Writing tips

Dialect-Use it Wisely but Use it!

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Dialogue is one of my favorite tools in the writing arsenal. You can do so much with it and if done correctly it will keep your story moving forward by showing not telling. One of the key components in dialogue is dialect. Use it wisely but use it. One thing you want to avoid is coming across offensive or stereotypical(racist). 

Dialect allows you to differentiate between characters and get a better understanding about who they are. You can learn a lot about a person based on their accent, grammar, and choice of words. Dialect done properly suggests- education level, social status, race, and ethnicity.

Examples of slang, nonstandard syntax, or grammar to suggest race, social class, education i.e.

gonna vs. going to

kinda vs kind of

holler vs hollow

don’t matta vs It doesn’t matter.

If you have a character from abroad throw in some regional slang (Scottish say-aye for yes and bairns for children).

The next time you read a book take a close look at your characters and their dialect. You will learn a lot. The fact that you didn’t even think about it while reading the novel is a plus for the author. It was seamlessly woven into the story.

Speech pattern is important as well, but it’s less about dialect and more about consistency and knowing your character. If your character is……

  • terse                –   short burst of speech
  • angry               –   speaks through clinched teeth
  • nervous            –   stammers or rambles
  • domineering    –   silent and threatening or rages

If you’re writing science fiction you can develop you own language and your own rules. There are no limits. Just be consistent.

Hope this gives you something to think about when writing dialogue. Remember to differentiate through dialect, and the dialect should match your characters position in society. Also remember to be consistent with speech patterns, unless an evolution in speech pattern is an integral part of the story (Flowers for Algernon, My fair lady).

-Jan R

Dialect-Use it Wisely but Use it!

Your Inner Critic is Your Worst Enemy

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, Leave a comment

If you are constantly looking over your shoulder, you may not finish your novel. You will be too busy battling the thoughts of it not being good enough. No one wants to be humiliated or rejected. Your inner critic will paralyze you by telling you just how bad your work really is (even if it’s not).  This is another obstacle that I have had to overcome. It hasn’t gone away, I’ve just learned to deal with it.

I recall doing a Bible study on the battlefield of the mind. Though its primary purpose is dealing with spiritual warfare, it also relates to many of the issues that we deal with in our everyday lives. Our mind is a battlefield. In writing for example, all of us worry about looking dumb and never getting published. Fiction writers make a business out of being scared and not just looking dumb.

It took me six months from the time I started writing a novel, to tell my husband what I was doing. When I finally told him, I was a mess. I knew he would be excited for me and encourage me in my endeavor, and I didn’t want to let him down.

For the longest time I’ve treated my writing as a hobby. That’s not a mindset that will get you published. When I finished and sent out my first novel to a few agents, I was more than a little anxious. The first few rejections confirmed my beliefs. I just wasn’t good enough.

Note that I said I wasn’t good enough. Well that’s not exactly true. The truth is the novel wasn’t good enough. The fact is, it was filled with grammatical and structural errors, there was some serious head hopping going on, and my on-the-nose dialogue was all but bringing the story to a complete halt. If you are not familiar with these terms you should be. Go back and read the posts I have written addressing them.

I don’t know that the inner critic will ever go away. So how do you combat it? You keep moving forward and growing in your craft. Don’t stop. I still question my writing abilities, but I know that I know that I know, that they are a lot better than they were when I submitted my first novel. I’ve learned the hard way and hope to help you avoid some of my pit falls.

Some professionals recommend the following exercises to help you move forward  when the inner critic tries to stop you.  I do my own variation but never really thought about it.

  1. The five-minute nonstop-Write for five minutes nonstop without thinking about what you’re writing.
  2. The page long sentence-Choose something to describe and write a page long sentence about it.
  3. The list maker-Whenever you’re stuck for an idea make a list. Brainstorm the ideas and use the best.

I just pound away at the keyboard and concentrate on what I’m writing about until inspiration kicks in and it will. Just don’t quit.

-Jan R

Your Inner Critic is Your Worst Enemy

Narrative Do’s and Don’ts

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You would think by now I would have this one figured out, but maybe not. The last contest I entered had a recurring theme from the judges. You have to show and not tell. I thought I was showing, well turns out I was telling with action. Yes, narrative can move a story forward or stop it abruptly, depending on how you use it. And while narrative is not always bad, the rule of thumb is show not tell.

Now back to Narrative Do’s and Don’ts

Narrative. Should I or shouldn’t I? We all know the unspoken rule of writing. And for those who need a reminder, it’s show don’t tell. With this being said, there are legitimate reasons for using narrative and there are legitimate reasons for not using narrative.

Dos and Don’ts

  • Do – use Narrative to speed through scenes that aren’t important but relevant to the storyline.
  • Do – use Narrative to slow the pace after an intense scene to allow your reader to catch their breath.
  • Do – use Narrative to show the passing of time.
  • Don’t – Narrative can sound like lecture if not done properly. Someone interrupted the story to give a speech.
  • Don’t – Narrative summary can make it unclear whose POV you’re working in.
  • Don’t – Narrative runs the risk of robbing scenes of their power. It summarizes everything and important scenes aren’t allowed to play out.

So, there it is. There is much more to Narrative that I’m not getting into today, but hopefully this short blog gives you something to think about. Narrative is an important tool in writing when used correctly, but can be your downfall if used incorrectly.

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Narrative Do’s and Don’ts

How Do I Show and Not Tell?

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A simple question with what should be a simple answer, but I can tell you it’s a lot harder than you think. I did major revisions on my current novel and entered it in a contest expecting rave reviews. Well, at least good ones. All three judges came to the same conclusion. I was telling far more than I was showing.

While some narrative is necessary, it shouldn’t be front loaded, and it should be balanced with dialogue and action.

Jerry Jenkins, one of my favorite blogger/mentors in the writing arena, said show don’t tell is a hard concept for most new writers to grasp, but once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

I agree with him totally and am in the process of revising my manuscript to show not tell again 🙂 One thing to keep in mind while writing, just because there’s a lot of action doesn’t mean you’re showing. A mistake I made.

Exxample:

John’s horse’s hoofs seemed to take flight as it ran for safety. (A lot of action there and a pretty sentence too, but I’m telling.)

John held on tight, as his hips ached, and his teeth rattled from quick repetitive thumps on the saddle. What spooked my horse?

The second sentence may not be perfect 🙂 but I hope it helps you understand show not tell. Just because your sentences are packed with action, doesn’t mean they are showing. Get into your character’s head. What are they feeling? What are they thinking? What are they seeing?

I thought I could use a refresher on how to show and not tell, and why it’s so important. Of course, I wanted to share it with you.

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard the phrase-show don’t tell. Everybody knows you’re supposed to show and not tell. You want the reader to experience the scene as if they are one of the characters walking through the story beside the hero/heroine.

If you’re like me, you know what you’re supposed to do, but it’s a lot harder than it seems. Once you start writing that novel, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

There are 5 tools for showing:

  • Dialogue
  • Action
  • Interior dialogue
  • Interior emotion
  • Description-Sensory

If you’re doing anything that’s not one of these 5 things, you’re telling.

Why is it so important to show versus tell? Showing provides your reader with a powerful emotional experience.

It doesn’t matter how great you do everything else in that novel if you’re missing that emotional experience, you lose. If everything you did is bad, but you have a great emotional experience, you may still win.

It all comes down to the takeaway. Every great novelist will tell you, you have to give your reader that powerful emotional experience or they won’t be coming back.

-Something to think about 🙂

-Jan R

How Do I Show and Not Tell?

Do You Have Rewrite-itis?

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I got tickled when I first saw this word. I have to admit, I have dealt with rewrite-itis. What is it? It’s a severe condition that effects both published and unpublished writers according to The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel. It means you are unable to call a book, chapter, or even a scene finished. So, what causes the condition? A fear of failure or success. For me it is definitely failure.

What are the symptoms?

  • Rewriting the same scene, chapter, or book more than ten times.
  • Never finishing a book, because you keep going back to polish the first chapter over and over again.
  • Constantly having others read your book with the hopes they will give you some new revisions to do.
  • Taking your finished manuscript to the post office to mail, only to return home with it in hand for further revision.

So, what do you think? Do you have a case of rewrite-itis?

Rewrite-itis has a close cousin – Research-itis. Maybe you have that one too. True research is crucial to any novel, but an author needs to know when to say, “Enough is enough.”

So what is the cure? Set goals and deadlines and stick to them. Remember your manuscript is your baby, but sooner or later you have to turn it loose.

Just something to think about.

-Jan R

Do You Have Rewrite-itis?

ing – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

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One of my favorite Posts deals with ‘ing’ words. They’re there. Sometimes they take over your story without you even realizing it, and other times they get lost in the background. Take a closer look at your prose. Especially in those areas that aren’t reading as smoothly as you would like. Maybe you will discover you are having a love affair with ‘ing’. These ‘ing’ words are all over the place.

Once I discovered my love affair with ‘ing’, I stopped the revision process and did some research on ‘ing’. I remembered reading somewhere, that the overuse of ‘ing’ words was not a good thing.

Opportunities to overuse the ‘ing’ word are boundless. There are nouns, adjectives, verbs, and even verbs masquerading as nouns called gerunds, all ending in ‘ing’.

So, what’s the big deal? What’s wrong with ‘ing’ words?

The overuse of ‘ing’ words mark you as an amateur – Don’t be alarmed if you see more than a handful on one page. Do take a closer look if you see more than a handful in a single paragraph.

Example of bad use of ‘ing’

While wrapping a soothing sling around the fledgling’s broken wing, Diana was humming, dreaming of her prince charming. Yet troubling thoughts about his depressing friend Starling kept intruding, interrupting her very entertaining daydreams. There was something intriguing and alarming about him.

‘ing’ verbs weaken your writing and make it clumsy and hard to read .                                                                                                                                                                    Abigail was walking along the bike trail. There was a boy riding his bike. He was smiling up at her as she passed. She started wondering what the boy was so happy about.

Abigail walked along the bike trail. A boy smiled at her as he rode passed. She wondered what he was so happy about.

Starting a sentence with an ‘ing’ word is the weakest way to begin a sentence.

Hitting the thug in the face with her purse, Josie reached for her phone.

Josie hit the thug in the face with her purse and reached for her phone.

To identify overuse of ‘ing’ words in your writing, try this:

  1. Use the “search” or “find” function in your word processing app(usually under editing).
  2. Use ‘ing’ as your search term.
  3. Examine each ‘ing’ word you find.
  4. Ask whether the ‘ing’ word is essential to meaning.
  5. Determine whether a simple past or other tense might work better.
  6. Decide if a stronger word choice might be the way to go.

Once you identify ‘ing’ words, replace weak or common ones with specific, stronger word choices. Your writing will become more concise, clear, and engaging.

Remember, not all ‘ing’ words are bad. The issue is whether or not you have made the best word choice.

So much info on the internet. You get the cliff notes. Hope they help, or at least get you thinking  🙂

-Jan R

ing – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Are Your Words Qualified? (Revisited)

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , Leave a comment

A few years ago, I picked up a copy of “The Elements of Style” at a library book sale for a dollar. If you’ve never heard of the book, I would highly recommend it. It’s one of those books that every writer should own.

It is filled with tips on how to write and make every word count, or every word tell, as the authors like to put it.

One of the tips offered, that I am guilty of, is avoiding the addition of qualifiers to your words. Qualifiers are words like rather, very, pretty, big, and little. My favorite one to use, or misuse I should say,  is very 🙂 These words are described as leeches that take hold and suck the blood out of your words.

Because ‘very’ is my nemesis, I thought I would share a picture that I found on Google Images. As you can see, it provides alternatives to using ‘very’ and gets you to thinking about what you are really trying to say.  I love it, and it has been very helpful (invaluable) to me. I hope it helps you as well.

180cfb2d106dba23a34473f7df75495b

Something to think about!

-Jan R

Are Your Words Qualified? (Revisited)

Is Your Main Character Likeable?

Writing your first novel-Some things you should know, , , 1 Comment

Your lead character doesn’t have to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and he doesn’t have to stop speeding bullets with his bare hands, but he darn well better know the difference between right and wrong, and he better be kind to animals, and it sure wouldn’t hurt any if he brushed his teeth regularly.  Dean R. Koontz – How To Write Best Selling Fiction

I think you get the picture. Your main character needs to be likable and relatable. It would help if he had a few flaws as well. Nobody’s perfect.

Something to think about 🙂

-Jan R

Is Your Main Character Likeable?

Be Definite, Specific, and Concrete – Revisited

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Don’t you hate it when you’re talking to somebody and they are all wishy-washy? Why can’t they just come out and say it? Most of the time you know what they are getting at and want to spit it out for them. Well, the same thing goes for writing.

The surest way to gain and hold a reader’s attention is through definite, specific, concrete writing. Don’t make me as a reader try to figure out what you are trying to say. It’s not my place to write your novel. I just want to read and enjoy it. Allow me to enter the realm of your imagination without trying to figure out every little detail myself.

Examples:

The weather was dreadful. vs. It rained every day for a week.

He was happy to take possession of his well-earned reward. vs. He smiled as he placed the coin in his pocket.

I don’t think I have to point out which sentence in these examples is the more specific and concrete. Also, you may have noticed when I went concrete, I lost the passive “be” verbs 🙂

Best-selling authors are effective because they deal in particulars and report details that matter in a definite, specific, concrete way.

Just something to think about.

-Jan R

Be Definite, Specific, and Concrete – Revisited

Don’t Give Up – Repost

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I write a lot about perseverance, because from everything I’ve read, it’s the one characteristic all published authors have in common. They don’t give up! They take their day or two or however long they need to get over the rejection from yet another agent, and then they dust themselves off and get back to work.

Don’t take rejections personal. The agent’s/publisher’s decision is business related, and truth be known, it may have nothing to do with your manuscript. If there are no obvious flaws with your work, send it out to other agents. Just because you were rejected by one agent, doesn’t mean you will be by the next.

The New York Times best selling author of “The Help”, was rejected by 60 different agents. You read that right. Her 61st attempt was a success. The book was on the best seller list for the entire year and eventually made into a movie.

So why do books get rejected?

Maybe your manuscript just isn’t ready.

  • The author can’t format, spell, and doesn’t understand grammar. The result is  incomprehensible sentences that leave the reader confused, pulling them completely out of the story.
  • Dragging dialogue, head hopping, poor character development, plot holes, info dumping…
  • Maybe your work isn’t that bad and with competent editing, it’s publishable. Staff editors don’t have the time and sometimes don’t even have the necessary experience to clean your work up. Hire an editor before you send your manuscript out for consideration if self-editing isn’t an option.

Maybe your manuscript is ready but….

  • The agent/agency has an abundance of the genre you just submitted, and they are not accepting anything new in that genre until their inventory decreases.  You really weren’t a fit for what they were looking for.
  • Maybe the agent/publisher reviewing your work is in such a bad mood, they would turn down  Nicholas Sparks “The Notebook”,  even if it was handed to them on a silver platter – twenty four did. Agents make mistakes.
  • Maybe the storyline/subject matter you’re writing about isn’t selling right now. Zombie books are getting old. People want something new.
  • The publisher could literally be in a cash crunch, and no matter how great your book is, they can’t purchase it right now. They have a freeze in place until some books start selling, and they can build up their reserves.

What I’m trying to say, is there are a lot of reasons books get rejected, and they may have nothing to do with your work. I’ve read more than once, that perseverance is the key.

If you have a great, publishable piece of work, don’t give up, submit it to other agencies for review. If you have less than perfect work, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Don’t expect someone to fix it for you. They won’t.

It might be time to hire that editor, but don’t give up!!!

-Jan R

Don’t Give Up – Repost