A to Z of Things Writers Should Know About Writing: Time

Yeah yeah. I know. It's August and I still haven't finished April's A to Z Challenge. I'm getting there, though.

For those of you who missed it, my theme was: Things Writers Should Know About Writing, and I planned to post once a week on the theme until it was done. But then I published two books and held a month long blog tour...

Which actually brings me to the whole point of today's post.

Since I define writers as people who are writing, (as supposed to people who say "I have this great idea, but I just don't have time...") this relates to actual writers having time.

More specifically, I want to point out that writers very rarely have any time to spare. We never have enough time to write enough. And when we do, we don't have time for anything else.

It's a curse, I tell you.

It is, however, quite normal, and you needn't feel guilty about it.

Nor should you feel guilty when you steal time.

Or when you make time, be it to write or not.

You're writing. Even if it's only a small bit at a time.

You're writing, and that's the important thing.

What's your relationship with time like?

5 Tips to Writing Dialogue by Tanya Miranda

Hi all! Today I get to welcome the amazing Tanya Miranda to my blog, where she talks about writing dialogue well. Take it away, Tanya. 

5 Tips to Writing Dialogue

#1 – Read your Dialogue out loud.

You have to feel the words coming out of your mouth in order to know if they sound real, if they sound like something an actual person would say. Say it as the scene requires it. If it's an argument, raise your volume and sharpen your tone. If it's gossip, whisper. If you are exasperated, change your inflection to match the range of emotion. You might change the dialogue as you speak, to feel more natural to the character and situation. Follow your instinct on this. Throw the grammar book out the window since most humans don't follow strict technical rules when speaking in real life.

Unless, of course, you are writing dialogue for an English professor character - then you're grammar has to be top notch!

#2 – Act out the scene.

In addition to speaking the words, act out the scene.  For example, in a fight scene, pretend the aggressor is about to throw a punch and duck to avoid getting hit. Stagger backwards as if you've lost your balance. Will you say, “James, I was only kidding.” or will you say, “For the love of Christ, James, I was only kidding!” Placing yourself at the scene (by pretending) will make the dialogue explode.

Sometimes, you will find that your dialogue doesn't work as you physically speak and act out the scene. Those clever line might not fit the adrenaline pumping through your veins as you imagine being punched in the face. It happens. It's alright to delete a scene altogether if it doesn't work, or rewrite it completely so that it feels realistic. That is why we're doing these exercises.  

#3 – Use body language beats.

Don't forget that people speak volumes with their body language. Reciting dialogue and acting out a scene will help define the body language accompanying the words. Hands hooked into hips, long eye rolls, shrugging shoulders, rubbing your eyes… use these body language beats in place of dialogue tags to add to the emotion.

For example, instead of this:

            I backed away and said, “For the love of Christ, James, I was only kidding!”

You write this:

            I backed away, balling my fists. “For the love of Christ, James, I was only kidding!”  

Is he preparing to fight back? Is he on the defense? You've added a layer of detail to the scene by including the character's body language in place of the dialogue tag, and the reader still knows who is speaking. 

#4 – Keep Dialogue tags simple.

Some writers are obsessed with too much usage of dialogue tags. The word “said” is one of those “invisible” words readers don't notice, until you add an adverb or a description. Too much “she said excitedly” or “he said with anger” distracts the reader from the actual words the characters are saying. When you find these, remove the adverb or description altogether and return the dialogue tag to its simplest form. In addition, either rewrite the dialogue or add body language beats that will help the reader feel the emotion.

For example, instead of this:

            “He proposed to her?” Karen said in a shocked tone.

You write this:

            “He proposed to her?” Karen's jaw dropped open.

Or:

            “There is no way he proposed to her!” Karen said.

You barely even noticed the word “said” there, right? That's because the dialogue is rich with emotion. You want your readers to feel Karen's shock in the beats and dialogue. You don't want to tell your readers she was shocked.

#5 – Avoid “ers”, “uhs”, and “ums”

Some people, uh, naturally speak with, er, these pauses, but, um, reading them is annoying. You may think it sounds realistic, and maybe it does, but … doesn't it sound annoying in real life? Just like it turns people off when they listen to this type of speech, it's likely to turn people off when they read it. 

There are a few exceptions, like when it gives away an emotional shift that is different than the normal tone of the character, or it is triggered by an event and may last for a scene or two. If you need to use it, use it sparingly, unless you want to create an annoying character.

Also, some writers use these to indicate a level of shyness or embarrassment in the character. I find that using body language beats to portray these traits is a better avenue to take.

For example, instead of this:

            Eric said, “She, um, dumped me for Kile.”

You write this:

            Eric shrugged his shoulders and glanced to the side. “She dumped me for Kile.”

It's cleaner and gives more information about how Eric feels while speaking. Also, if Eric has to tell another person his girlfriend dumped him for Kile, you can use a different beat to show off his shame instead of saying the same thing again with an “er” or an “um”. 

~ * ~

Tanya writes fantasy, sci-fi and a little romance. She loves running 5Ks though Braddock Park in North Bergen and playing softball and soccer with her kids. If you give her some Godiva, she'll be your best friend.

To connect with her, visit her blog at http://www.tanyamiranda.com

Check out her latest release, The Box Of Souls, below!

~ * ~

Even the darkest magic can’t break the bonds of family.

18-year-old Jasmyn secretly resents her family’s preference for her 8-year-old sister Katarina. Her jealousy grows when her grandmother, a dying witch, overlooks Jasmyn and chooses Katarina to inherit her magic powers. Although being second-place to her sister is something Jasmyn has grown accustomed to, this rejection wounds her like no other.

When sinister dragons appear along the California coastline, Katarina tries to stop them, but her spells fail. Her family discovers it is because she didn’t inherit all of their grandmother’s magic and that her grandmother split her magic between the two sisters.

Now, Jasmyn and Katarina must work through their sibling rivalry to stop the menace. Can Jasmyn put her pain and resentment aside to wield her grandmother’s magic? The bond of sisterhood is strong, but so are powers of darkness.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords | CreateSpace

Thanks for visiting Tanya! So, ladies and gents, what do you think of Tanya's dialogue tips? What's your favorite way to make dialogue work?

Last stop!

Hey everyone!

Today marks the end of my official blog tour, although I have been invited to a few more blogs over the next few months. Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who's hosted me, and everyone who've supported my tour over this past month.

Also, I want to thank all of you wonderful people who've decided to give my books a try, be they reviewers or people who bought my books.

I can't even measure the amount of gratitude that I feel toward all of you.

Since everyone is so interested in my self publishing journey and I've been praising the process so much, I thought I'd finish off with a bit of balance. So for today, on Annalisa's blog, I wrote about the less than wonderful things about self publishing.

Hope to see you there!

Misha

Want a Sneak Peak from The Vanished Knight?

Hi all!

Today, Cherie Reich is sharing a teaser from The Vanished Knight, so click on over for a sneak peak into my book.

Misha

Terry W Ervin II is interviewing me today.

Hi all!

We're in the home stretch for my blog tour as this is the final week. Although, if anyone wants to interview me or wants me to do a guest post, just let me know. I'm always game. :-)

In the meantime, Terry interviewed me, and we covered a wide range of subjects. From what I like to read, to why I use a pseudonym and how my paintings look. (I sent him a picture too, if you're curious.)

See you there, I hope!

Misha

J Lenni Dorner is interviewing me today.

Hi all!

The blog tour resumes today with me being interviewed by J Lenni Dorner. J also gave my books a great review, for those of your still wondering if you'd like the book or not.

Misha

Announcements and Reveals

Today I'm taking a quick break from my blog tour to spread some great news.

First things first, I want to give a shout-out to Angeline Trevena, whose new book is coming out. My other announcement is at the bottom of the post, and it's totally worth it if you want to market your books.

Not All Medicine is Good for You; Better Check the Label

Never one to let a good character die, British horror and fantasy author Angeline Trevena has accumulated several characters from previously unfinished books, to populate the dystopian world of The Bottle Stopper.

Currently available for pre-order on Kindle, this tense adult horror tracks the story of Maeve, as she devises a murderous plan to free herself from her violent, abusive uncle.

Born and bred in a rural corner of Devon, Angeline now lives among the breweries and canals of central England, with her husband, their son, and a somewhat neurotic cat. She's been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen, and released her début novella, Cutting the Bloodline, in May.

The Bottle Stopper, the first book of The Paper Duchess series, is set 100 years after the world we know today, in a society where the birth rate of girls is at a catastrophic low. Desperate for protection, women turned to the state, but that protection came at a price. Namely; their freedom

Maeve lives outside of the overbearing administration, in the slums of Falside. Having been torn from the arms of her mother at six years old, Maeve, now seventeen, works in her uncle's apothecary shop, bottling his medicines. But these are not medicines that are going to make anyone better. In fact, once Maeve puts her plan into action, they may well be deadly.

Tony Benson, author of dystopian thriller, An Accident of Birth, said “Angeline Trevena, with her ever fertile imagination, creates dystopian visions of the future that are both innovative and chilling. ”

The cover was built, photographed, and designed by Ben Farrow, and you can view a 'making of' slideshow here.

The Bottle Stopper – The Blurb

"Too much trouble, and you'll end up just like your crazy mother."

Maeve was six when they took her mother away, and left her in the care of her Uncle Lou: a drunk, a misogynist, a fraud.

For eleven years she's lived with him in Falside's slums, deep in the silt of the Falwere River. She bottles his miracle medicine, stocks his apothecary shop, and endures his savage temper.

But as his violence escalates, and his lies come undone, she devises a plan to escape him. 

The Bottle Stopper is now available to pre-order on Kindle.

Realms Faire is Coming

That's right. M Pax's brainchild is back and I'm one of the hosts. Right now, we're looking for contestants in some of our competitions as well as prizes. 

The Faire takes place over a number of blogs, and attracts a lot of attention, so if you want to be part of it (either as contestant or by donating a prize), click here for more information. If you want to know more about the events, just scroll past the entry form.

Anyone excited to read Angeline's new book? Who's signing up for Realms Faire?

Handwriting Drafts

Hi all,

That's write. Today I'm visiting M.J. Fifield and answering questions about rough drafting by hand.

Hope to see you there!

Misha

I'm visiting Bish Denham's blog today.

Hi everyone!

Today, I'm visiting Bish, sharing an interview I had with King Conal from my War of Six Crowns series.

Would love to see you there!

Misha