but isn't. What does this mean? In everyday conversations, we tend to meander or get sidetracked. Sometimes we natter on about stuff that doesn't matter. Not so with fiction. In fiction, spoken words must advance the story. Every word should be weighed for its contribution to the story. A writer cannot afford the luxury of chattiness and the kind of mindless talk that often fills real life.
The second area, correct form, is perhaps more easily learned. Any style book can show you correct form for dialogue. Look it up and use it. I'll be handing out style sheets for correct usage in class tonight, but the most important rules are: Each new speaker gets a new paragraph and the quotation marks generally go outside the puncuation.
Writing Tip for Today: Look at your WIP. Read aloud a section of dialogue. Do you have dialogue that contains filler--the ums and ers, but also introductions, talk of the weather or something that has little to do with the story? Although you may think beginning a quote with "well" sounds authentic, delete it and then read it aloud again. Do you really miss it?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Memoirs and Lying: Crossing the Line
Each term I teach a memoir writing class, the question of truth always comes up. Students generally agree that if one writes memoir mostly in scenes, then dialogue and other aspects might need to be created. It's impossible to remember every word spoken, unless it's been recorded or it's really important. Even then a writer may choose to omit long exchanges about the weather, ums and ers, and other detritus.
Where should we draw the line? Is it OK to use fabricated dialogue if we remain true to the character speaking it? How about composite characters? The answers will vary according to the work. Remain consistent with the Truth of the matter, meaning its spirit, what you remember as the meaning of a particular incident.
Writing Tip for Today: Examine an event you are writing about for memoir. Does it hold true for the spirit of the memory? If not, you as the writer may indeed have crossed the line.
Where should we draw the line? Is it OK to use fabricated dialogue if we remain true to the character speaking it? How about composite characters? The answers will vary according to the work. Remain consistent with the Truth of the matter, meaning its spirit, what you remember as the meaning of a particular incident.
Writing Tip for Today: Examine an event you are writing about for memoir. Does it hold true for the spirit of the memory? If not, you as the writer may indeed have crossed the line.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Bookmarking Scenes Part II
Carole McDonnell had this to say about the way she uses place holder scenes in her WIP:
"The way I use them is A: to take the idea out of my mind and onto the doc so I won't have to keep thinking of it. and so I won't forget that the scene has to be written. B: to write a scene I know belongs in a certain place but which I don't quite have the energy or skill to write at the moment. I tend to mark those scenes with a XXX so I can do a global search for what still is unwritten. "
Writing Tip for Today:
Try out some of Carole's ideas and see if you don't make progress in getting that novel draft completed.
"The way I use them is A: to take the idea out of my mind and onto the doc so I won't have to keep thinking of it. and so I won't forget that the scene has to be written. B: to write a scene I know belongs in a certain place but which I don't quite have the energy or skill to write at the moment. I tend to mark those scenes with a XXX so I can do a global search for what still is unwritten. "
Writing Tip for Today:
Try out some of Carole's ideas and see if you don't make progress in getting that novel draft completed.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Bookmarking Scenes
It's Sunday but I can't resist discussing a writer's recent post to Facebook. Carole McDonnell updated her wall and said she was working on place holder scenes in her novel in progress. What a great way to describe the first-draft novel writing process. What did she mean? To me, Carole referred to scenes that still need fleshing out, layering or other components. A lot of writers seem to "hear" the dialogue first, so the scene starts out with little except people talking. Later, the writer adds action, facial expression, inner thoughts, scene setting and so on.
Writing Tip for Today: With thanks to Carole, if you are working away on a novel, you might make a list of possible scenes that advance your novel's conflict/question to the climax. It's a pretty safe bet the first try at some of these scenes will be some sort of bookmark or place holder scene. Instead of telling yourself they're no good, promise to come back to the bookmarked scenes and flesh them out or make them come fully alive. You'll be amazed at the results. Remember, there are two kinds of writing: Writing that works and writing that needs work. Keep writing!
Writing Tip for Today: With thanks to Carole, if you are working away on a novel, you might make a list of possible scenes that advance your novel's conflict/question to the climax. It's a pretty safe bet the first try at some of these scenes will be some sort of bookmark or place holder scene. Instead of telling yourself they're no good, promise to come back to the bookmarked scenes and flesh them out or make them come fully alive. You'll be amazed at the results. Remember, there are two kinds of writing: Writing that works and writing that needs work. Keep writing!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Book Review: The Echo Within: Finding Your True Calling by Robert Benson
In the writing classes I teach, one of the things I repeat over and over is, “Your goal as a writer is to build a bridge from you to your reader.” Robert Benson’s new book, The Echo Within: Finding Your True Calling (Waterbrook/Random House, 2009), is a simple yet graceful bridge, one constructed from his own honesty and experience. His advice to follow the One Who spoke you and me and everything into being is certainly not a new idea. Yet Benson’s next statement is provocative and refreshing: if you think God’s voice sounds suspiciously like your own, don’t necessarily reject or mistrust that voice. Listen closely and you’ll find that voice is part of that Voice, the One who Spoke creation itself. That Voice can help you find your vocation.
I read The Echo Within in one sitting, although this gem of a book could be digested in smaller bites. Chapters are short, yet the seeker’s narrative pulls the reader through phases of Benson’s life and work. These phases could be my life and work or yours, which lends depth and humility to the book’s tone. And that’s his point, I think. By following the sound of his Master’s voice, Benson walks the same path we all travel.
He offers a simple but not necessarily easy way to find one’s true calling. Anyone who searches for purpose, who wrestles with vocations, both real and dreamed of, mundane or artistic, will find himself or herself greeting Benson on the far side of this elegant bridge he has built from his life to ours.
I read The Echo Within in one sitting, although this gem of a book could be digested in smaller bites. Chapters are short, yet the seeker’s narrative pulls the reader through phases of Benson’s life and work. These phases could be my life and work or yours, which lends depth and humility to the book’s tone. And that’s his point, I think. By following the sound of his Master’s voice, Benson walks the same path we all travel.
He offers a simple but not necessarily easy way to find one’s true calling. Anyone who searches for purpose, who wrestles with vocations, both real and dreamed of, mundane or artistic, will find himself or herself greeting Benson on the far side of this elegant bridge he has built from his life to ours.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Writing Conflict:How to Keep Readers Reading
You've managed to hook your reader with your opening. How do you keep them turning pages? Good fiction or memoir stems from stories with conflict.
Emotional Conflict: Create tension and suspense by adding emotional conflict about what your POV character is seeing and feeling.
Physical Conflict: Introduce a sense of physical conflict. Is it raining? Is there a time limit? Is Mom glaring?
Risk: Inserting conflict for the sake of it becomes pointless unless the character is facing a certain degree of risk. Must be believable risk. If necessary raise the stakes.
Consequences: The conflict is pointless unless dire consequences threaten to dash the character's hopes, dreams or goals.
Writing Tip for Today: Ask questions about your readers. Why should the reader care what happens to your characters? Why should the reader keep turning those pages? Why would the reader want to read what happens next?
Emotional Conflict: Create tension and suspense by adding emotional conflict about what your POV character is seeing and feeling.
Physical Conflict: Introduce a sense of physical conflict. Is it raining? Is there a time limit? Is Mom glaring?
Risk: Inserting conflict for the sake of it becomes pointless unless the character is facing a certain degree of risk. Must be believable risk. If necessary raise the stakes.
Consequences: The conflict is pointless unless dire consequences threaten to dash the character's hopes, dreams or goals.
Writing Tip for Today: Ask questions about your readers. Why should the reader care what happens to your characters? Why should the reader keep turning those pages? Why would the reader want to read what happens next?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Details Matter
Today my novel's first proofs are staring at me. They're due soon and I will be humiliated if any errata slips into print. But I'm resisting diving into the copy editing mode. That leads me to stall by reminding my students and readers that copyediting is not the same as critique or self-editing. When a student tells me they've edited or had their writing edited, I always wonder what the writer means. Proofreading? I wish it were that easy. Many of my writer students hear me harping on them about structure, about how their stories unfold. All good. Nobody wants to read a perfectly puncuated weak story.
Still, in my classes, revision can mean "big picture" items such as theme, content and story structure or it can also mean editing for usage, sentence construction and yes, the little things like periods or paragraph indents that often escape us at first read.
Those little things are as important as the big picture. More than anything, small style errors make the writer seem amateurish. Take the time to find out correct usage, grammar, spelling and puncuation. Doing so strengthens your committment to excellence in writing and helps you compete for publishing ink. Guess I'd better take my own advice and get at those proofs.
Writing Tip for Today: Is there an area of those "little things" where you aren't sure about the rule? Pick up your copy of Strunk & White's Elements of Style, and look up the correct form. Then practice it. Details matter.
Still, in my classes, revision can mean "big picture" items such as theme, content and story structure or it can also mean editing for usage, sentence construction and yes, the little things like periods or paragraph indents that often escape us at first read.
Those little things are as important as the big picture. More than anything, small style errors make the writer seem amateurish. Take the time to find out correct usage, grammar, spelling and puncuation. Doing so strengthens your committment to excellence in writing and helps you compete for publishing ink. Guess I'd better take my own advice and get at those proofs.
Writing Tip for Today: Is there an area of those "little things" where you aren't sure about the rule? Pick up your copy of Strunk & White's Elements of Style, and look up the correct form. Then practice it. Details matter.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Feet to the Flame--Maintaining Tension
In last night's novel writing class we discussed keeping the stakes high for the main character. High stakes can be made higher by a variety of methods: adding in a time limit, throwing your character into a natural disaster on top of his other problems, and making the present problem bigger, more significant or more ironic. The higher the stakes of the novel, the more your character must risk to achieve his goal. The more tension you add, the more anxious readers are to find out what happens.
Writing Tip for Today: Think of a box with your character in it. The box is the story. If you keep shrinking the options for your character, the box gets smaller. Soon the character is forced to act--no wiggle room. Then turn up the heat, using one of the higher stakes methods above. To increase the stakes, try using the "What if?" method. Ask yourself "what if" and add in to your story line plausible answers to the question. Happy writing!
Writing Tip for Today: Think of a box with your character in it. The box is the story. If you keep shrinking the options for your character, the box gets smaller. Soon the character is forced to act--no wiggle room. Then turn up the heat, using one of the higher stakes methods above. To increase the stakes, try using the "What if?" method. Ask yourself "what if" and add in to your story line plausible answers to the question. Happy writing!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Too Much Too Soon? Rate of Revelation
A chapter of a novel I was critiquing today contained three important scenes that in some way resolved the story's main questions. The trouble was, these scenes tied up conflicts near the middle of the book. The technical term is the Rate of Revelation. Holding back on resolution yet maintaining tension can be some of the more frustrating parts of novel writing. On your first draft, just get your story down, even if there are similar mistakes. On revision (second or thirty-second drafts), you can move these seminal scenes or spread them out so everything isn't happening at once. By foreshadowing or witholding crucial information, characters are able to argue about important stuff but leave the matter unresolved. This helps prop up the mid-point of a novel and also pulls your reader forward.
Writing Tip for Today: When you revise, look for scenes that try to accomplish too much or that deflate too much of the tension. In the middle of a novel, your biggest questions can be brought up, but if you resolve them, the story will end. A fancy term, the Rate of Revelation, just means how fast or slow you reveal to the reader certain information. Witholding and/or foreshadowing (setting up earlier in the story) are tools you can use to control this rate.
Writing Tip for Today: When you revise, look for scenes that try to accomplish too much or that deflate too much of the tension. In the middle of a novel, your biggest questions can be brought up, but if you resolve them, the story will end. A fancy term, the Rate of Revelation, just means how fast or slow you reveal to the reader certain information. Witholding and/or foreshadowing (setting up earlier in the story) are tools you can use to control this rate.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Grounding the Reader with Beats
In yesterday's post we talked about the debate over using attributions or tags to denote a speaker in dialogue versus using action/narrative beats. I mentioned that for your readers, the surroundings of a scene begin to dissolve in only a few dialogue exchanges. Quickly, the reader can forget where they are, who's in the scene and what the characters are doing. The result of a long dialogue ping-pong is talking heads. Grounding your reader is a tool to keep those elements in the reader's mind so he/she will experience your scene like a movie. A beat is a sentence (or 2 or 3) that accomplishes the grounding. In between dialogue lines, insert actions (Grace stood up and headed for the exit.), emotional narration (Grace had never experienced such a rude salesclerk.), remind reader of surroundings (The antique shop was crammed floor to ceiling with the dusty remains of people's lives.) or report interior feelings (Grace fought back the urge to cough.). The Rule of Three comes in handy for gauging how many dialogue lines and how many beats to add for a natural and plausible scene.
Writing Tip for Today: Scenes become a total experience when you ground the reader. Write a scene in which you practice grounding the reader. Weave through your scene a blend of spoken lines and beats. Try to avoid all dialogue tags. Instead, use beats to convey the total picture.
Writing Tip for Today: Scenes become a total experience when you ground the reader. Write a scene in which you practice grounding the reader. Weave through your scene a blend of spoken lines and beats. Try to avoid all dialogue tags. Instead, use beats to convey the total picture.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Attributions--In or Out?
A student confesses that she's miffed at her writing critique group. Just when she thinks she's mastered dialogue's only-use-said-as-attribution-rule, here comes a new wave. Someone in the group came home from a writers conference and announced that even a simple attribution in dialogue is now taboo. Instead, a "beat" of action or narrative is preferred by writers in-the-know. The student wants my opinion. OK.
Many times that action/narrative beat is an easy, simple way to keep your reader grounded in the scene. But like every writing rule, it's a malleable guideline. One thing almost all writing gurus agree on is that good writers vary their prose. Use "said" if you want to. But do remember that a scene's surroundings begin to recede quickly for the reader. Action/narrative beats remind the reader where, when and how come we are in a particular scene.
Writing Tip for Today: Go through a scene you wrote that contains a lot of simple attributions like, "he said." Vary the dialogue by adding in sentences of action or narration to indicate what the character is doing, thinking and feeling. EX: John straightened the painting on the wall. "I can't stand to see a crooked frame." He glared at Joan. "You get it?"
Many times that action/narrative beat is an easy, simple way to keep your reader grounded in the scene. But like every writing rule, it's a malleable guideline. One thing almost all writing gurus agree on is that good writers vary their prose. Use "said" if you want to. But do remember that a scene's surroundings begin to recede quickly for the reader. Action/narrative beats remind the reader where, when and how come we are in a particular scene.
Writing Tip for Today: Go through a scene you wrote that contains a lot of simple attributions like, "he said." Vary the dialogue by adding in sentences of action or narration to indicate what the character is doing, thinking and feeling. EX: John straightened the painting on the wall. "I can't stand to see a crooked frame." He glared at Joan. "You get it?"
Friday, April 10, 2009
Your Writing Life
John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." We all have to make time for our writing--it really is true that in order to be a writer, you must write. Last night a novel writing student said she had the best of intentions for a writing session, but then the IRS rejected her tax return and the writing time vanished. Another said her mother was dying. No one plans for interruptions , but they occur.
Don't waste time berating yourself when life gets in the way of your writing plans, but don't make excuses for avoiding the keyboard. Those dust bunnies can wait. Meanwhile, get that word count in. And when life throws a curveball, perhaps a writing-related activity (reading, copyediting, research) will be as much as you can handle. If you are up to your eyeballs in holy week, just get through it and resume your routine when you recover.
Writing Tip for Today: When your writing plans are thwarted, see if you can sneak in some reading. Carry with you a small notebook to jot down plot points, character qualities or other ideas. Above all, don't give up. Practice the 3 Ps: Practice, Patience, Persistence. Happy Easter to all.
Don't waste time berating yourself when life gets in the way of your writing plans, but don't make excuses for avoiding the keyboard. Those dust bunnies can wait. Meanwhile, get that word count in. And when life throws a curveball, perhaps a writing-related activity (reading, copyediting, research) will be as much as you can handle. If you are up to your eyeballs in holy week, just get through it and resume your routine when you recover.
Writing Tip for Today: When your writing plans are thwarted, see if you can sneak in some reading. Carry with you a small notebook to jot down plot points, character qualities or other ideas. Above all, don't give up. Practice the 3 Ps: Practice, Patience, Persistence. Happy Easter to all.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Character in Fiction
You may have heard it said that character is story and story is character. If you are in the draft stages of a novel, you may think you know your main character, the protagonist. But how much do you really know? Many authors research the backgrounds of their characters--stuff that may not make it into the actual book but that the writer knows about the character. They make lists of qualities, from the color of their eyes to their inner-most secrets. As you create your fictional world and your character, think of the main qualities your protagonist possesses. Add in flaws to help your hero seem realistic. These qualities will in many ways dictate your story, so that the character is the story.
Writing Tip for Today: Make a list of your protagonist's qualities. Some you may consider include honesty, courage, forgiveness and generosity. Flaws could be small, say, refusing to comb his hair or wearing flip-flops to his wedding, or they could be large, like refusing to forgive someone. Just make sure the flaw doesn't make the character unsympathetic. If the flaw is that your main guy is an ax murderer, readers may feel uneasy about rooting for that character.
Writing Tip for Today: Make a list of your protagonist's qualities. Some you may consider include honesty, courage, forgiveness and generosity. Flaws could be small, say, refusing to comb his hair or wearing flip-flops to his wedding, or they could be large, like refusing to forgive someone. Just make sure the flaw doesn't make the character unsympathetic. If the flaw is that your main guy is an ax murderer, readers may feel uneasy about rooting for that character.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Authenticity in Writing
Today I read a student's work (hi, Patti!) that was not only well-written, but the scene/character/situation was authentic. When I read the pages, I was so impressed by the scene's plausibility, as if the writer somehow inhabited the character and knew things only someone in that situation would know. The voice of five year-old Ray in the scene was authentic. The scene was a 9.5 out of 10 on the Authenti-meter.
My student may not have started out writing this close to real experience. She observed, wrote, rewrote, practiced, listened, rewrote.
If there actually was an Authenti-meter, some gadget to measure the truth or genuineness of a story, where would your work land?
Writing Tip for Today: Look over your last writing session's work. Are there places that step out of voice? Identify these places by asking yourself if the character would really speak, think or act the way you wrote it. Don't protect your character from danger. From now on, practice authenticity in writing. Observe, listen to and remember unique qualities of people around you.
My student may not have started out writing this close to real experience. She observed, wrote, rewrote, practiced, listened, rewrote.
If there actually was an Authenti-meter, some gadget to measure the truth or genuineness of a story, where would your work land?
Writing Tip for Today: Look over your last writing session's work. Are there places that step out of voice? Identify these places by asking yourself if the character would really speak, think or act the way you wrote it. Don't protect your character from danger. From now on, practice authenticity in writing. Observe, listen to and remember unique qualities of people around you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Scene Writing
What is a SCENE?
As in movies or the stage, a scene is a certain time and place with characters meeting for a specific purpose. This purpose is better if it involves conflict or dramatic tension. Think ACTION, where people move, act and speak. If you write using scenes, your readers will be able to experience the story, not just be told about it.
As you learn to write in scenes, you will also add in narrative sequel. Narrative sequel is the viewpoint character’s thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Pacing is the length between scenes. If you have your character “thinking” too much, your reader craves action. If your character goes from one scene to another with no internal information, the reader can feel breathless and/or that the story lacks depth.
Here are the Eleven Elements of a Scene:
Characters
Purpose (why are the characters here?)
Point of View (who’s telling the story?)
Setting (where are we?)
Time boundary (when are we?)
Quality of Light (morning, dark, stormy, bright?)
Sight
Sound
Smell
Touch
Taste
Writing Tip for Today: Write a scene from your story. See how many of the eleven elements you can include.
As in movies or the stage, a scene is a certain time and place with characters meeting for a specific purpose. This purpose is better if it involves conflict or dramatic tension. Think ACTION, where people move, act and speak. If you write using scenes, your readers will be able to experience the story, not just be told about it.
As you learn to write in scenes, you will also add in narrative sequel. Narrative sequel is the viewpoint character’s thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Pacing is the length between scenes. If you have your character “thinking” too much, your reader craves action. If your character goes from one scene to another with no internal information, the reader can feel breathless and/or that the story lacks depth.
Here are the Eleven Elements of a Scene:
Characters
Purpose (why are the characters here?)
Point of View (who’s telling the story?)
Setting (where are we?)
Time boundary (when are we?)
Quality of Light (morning, dark, stormy, bright?)
Sight
Sound
Smell
Touch
Taste
Writing Tip for Today: Write a scene from your story. See how many of the eleven elements you can include.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Emotional Appeal in Novels
Last post I talked about conflict/tension/problems growing like an ocean wave, cresting at the climax. Inherent conflict and high stakes are necessary, but Donald Maass'
Writing the Breakout Novel, adds an interesting ingredient to the mix: an emotional "gut" appeal. According to Maass, "gut emotional appeal springs from the emotional situations that grab us in life." To me this means, if I add in a complication that is not only high conflict/tension and also bring something few can ignore emotionally (think dying characters, fear of something others take for granted, or unrequited or passionate love) my book's premise will be more likely to succeed.
Writing Tip for Today: Try to state your novel's premise (basic story line) in one or two sentences. Does your story include an emotionally gut-wrenching component? If not, or if that component seems overused, try to think of some ideas. You can use the phrase, "What If?" to help you brainstorm.
Writing the Breakout Novel, adds an interesting ingredient to the mix: an emotional "gut" appeal. According to Maass, "gut emotional appeal springs from the emotional situations that grab us in life." To me this means, if I add in a complication that is not only high conflict/tension and also bring something few can ignore emotionally (think dying characters, fear of something others take for granted, or unrequited or passionate love) my book's premise will be more likely to succeed.
Writing Tip for Today: Try to state your novel's premise (basic story line) in one or two sentences. Does your story include an emotionally gut-wrenching component? If not, or if that component seems overused, try to think of some ideas. You can use the phrase, "What If?" to help you brainstorm.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Wave
I met a new novel writing class last night, and one of the students said she has started a bunch of different stories but doesn't seem to follow through with any of them. Maybe it's a good time to think about how stories develop. Many begin with a character, which is great, but right away that main character needs a problem. A big problem. The problem can be expressed as a goal or desire of that character, confounded by obstacles. The shape of the story then becomes like a wave, with tension starting as a bump in the ocean, rising until the climax. At the climax, or as the wave crests and breaks, the main character must act, make a decision or otherwise attempt to solve the problem once and for all.
Writing Tip for Today: If you are struggling with a partial novel/story, consider plotting or at least reviewing how the tension grows as the reader nears the top of the wave or climax. Are you allowing your character to win too easily? If so, increase the stakes by placing character in a more important situation, adding obstacles and weaving in an emotional gut punch the reader cannot ignore. More on that next time. Stay tuned.
Writing Tip for Today: If you are struggling with a partial novel/story, consider plotting or at least reviewing how the tension grows as the reader nears the top of the wave or climax. Are you allowing your character to win too easily? If so, increase the stakes by placing character in a more important situation, adding obstacles and weaving in an emotional gut punch the reader cannot ignore. More on that next time. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Too Many Modifiers
What's a modifier? An adjective or adverb. Your fourth grade teacher tried to get you to use them, lots of them, to make your writing "descriptive." Trouble is, descriptive writing like that usually winds up cluttered with a bunch of words that don't "buy" the author much. especially adverbs, which are not our friends. Instead of calling on modifiers to strength your prose, try looking for active verbs and concrete sensory details (nouns). Avoid general and vague terms wherever possible.
Writing Tip for Today: Go through a piece of writing and circle all the modifiers. See how many you can replace with active verbs (He walked quickly might be stronger as: He ran.) or more specific CSD, Concrete Sensory Details. (The beautiful, elegant car was in the showroom. The Jaguar XKE gleamed in the showroom.)
Writing Tip for Today: Go through a piece of writing and circle all the modifiers. See how many you can replace with active verbs (He walked quickly might be stronger as: He ran.) or more specific CSD, Concrete Sensory Details. (The beautiful, elegant car was in the showroom. The Jaguar XKE gleamed in the showroom.)
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