Dialogue: The Art of Conversation

When you talk with someone, what do you pay attention to? Most people listen to the words being said ONLY so that they can understand the conversation. That is all fine and dandy, but as writers we must go above and beyond. When talking with people, it is good to listen, not only to understand, but to see the words they use, how long their sentences are, if they use gestures, if they stammer, their vocabulary, and so on. The key in creating beautiful characters is by always watching the people around you and taking mental notes.

Today we will talk about conversations, how to write ones that work, what to do, and what NOT to do.

In stories, it seems as though we've strayed from reality. Characters always talk in complete sentences, with words that make perfect sense, no one interrupts anyone, and everything is crystal clear. That's not how it is in real life. When people talk we might not be clear, we can't think of the word we are looking for, and the other person interrupts.

Now, like I've said a thousand times, there is a balance. Do not write EXSACTUALLY how people talk. If we did that, it would take ten pages to get to the point. However, there should be at least five to seven sentences of random conversation to remind the readers the characters aren't made up people, but living, breathing human beings (somewhere in the writer cosmos). At the beginning of a scene, I have my characters end a random, useless conversation; such as about their cold, how they don't like their boss, why they should have a vacation and where they would go, and so on. Throughout the dialogue, when you get to the main point of the conversation, don't forget to keep reminding the readers that the characters are real. I do this by having the main point of the conversation remind a side character of a tangent. Such as the point's about what to do with grandma's ashes, and someone mentions a pottery bowl she always liked, and that reminds a side character of the flowers they hadn't watered yet. Make it short and simple so that the scene can go back to the main point. Tangents are good, but not all the time. Don't to more than three of them. I usually just do one. It's good to make the conversation realistic, however, if overdone, it can annoy the reader. A lot.

Characters should have an individual speech pattern, their own filler word, and communication style. It's not as difficult as it sounds. What are filler words you hear every day? Um, ah, er, well, you know, dude, and stuff, etc. What kind of motions do you see? People put their hands on their hips, point this way and that, cross their arms over their chest, wave their hands to and fro, etc. What type of words do people use? Do they use simple words ("Look over there! That's real cool, isn't it?"), or do they sound sophisticated ("How interesting, take a look at that!"). What kind of vocabularies do you hear every day? There's limited ("That's a nice sub shop place. Real good place to eat."), average ("My boss needs to take a hike! He's demanding and unreasonable!"), and the vast vocabulary ("I conquer, one must contemplate the necessary steps before proceeding."). You can make several different combinations of these dialogue techniques to create a fresh character. Mind you, don't make a character's speech patter too far out there, the purpose is to make them sound realistic. 

One last point: think before you speak (or before you write your character speaking). 

A doctor's way of communicating should differ GREATLY from a farm boy's style. A girl from a rich family in a big city will talk differently from a girl her own age, but who was raised in the country by her father. When decided a characters means of communicating, don't forget to factor in their past, who raised them, what type of atmosphere they grow up in, what shaped them to be how they are in your story, what career do they have, what type of friends they hand out with, and so forth. All these things effect how a character, and people in real life, communicate. 

I know, I know, there's a lot that goes into dialogue and character communication. That's okay! It’s what makes a good story great!

Exercise:

Throughout today, pay attention to your own communication style. What words do you use and don't use? What gestures do you make? When do you stammer/speak clearly? What do you talk about at work, with your friends, or in school?

After you have a good understanding of your own communication style, get to a quiet place. Write down your style and WHY you have the style you do. Do you say "rats!" because your mom did? Do you wave your hands in the air, like your best friend? Do you talk about sports or the latest fad, because that's all you know/were raised with?

Evaluate yourself. Discover why you communicate the way you do.

Once you know the origin of your communication style, read everything over. Select a character and, based on what you found about yourself, give them their own speech patterns/gestures with a source, just as you had done for yourself. Your evaluation of your own communication style is an anchor for the character’s style.

Happy writing!        

The Message Behind the Words

In this day and age, there are so many stories and means of entertainment its crazy! All these movies! All these books! All these TV shows that are about "something new" and "something we've never seen before". Yeah right. Let's be honest here, there's no new stories, no new ideas, and no new topics. But there's one thing that stories these days are forgetting.
The message behind the words.
It's annoying to devote time to a book/movie that doesn't give anything to the reader/audience. What do we get out for a story? What deeper meaning was given though the narrative? Most of the time all we get is a cool story that has interesting characters we gave our time to because there was nothing else to do. Instead of depth, there's epic wars, drama that blows our minds, that bad guy in leather who wants to destroy the world, and the hot chick and the ripped guy making out in the end because they won (and the writers wanted to give the reader/audience a warm fuzzy feeling at the end). Brain candy, that's what I call it. Pure sugar that eventually will make a cavity that must be ripped out.
There is more to a story then entertainment. In fact, I view stories as a means of teaching and revealing the human heart in a new light in a entertaining way. A story is not just a story, it is a means to show the world what is truth and what can be. It gives us dreams. Gives us life. There can be power in a story, yet few are willing to roll up their leaves and go digging for it.
But what do I mean, you ask? Do I want every story to have a philosophical tone that looks deep into the human psyche and shows all our weaknesses and how to overcome? No! What I mean is this: the purpose of a story is to show, even if it is a tinny sliver, the truth of life, its woes, its joys, the stupidity of mankind, and what happens when hardships arise. Truth. That is all that is needed. A honest character admitting things we would never say, yet agree with. Characters who struggle and band together in a way that we have always dreamed of. Reveal the world though your story, not just a cool story with a plot your mom says is nice. You are a writer. You have a responsibly to give more then a tale. And you can.
First, you must understand life and what you believe enough to relay it in a understandable way. I'm not saying I have life figured out (I don't, not by a long shot) however I have allowed my mistakes, past wounds, and God to teach me wisdom. I wish to show what I have learned to my readers so that they may learn too.
Second, discover a story that will bring your truths alive. Make vivid characters that are so real a reader can almost touch them. A plot that carries the characters though events that amplify their very nature. And, one of the most important, end it honestly; for not all endings are good. That's okay, such is life.
Third, write as honestly as you can. Be true to your characters! Be true to your readers! And, most of all, be true to yourself!
Find the meaning behind the words. It's there, you just have to go looking for it. Yes, its difficult, yes, most people don't do it, yes its odd, but yes, if you find the meaning, your story will become immortal. Immortal as the stars.

Let Go and Write

I have been meeting with a fellow writer buddy and it is so much fun to nerd out on writing! His name is Will Bowman and he is crazy about writing, specifically screenplays. You should check out his website, BowmanStudios, and see his films, interviews, poems, and all that he works on! He also interviewed me and goes deep into my stories/poems and the mind behind them (scary!). You can read my interview by clicking here.
It was through our conversations I've found that writers find it difficult to simply write. If you don't have that dilemma, great! More power to ya! But, if you do I want to help! Before we begin, you must trust me. Trust me for I will ask you to retrain your mind to think in ways that are not usual. Just trust me.
The art of letting go and writing is like a Samara Warrior sitting on a grassy hill, eyes closed and legs crossed in peace, just before battle. It is a letting go. A surrender. A state of mind that takes you out of you and into your epic tail.
The first thing you must come to grips with is that you are just the writer. That's all. You are a chronicler and you write only what happens or has happened. You did not come up with your story. Your characters are not made up people. The story really happened, in a different time, in a different place, but DID it happen. Your characters are real, or were real, as you and I. They lived. They breathed. They are anything but 'made up people'. And you are just the writer. You played no part in their adventure, therefore you do not get the credit for their success. You only write down what took place. The thought of a writer in supreme, God-like control is silly. I understand it, yet doubt it. You are not the god of the tale, you just write.
Because you are just the writer, the characters become so much more important. You do not control them, instead they show you what must be written. You must let go of control and allow your characters to be themselves. Do not force them into saying or doing what you would say or do. They are not you. They are their own, individual person and should have the freedom to be themselves. You must learn who they are deep down. (Read How to Make Unrealisticness Real, How to Write an Epic Hero and Villain: Part 1, and  Part 2 to learn how to write effective character development.) Give them space and let them breathe! Do not hover over them like an over protective mother because you snuff out the life and uniqueness of the characters' true selves. It is vital for the characters to be who they are. What I mean is let them grow and develop on their own. Do not put them in a box. Do not tell them 'no'.
But you are afraid. You are afraid your characters don't know the story you have in mind so they may mess it all up! They could go off, be themselves, and destroy everything you have planned!
Do not worry. They know what you want. They can see it too. Let them be free to go off and be themselves, but gently guide them back to the plot's structure after they had their fun. In every story, each character who you deeply know should stray from the plot's structure from time to time. Not far, mind you, but far enough to show their true colors. If no characters in your story stray now and then, something's wrong. You have to tight of a hold on your story and are not letting it grow into a great tree that towers above the world. Let it grow. Let your characters grow.
Lastly, relax! Stop thinking about the publisher! Don't stress which word would sound better! Don't worry about what your readers will think! Just write! That's what writers do and I know you do it well. Relax. Turn off your editing brain and save it until after the story is written. When you write, all that is in the world is your characters, the adventure, and you. Allow the words to trickle from your imagination, down your arm, and onto the pages. Don't let you get in the way of you. We can be our worst enemies sometimes, I should know!
What I've said today is a bit odd, I will admit. But it works. Turn off that side of you that says characters aren't real, that you didn't pick the right word for that sentence, that no one will read the story you have in mind, and other nastiness that we won't bother mentioning.
You can do it. I know you can. Let go. Go into your story. Walk the roads your character walks. Feel their world and forget ours for a time. Go have fun! But first. . . .
. . . .let go.
 

Strategics of Writing: The Important of Dialogue

What we say is important. You know that. I know that. We all know it. But! HOW we say things is even more important. When you are able to listen to a speaker and hear their tones, how rough or soft, it is a vital part in comuincation. Now, in writing our characters don't have the luxsery of literally being heard. So what do we do? How can we, the writers and storytellers of our special world, overcome this?
First, we must understand the importance of dialogue. With everything in writing, there is a fine ballance between "Wow, that sounds totally awesome!" and "Keep your day job." I read some books that have dialogue go on and on and on until my throat's raw instead of the characters. And there's the other exstreme of pages of narative that are not broken up by snippets of conversation. (Here's a side note: look over your pages. No. Don't read it. Just look at it. Is there collosal clumps of words? That's bad. Is there a lot of white space where characters talk forever? That's bad too. There should be an equal, ballanced amount of white and black threwout your pages. Keep that in mind.) Find that inbetween place and keep it.
Dialogue is wonderful for intorducing characters. In real life, first impressions are so important and your relationship with the person is set on a foundation of how good or bad the exsperience is. It is the same with your beloved characters. What the character does when they first walk onto the pages of your story is important. What they say, how they say it, who they say it to, and the feel their words convay shapes what your reader thinks of your character. Yeah! It's that heavy!
Dialogue is also a really easy way to make a story realistic. Let's say you write a scene where two characters are talking:
"Hello Mrs. Anderson. How are you doing?"
"I am doing well. How is your mother? I heard she is in the hospital. God forbid!"
"Yes, she did go to the docter. They said she will need to stay for a few weeks."
"I'm so sorry Andy! Oh! What does she have?"
Normal dialogue. Normal and sucky! That dialogue is not how people talk in real life therefore it give a sence the characters are dry and inhuman. To make dialogue real you have to spice things up, make it pop! Remember slang, combinging words, and fragment sentences. Yes, fragment sentences are not proper writing, but it is rare to find someone who speak in complete sentences. Here's the same scene, rewritten:
"Hi Mrs. Anderson. How's it going?"
"I'm fine. What about your mother? I heard she's in the hospital. God forbid!"
"Yeh, she went to the doc. They said she'll need to stay for a few weeks."
"I'm so sorry, Andy! Oh! What's she have?"
That's more like it. Dose it feel more like an everyday conversation? More real? More relatable? By writing realistic dialogue, your characters will sound real. When characters are real, the story is real. See how important it is?
Lastly, dialogue is so important because it is one of the key ways your readers will get to know the characters. How do people get to know others in real life? By many ways, but mainly conversations. It is vital to show who characters are, their quirks, what the reader should like or dislike about them, and so on. Dilaoge is a wonderful was to do that.
Now that you know the importance of dialogue, and know not to treat it as a "Oh, I might have my characters say things now and then", we can move on to the meat and potatos of the matter! All in due time, my young patawon.

    

How to Format a Book

Thank me!

I decided to bless your face and share how to properly format a book in Microsoft Word 2013. Prepare to be enlightened and not get so horribly stressed out because you don't know what you're doing like I was!!! So be happy I know how to do it so I can teach you.

1.     Know the dimensions of your book. Word automatically makes its page sizes 8.5x11, which is not a standard book's size. Go under Page Layout, Size, and select the size you want. There is an option to custom size your page, and the tab for that is at the bottom of the Page Size list.

2.     Know the bleed and gutter requirements, of your book. What is bleed? During the printing purposes, the book’s pages are cut to create the books size. Because it is trimmed, and you don't want anything important to be cut off, bleed is needed. A 1/8 of an inch (0.125) is added to the pages’ perimeter to give the printers wiggle room when they trim. A book's gutter is where the two pages come together. Because you don't want text going down into the gutter, and become unreadable, know how deep your gutter will be. This is determined by how many pages you will have. The more pages you have, the more room for a gutter you will need. To create the proper bleed and gutter, move the margins at the top of the page. The margin's controls are on the ruler and adjust it by sliding its pointers back and forth.

3.     At the very beginning of most books, there is a title page, Table of Contents, Acknowledgment page, and dedication page. There can be other pages too, but these are the standards. These pages do not have page numbers or Headers whereas the rest of the book, the Chapter Pages and chapters themselves, consist of both Headers and page numbers. So how do you tell the computer which pages to number and Header and which ones not to? Make a page brake. Go to the Page Layout icon and click Breaks. A number of options will pop down. I'd just used the Continuous option under the Section Break selection. The other ones made problems when I tried to use them so I just stuck with the Continuous button. When you hit the Continuous option, or any option, make sure your curser is placed where you want your page to Break. What this does is tells the computer that the section before the Break is different than the section after. Therefore, if you put Headers and page numbers in the book, it will not affect the specific pages you Break. 

4.     Next comes the Headers and page numbers. Most books have Headers which say the book's title on the even pages and the author's name on the odd pages. (or the other way around, whatever you want) To do this, go to Insert, the Header tab, and several different ways to write Headers will drop down. Select the one you want. The very first one, Blank, works well. Click it and write whatever Header you want. It will appear on all the pages on the left side. The computer doesn't know yet you want two separate Headers. Then go to Header and Footer Design. Look under the tab that says Options and check the square that says Different Odd & Even Pages. The odd page will instantly erase what you wrote so type in what you want the odd pages to say. Now, every even page will say _______ and every odd page will say _______. Every odd page is linked to each other as well as every even. They will all change automatically.      

5.     Then! There is the Chapter Pages (when I say Chapter Pages, I mean the first page of a chapter). These pages should not have a Header. "Ah," you scream! "What do I do now?!" It's ok, don't freak. I'll tell you what worked for me. Remember how to Break a page? Break the page right before the Chapter Page and the following page (Page Layout - Break - Continuous). This tells the computer the Chapter Page is its own separate thing. Because you put Headers throughout the book, the Chapter Page will show a Header even after you Break the page. To erase it, without messing with anything else, follow these steps. If the Chapter Page is an even page, go to the next even page (and if it’s odd then go to the next odd page). Go to Header and Footer Design and the Navigate option. Uncheck the box beside Link to Previous. This tells the program not erase the standard even pages when you erase the even Chapter Page. When the pages are no longer linked, go back to the Chapter Page, highlight the unwanted Header, and erase it. Because nothing it linked to it, the Chapter Page's Header is the only Header that will change.

6.     End the book with an Epilogue, Bibliography, synapses for the next book, and or your contact info. Remember if your Chapter Pages does not have Headers, neither should your Epilogue, Bibliography, synapses, and so forth. Continuity please.

Below are bullet point directions for formatting a book:

1.     Page Size = Page Layout - Size/More Paper Sizes

2.     Margins (to create required bleed and gutter) = Ruler - Margin Pointer

3.     Page Breaks = Page Layout - Breaks - Section Break: Continuous (or whatever you want)

4.     Headers = Insert - Header - Blank (Or the one that works for you) - Header and Footer Design - Options: Different Odd & Even     

5.     Chapter Pages = Break - go to next odd/even page - Header and Footer Design - Navigate - unclick Link to Previous - go back to Chapter Page - erase Header

6.     Elements After Story Text = Break - remove Headers

And there you have it! Don't you feel enlightened! Don't you feel so full of smarts and wisdom! I hope I’ve helped because when I tried to format my own book, there was no help for me. Google did not know, my computer teacher from high school did not know, and my computer geek friend did not know. No one knows. But now you do. 

So go out and conquer.

Strategic of Writing: Tone

Before writing a story, you have to sit down and think logically (which for me is difficult. Logic in an oober creative mind just doesn't fit together nicely. Spock and I wouldn't get along.) There is a lot of responsibility involved in writing a book: the characters rely on you to reveal their story in an engaging, accurate way, the world in which the story's in must be told in the best way, and the readers rely on you to take them somewhere good. That's a lot! And that's not all of it! There are strategic things you can do to make a story pop so before writing your epic adventure, sit down and plan. It's kind of like a battle strategy and if you louse the villain of the story will win and it'll be a sucky book. Who wants that?

There are several strategies I will share, but today I'll talk about tone. Tone is such a basic yet vital aspect of a story. If your tone is off, everything's off. What do I mean by tone? Tone is the feel the reader gets based on the words you choose to use. For example:

"The emerald grass swayed as the two walked hand in hand; the sunset dazzled their eyes as the wind kissed their cheeks." What feel did that give you? A bit gushy and romantic? If this was one of the first lines in a story, you would know the writer's style is poetic and likes to describe in a unique way. Now look at the same scene with a different tone:

"They walked through the grass, holding hands, and shielding their eyes against the sunset." A bit different feel, don't you think? This one's simpler, basic in a way. It isn't poetic or romantic. More down to earth. It's just showing two people walking hand in hand during the sunset. Nothing too special, and yet it has the same point as the one before. Because the tone is different, the entire feel is different. 

Isn't that awesome! Tone can shape the entire structure of a scene and make it sound one way or another. The idea is to guide the reader's mind in a specific direction so that it goes where you want. For instant, in the first example above, I used words that convey tranquility and happiness; emerald, dazzled, and kissed. Each word give an uplifting image and feel. Whereas, the other example was more cut and dry because of the word choice; shielding and against. Those two words implied opposition hence the feel of the scene is different. It is all in the words you decide to use.

You can use this when building up a certain feel in a story. Please keep in mind that you are in control. The reader will only know what you tell them and, if written correctly, feel what you want them to feel. Small clues can hint to a reader what tone they should feel. The rules are simple and there are only two:

1.     Use words that hint to the desired tone

2.     DON'T OVER DO IT! 

Well no duh use words that hint to the desired tone! No, don't judge my rules. Think about it. When entering a happy scene, don't use words that will work against your tone: hard ground, sharp color, a bird beat the air with its wings, wind moaned through the trees, etc. Those words, and several others, are good for a harsh, colder tone, but not a happy go lucky one. Same thing for a creepy scene. No happy, fluffy words that take away from the scene's punch: voice low and soft, the stars were distant beckons, and so on. 

As for rule number two. . . .

"The man, his nose a sharp beak between dark, beady eyes, stared down at the children with a crooked frown; his fingers curled like talons."

Read it again. What tone does this give? Why that tone? Think about it.

I described the man as a bird, more specifically a raven, with his beaked nose, beady eyes, and talon fingers. It is obvious he is not pleased with the children and they may be in danger. Anyone could have figured that out. Readers are smart. Writers seem to forget that and describe every aspect of a scene and spoon feed the reader everything. Don't do it. It’s belittling and insulting. Most likely, by the time you read "his nose a sharp beak . . ." in the sentence above, you knew he gave off a negative tone. Less is more. AKA remember readers don't equal idiots. Don't treat them like an idiots. 

Isn't this fun? I'm enjoying myself! The strategic ways to write fascinate me and make me excited! How about you? Are you ready to create tones that fit perfectly with your scenes? Awesome! Have at it! As always, experiment, play around, and find what works for you.

Happy writing!

Exercise:

Find a picture that is semi neutral, it can be positive or negative depending on how you look at it. Get out your writing utensils and write a positive scene based off the picture. Once you are done, write another in a different way. After you are finished, write one last paragraph of a positive scene in yet again a different angle. (Most of the time original drafts are okay, but never the best. Three's a charm anyways.) 

Now, write a negative scene of the picture. As before, rewrite it two more times and use different ideas and viewpoints to describe it. Read it over and give your favorite draft to a trusted friend. Ask what feel they get from your narrative. 

Are you happy with your results?

If not, work on it until you reach it, because I know you will.

If you did, awesome! Keep working on it because we all have room for improvement.     

Editing (When the Real Work Begins)

Who likes editing? Well, good for whoever raised their hand. I, however, do not. It's annoying, all the rules about where a comma goes, which word goes first, and all the bloody rules that no one ever is taught in school! (Like when making pauses in dialogue, it's not ... its dot, space, dot, space, dot, space. If you knew that, kudos to you.) I will admit I am not one for grammar and the technical rules in writing. That's okay. That's where spell check, editors, and editing software come in. I will share what I have learned about editing and hope it will help you.

First, find someone who is smart, you trust, and will honestly tell you if a sentence doesn't make sense at all. DO NOT pick someone who says you did a great job. Yes, that's always nice to hear, but an editor is not there to build you up. A good editor will take your written work, break it apart, and rebuild something wonderful. It is always good to have more then one editor. One will notice things the other doesn't, and vise versa. Also, its good to have someone in your marketed age group to read it. Be sure to read what you've written at least twice before sending it to an editor.   

Next, know and except you will have several mistakes on every page. It's alright. Don't freak. Be happy there are a lot of highlighted sentences, because if the editor did not notice it, an annoyed reader will. Mistakes are how to learn anyways. 

Listen to your editors. They know more about editing then you do (that's why they're called an editor and you're the writer). A second opinion should always be accepted warmly. 

Once everything is edited, read the manuscripts over again. I always read it out loud. If that doesn't work for you, at least read the dialogue out loud. People mess up dialogue by adding to many beats (action between dialogue) or not having a clear rhythm throughout the character's words. Make sure everything's how you want it to be. Shoot for perfection and you'll land close. After everything is done, read it over one last time. Yes, its time consuming and hard and draining and you think you'd rather be writing and bla, bla, bla. 10% of making a book is writing it and 90% is editing, designing, and printing it. Even if you're not publishing your written work, the 10% and 90% applies just the same.

There are several editing software for writing and I will only touch on four; StyleWriter, WhiteSmoke, Pro Writing Aid, and Autocrit. What each of these programs does is it reads through a document and records everything. Each counts how many times a word is used, which words should be erased, if something is grammatically incorrect, and so forth. Most suggest different words if another is needed, create graphs to show the length of sentences (which should all be of random lengths by the way), and dialogue tag (he said, she said) tracker. 

If you consider writing as a career, I highly suggest getting one of these programs. Pro Writing Aid and Autocrit offer free editing services, however it is limited. They have advanced programs, but, of course, it takes money. As for WhiteSmoke, I have not heard that many good things about it. I have not personally used it, but found it did not offer as much as the others. As for StyleWriter, there are three package deals you can get. This is the most thorough program and gives a lot of information about you story. It is not necessarily made for creative writing, as the other ones are, however it still can be useful. I suggest researching through all and finding the one that best fits your project.    

Well, there you have it! If you think you're amazing at editing, still have at least two to five other people read what you're working on. I'm not saying you’re dumb and can't edit correctly. Everyone thinks his or her book is amazingly written and is blind to the details. Another set of eyes is always a wise decision.

Happy writing!