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.

Writing Genre Fiction

The rules for fiction writing varies depending on the genre. Romance, mystery, science fiction... they all require different approaches. Most of the time, you can select a passage and within a few lines, you can tell which genre it is.

"He was clearly furious, and her lack of comprehension only seemed to make him angrier. He bore down on her like a hawk on a field mouse, until she had to bow her back to look up at him. The summer sun was behind him, casting him in silhouette." - Sandra Brown in Long Time Coming.

"Her name was Emily Anne. She was nine years old, with black ringlets, long lashes, and caramel colored skin. Her ears were pierced with tiny gold loops. Her forehead was pierced by two slugs from a Cobra 9-mm semiautomatic." Kathy Reichs in Deadly Decisions.

"The factory recommended ammunition was depleted uranium coated with a carbon-based witches' brew and charged with a tiny droplet of antimatter." - John Ringo & Michael Z. Williamson in The Hero (Posleen Wars Series #6).

There are clear indicators for the different genres. We spot most of them without realizing their significance. "Bore down on her" & "bow her back" are romance indicators. They set a mood. The same is true for any genre fiction. Mysteries require a murder - which means a body. Many scenes will relate to the murder and the clues. Science obviously plays a big part of science fiction stories.

That's not to say that all you need do is including these key elements. Like with any fiction, characters, plot, and setting all must come together to form a compelling story, all the while keeping the genre elements in mind.

Where to Begin?

It is sometimes difficult to pin point the best opening for your story. It is easy to unload back story or narrative dumps in the first few chapters. This is because often the story isn't finalized or clear and it takes a few chapters to clarify everything in your mind. This is perfectly fine. Just keep it in mind when you revise and don't be afraid to hit the delete button. Page one of a final draft is rarely similar to page one of a first draft.

For a first draft, pick a spot and begin to write. As you do, you'll get a better feel for the story. By the end, you should be able to recognize the appropriate opening for your story.

Writer's Groups

All writing groups are not equal. Finding the perfect one for you will help you reach the next level quicker. Finding the wrong one may put you off writing entirely. So how do you avoid the bad ones and find the good ones. Unfortunately, I have little advice. I was lucky. I quickly found a group of talented friends. We all attended the same writing workshop in 2002. Everyone at the workshop joined an online group. Most quickly drifted away. Those that remained formed the core of the group - DragonWriters.

Although we share a love for SF/F, we are very different writers. Some outline. Some let their characters lead the way. But one thing we all share is a deep respect for each other and an acceptance of each other's methods. This is a must for any writing group.

Where did you get that idea?

Before you can start writing, you have to have something to write about. An idea. A spark. Where does that come from. I've heard the question many times and it always makes me smile. For me, and many other writers, ideas come everyday, from an array of sources. It can be something mundane like gardening or something unusual like seeing a bright pink van with yard flamingos stuck into its bumper.

Either way, ideas usually spark a "what if" thought. It can be about a plot, a character, or a society. What if a farmer found a rare and powerful artifact while plowing a field? What if a demon fell in love? What if a city could protect its inhabitants?

At first, you may find it difficult to settle on a topic, but once you start, you will become more proficient. In fact, often ideas come when I'm waist deep in a project. Rather than allow myself to be sidetracked, I've found that if I make a notation, I can retain the idea and stay on track with my project.

A Writer's Quirky Brain

I often wonder at the way my brain works. My grandmother recently passed and during her funeral service a stray thought pops into my brain. What are funerals like in my new fantasy world. This is just one example. These thoughts are like meteor showers and they come in all shapes and sizes. I see someone on the street and my brain creates a whole life story. A poorly written/acted/directed movie will kick my brain into overdrive. Before I know it, I've dissected the plot and planned out how I would have written the ending. I am not alone in this quirky behavior. Writer's just tend to think differently.

Writing is Real Work

Like thousands of others, I’m a writer – an as yet unpublished writer. Unlike thousands of others, I acknowledge that editors and publishing houses generally know their business. There is no conspiracy, no old boys club, no secret formula. The cold truth is that if you write a good story, someone will want to publish it. This is where writing is a business. Despite what some people think, writing is a job and it takes work. It may take a few queries to find the right market. If you write a great story, your job is even easier.

And so it begins...

I was never very good at regular diary entries. Let's see how blogging goes. I expect most of my entries will focus on writing, though a few might touch on a few other topics - books, television, movies, animals - just to name a few.