Category: dialogue
-
What a Mess!
After thirty days of writing over fifty thousand words, what do I have to show? An incoherent mess of scraps of conversations, descriptions and exposition. It’s a mess. And that’s what makes my 2021 NaNoWriMo a success. The story is there, told all the way through. I just have to rework it and rework it.…
-
Friday’s Findings: The Story on Two Levels
I believe I’ve quoted this fiction writing axiom before, but Terry Pratchett said, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” With this year’s NaNoWriMo, I’m finding out how true this is. I’m feeling exactly what he was talking about. I spent September and October prepping my story. I made up characters. I…
-
NaNo Update
Just a quick update on my NaNoWriMo project. Over the weekend I reached 30k words, which was my goal. I’m pleased with how it’s going, but, of course, NaNo is about just getting it down on paper (or on the computer). Some things going well: I’ve written something for every scene in the story. Sometimes…
-
She Narrowed Her Eyes: Emotions into Body Language
One thing I look for when writing a characters emotions is body language. How does anger translate in a person’s expression, posture and movement? How does shock? How should a writer transcribe what their characters feel into tangible body language? Let’s break it down. First, I want to thank author K. M. Weiland for introducing…
-
Friday’s Findings
I’m doing word sprints in preparation for NaNoWriMo. Yes, I’m training like an athlete trains for a race. In this case, I sit in my chair, set my phone for 20 minutes and write non-stop on my WIP (not my NaNoWriMo project). If you think about it, isn’t this a great way to write a…
-
Friday’s Findings
Today I wrote an email to someone who worked in another department at my company. The subject being a sensitive one, I sent a preview of my text to my supervisor to get her opinion. “You’re too nice!” she joked. “I would just tell the person to do it, not ‘suggest’ it.” True, I admit.…
-
Friday’s Findings
A baseball pitcher imagines the pitch he throws-before throwing it. A gymnast mentally reviews her routine-before executing it. A tennis player sees the swing of the racket in her mind-before each game. Athletes use mental imagery to improve their performance and connect the body to the mind. Writers should use mental imagery before they write…
-
Friday’s Findings
Every situation is an opportunity for a writer to collect sensory details. Tomorrow, one of my closest friends for many years (decades, really), is getting married. I’m so happy for her and her groom. As a writer, I’m going to take the opportunity to mentally record sensory details for possible use in future stories. Weddings…
-
Friday’s Findings
Six to eight past midday. That is when I am writing. I don’t have the luxury of writing full time, so I need a schedule to motivate me to apply body to chair, fingers to keyboard. A person can get a lot done in two hours. Some writing advice: Story Structure: How The Act Three…
Andrew M. Friday 