If not, at least the rest of us will get a good laugh out of it! I don’t have to tell you the importance of good dialogue. People quote memorable lines from all sorts of works, all the time. They’re assimilated into our culture, and live on well after the writer him- or herself. You know what else we quote, though? Memorably bad lines. So let’s make sure your dialogue stays in the “good” category, shall we? Lots of things…
The ultimate battle in all of Battledom has already been written, filmed, and scored. Music is another huge component of my writing process. It helps me buckle down and focus in a way nothing else can (aside from wondrous, blessed coffee). Everything I listen to in this manner is instrumental- I find lyrics distracting- but there’s a wide variety of styles I like for different moods, pacing, etc. Today, I’ll share some songs from my “fight” playlist- stuff that gets…
I’m in the throes of heavy editing at present, still trying to hammer out a process that works best for me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned thus far, it’s that even after you think you’ve gotten your prose as pretty as it can possibly be, there’s something wicked lurking in there to which you’re completely oblivious. One example is unintentional repetition of certain words and sentence structures. I didn’t know it until recently, but I abuse the hell out…
Ah, the unearthly blue lakes of the Swiss Alps. What a great setting to include in your story! Problem is, how do you describe it in words and achieve the same breathtaking effect? Trick question. You shouldn’t be describing anything. Your point-of-view character, or your narrator, communicates with the reader. The first step toward good imagery is describing the scene the way s/he would describe it. This is invaluable early in the story for establishing the world and revealing insight…
(Image credit: Leadershipcriteria Clipart) Character descriptions are one area where there’s no agreement on a single best approach. Everyone has different desires and expectations. Some writers paint vivid, exacting pictures of each character, down to eye and hair color. Some readers love this, and have trouble “seeing” the characters in their minds without those details. My approach, as a writer and reader, is the opposite. I prefer to describe only what’s vital to understanding the characters and plot. When I…