He Said, She Said - Writing Exercise

This is a writing exercise with the emphasis on dialogue.

The first part is to write a scene with two people who are happily in love. The scene should be short, no more than 250 words - about one page, double spaced. Most of it should be dialogue - keep the tags and narrative to a minimum.

Next, using the same basic characters, write a scene with the couple in the midst of a nasty break up.

Now try to do the characters as enemies.

Finally, take a look at your scenes and make a list of all the issues that were revealed - setting details character insights, and plot movement. If you cannot find one issue, then your dialogue needs some work.

Getting There From Here - Writing Exercise

A frequent novice question is, how do you get from point A to point B? This writing exercise is structured to help you practice this skill. Great writers can concoct the most ingenous ways to advance a scene.

This exercise can be a scene or an entire story (if the story is under 1500 words). I've provided the starting and ending points. I've also included a few story elements that must appear somewhere in the scene/story.

Start:
... POV Character hears someone at the door.
End:
... POV Character is in deep water (literal water).

Character Detail:
A character knows CPR.
Setting Detail:
Desk
Plot Detail:
POV character is hiding a crime.

Hooks

What words will grab the reader and keep them engaged?

That question plagues every writer. Some writers fall into the trap of dwelling on the hook. They obsess over that perfect opening line, paragraph, or chapter. Although it is important, it is more important to finish the story. After all, most writers have experienced the necessity of deleting or radically changing that cherished first chapter. Finish the story, then you can turn your focus to how to hook the reader (and the agent or editor).

Which brings us to the hook. Your words must enthrall the reader without being trite. This is hardly an easy task. Writers across many generations have contrived a wide array of unique and worthy openings. Which means that it is incredibly difficult to come up with something new. Great writers make it seem easy. Some drop the reader into the mist of an argument, a battle, a crime, or any number of other happenings. Some use beautiful prose to pull the reader into their thrall. Some grab the reader with a cleaver twist.

As a writer, your job is to find the appropriate opening for the story you are telling.

Show Don't Tell

Show, don't tell. Writers hear this a lot. Show the reader, don't tell them. It's the difference between recapping the events for the reader and engulfing the reader in an experience.

But what does "show, don't tell" mean?

Let's first look at telling. This is when the prose states the bare bones of what happens. She prepared for the party.

Showing is the opposite. The prose provides details of everything that happens. She arranged the warm cookies on the silver tray.

Consider what is omitted when you tell: actions, setting, plot twists, etc. It may be that there is nothing to gain by showing that the character cooked the cookies or that she owns a silver tray. On the other hand, that silver tray may be essential to the plot later on.

This is where you must be a writer. It is up to you to determine what is relevant to your story. This also is part of what editors and agents will be gaging when they review your submission - your ability to show and tell at the appropriate times.

Long Absence

As I predicted, the frequency of my initial postings have been a bit sporadic. This time, I have a good reason for my absence. I returned to school. I am now an English major. Beginning in Fall 2010, I will be an English-Creative Writing major. My first foray was Introduction to Fiction. The class took a great deal of my time, but it was well worth it.



And so now, I find myself months later with no posts, but a new appreciation for academic literary theories.



Again, I plan to return to regular posts. I swear!

The Page Turner

All books have a sense of suspense, whether it be a life and death struggle or a romantic tryst about to be uncovered. Suspense is that something that keeps the reader up hours past their bed time reading just one more page.

But how to write it?

I'm reminded of when I started to play soccer. There were so many things to think about. It's hard to remember all of them at first, so you do your best. The more you play the easier those things come. Before you know it, you're able to run and cut and shoot without much thought.

The same is true for writing good character driven prose. Suspense is one of those things that will fall into place when you've learned to develop characters the readers care about, plots that keep the reader intrigued, and a writing style that flows in an enjoyable rhythm.

Of course there are tricks that you can pick up, such as, short sentences. But these tricks can't fix bad prose or a weak plot. Perhaps the only worthwhile trick is to keep the story arch in mind while writing. Each scene should add to the suspense of the overarching story line. The scene escalation should culminate at the novel's climax.