Tag Archives: writers

How to Write Realistic Dialogue (Guest Blogger)

Posted on April 13, 2011 | 2 comments

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Well written, realistic dialogue is one of the most useful tools at an author’s disposable. Nothing else can pull a reader from a story than unbelievable dialogue. Imagine a character like Mandy Moore’s in A Walk to Remember. Now picture that character cursing. A bum on the streets won’t use large, obscure words. Neither would a small child. Here are some tips for including authentic dialogue in your novels:

1. Go to the mall or other places where lots of people go. Sit on a bench and eavesdrop.

2. Create a character sketch. In order for your character’s dialogue to be true to the character, it must reflect the character’s flaws, weaknesses, strengths, and personality. A smoker character will not rant about the evils of the big bad tobacco companies.

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3. Large blocks of dialogue, similar to large blocks of description, are boring. Pepper some action throughout dialogue scenes. People often talk with hand gestures. Include movements and other actions.

4. Use swear words sparingly unless the character demands it. Some people hide behind them or use them for release. Other characters may only use them under highly stressful situations. And if you are writing a historical piece, look up the curse words of that time period. In Woman of Honor, my high fantasy romance novel, my characters sometimes yell, “God’s Teeth!” or “God’s Wounds!”

5. While using words appropriate to locale (some regions say soda, others pop), try to avoid dating your piece with slang.

6. If you are going to use accents, make certain that they are constant throughout the novel but not overbearing.

7. Once you write a dialogue scene, read it aloud. Does it flow? Does it make sense? Does it further the story and add details to the plot?

Links:
Website: http://www.NicoleZoltack.com
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Email: Nicole.Zoltack@gmail.com

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Posted in Blatherings, Creativity, Guest Bloggers, Just for Fun, Writing

Tagged author, books, Echelon Press, publishing, writers, Writing

Characters Across Genres

Posted on March 14, 2011 | 1 comment

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Often I am asked, “What’s your favorite genre to write?”

And often I reply, “Um. All of them!”

It’s a completely honest answer. My first published novel, released this past summer, is of the spy genre. The next book, slated for June, is a dystopian. Fantasy was the genre of the first long story I ever completed (writing with my sister, good memories). An Oregon Trail journal turned into a seventy-page piece in sixth grade. In my writing thus far I’ve also dabbled in ghost, school, contemporary, perhaps gritty (I say perhaps because I’m still not sure what that means, Google refuses to clear it up for me—perhaps I should try Bing?), murder mystery, and sibling stories.

While I know some authors prefer to stick to one or a few related genres, I enjoyed different aspects of all of them and had equal fun while writing. Therefore, the first time someone asked me about genres—a reporter for my school newspaper—led me to spend about an hour and a half in deep contemplation. (The alternative was math homework, so it worked out.) I came to the conclusion I placed more value in the characters of a story than the genre, or even the plot. The plot, to me, is a device to portray characters. My characters are the personalities I slip into or interact with (fictionally), and I work a plot around them, creating believable and changed people by “The End.” Plus, the characters supply dialogue, description, action…the plot wouldn’t happen without them!

Because the plot is a tool my characters use to propel themselves to the last page, the genre is also a secondary matter. If my characters fit best into a ghost story because one feels guilty over the death of another, then a ghost story it is. If another set of characters need disguises and secrets to best be themselves, I formulate a spy story. If the characters in my mind are best suited for overcoming severe societal challenges and barriers not yet in existence, we create a dystopia.

So, in essence, I’m not sure which genre is my favorite—or maybe all of them are, because until my next character shows up in my mind calling out, “Idea! Idea! I have an idea!!!” I don’t even know what my next genre will be.

Kieryn

www.kierynnicolas.com

http://twitter.com/KierynNicolas

http://www.kierynnicolas.blogspot.com/

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Posted in Blatherings, Creativity, Guest Bloggers, Writing

Tagged author, authors, books, characters, dystopia, ebooks, Echelon Press, editing, fiction, ideas, kieryn nicolas, publishing, quake, rain, readers, reading, writers, Writing

Writers Marketing Group Blog Exchange

Posted on March 10, 2011 | 2 comments

If you aren’t Stephen King or Nora Roberts, chances are you’ll have to do much of your own promotional work on your own dime. More and more authors are saving their dimes and scheduling blog book tours. Some authors pay other people to arrange these things while others, like me and quite a few of my friends, arrange our own. The difficult part is finding new websites to guest blog once you’ve hammered away a few times at each of your friends’ websites!

Knowing that most authors run into this same predicament, I thought it might be a good idea to create a community where writers can network for the purpose of guest blogging and learning how to promote themselves inexpensively and cooperatively.

That community is called the Writers Marketing Group (http://writersmarketinggroup.com/). Several free services will be available to authors through this program. The first one is The Writers Marketing Group Blog Exchange (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WMGBlogExchange/).

The Writers Marketing Group Blog Exchange is a database of participating writers who are willing to host guest bloggers on a one-for-one exchange (you host them on your blog one day and they host you on their blog one day). This means no more wasting time hunting for new venues to guest blog when you have a new book release or taking precious writing time to seek out new authors to guest blog on your site when you need them. There are no fees, no charge to register, and you can use the database as much as you like.

I hope you’ll consider joining The Writers Marketing Group Blog Exchange and help me spread the word to other writers – No matter what genre, from YA to erotica, we’ve got it covered. While it is a Yahoo group, it is not a discussion list that will fill your mailbox or suck up your time. I send a maximum of one email per week with guest blogging tips and special guest blogging opportunities passed on by members. Just think of it as a really big tool in your promotional toolbox.

Please join now by going to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WMGBlogExchange/

Thanks for your time!

Lisa Pietsch
Follow my blog at http://www.LisaPietsch.com
Seven Souls-a-Leapingis now available from Sapphire Blue Publishing
Join the Writers Marketing Group Blog Exchange!