SOME COMMENTS ON THE PROCESS OF WRITING: Guest Blog by Louis Swartz

First of all, I want to thank Chandra for the opportunity to appear as a a guest on her blog. Her invitation happened to coincide with a time when I, personally was really looking at the process of writing and more specifically, the process by which I write.

Earlier this year Constructed of Magic was published. I wrote this book in an aesthetic frenzy and had not looked back until now at the process by which I write. I was asked about this and got to looking at it. I saw some things that I think may be of value to others.

I have a place where I write. It is at a lovely desk from India that my son got me for my birthday years ago.Everything is there in the desk: pens, notebooks, 9 dictionaries, laptop, printer and favorite books within reach. I keep a pen and notebook accessible at all times, on the desk when I am home and in my shoulder bag when I am away.

This is what occurs. I will have a thought. It may be engendered by something I heard, an image I saw, something I read, music I heard or it may come out of the “clear blue”. Regardless of from where it came, I write it down immediately. This is important. In my personal experience these thoughts are like shooting stars. They appear for a moment and then they are gone. So I get them down! There may be one word or a phrase, or a line from a poem, or a stanza, or an entire poem or a concept for an entire book. No matter what, I get it all written down. Sometimes it takes five minutes, sometimes I’ll keep going for hours developing that original thought.

I want to give an example from Constructed of Magic. The first poem in the book is called, Some Things I Want to Show You. This is the sequence. I had the thought, “…the things I left behind…”It was in the middle of the night. I wrote it down in my notebook which was at my bedside. Now, I was wide awake and at my desk. These five words were on the page. Then, a character came to mind fully formed. He was 85 years old. He was a Classical Composer and a poet. He was a man possessed with a terrific grace and kindness. He was grappling with the subject of death and immortality. Below is an excerpt from the beginning of the poem. I think the development will be visible.

 

A lovely man died yesterday.

He was at his piano

Working in his usual way

 

He’d been composing

At a fevered pace

And writing reams of poetry

Unrestrained in single space.

 

He was just nearing

Four score and five,

But one hundred percent there

And intensely alive.

 

He kept telling me

He had something to say,

But we never got a moment

And now he’s gone away.

 

He wrote me a note

A couple of days ago:

“Some things I want to show you

That gave me peace of mind.

You will surely find them

In the things I left behind.”

 

I hope you will find this data of use. I wish you great inspiration in all your aesthetic endeavors.

Best,  Louis Swartz

Constructed of Magic: And Other Poems on the Immortality of the Human Spirit

 

Don’t “Just Write”

When I first started as a writer, I got some advice that really didn’t work out for me. That advice was to “just write.” I was working on my first novel and I had hit my first wall and a well-wishing friend told me to skip past the part I was stuck on and just write the next part. Unfortunately, this did not work for me on this project. I ended up writing such a snarl that it took years to get out from under. If I had just taken a few minutes to outline or plan the story out, it would have not been so difficult.

Of course, this may be very valid advice for certain people on certain projects. It just isn’t good advice for the person who doesn’t have the plot entirely laid out.

If you’re an outliner, good for you. If not, another organizational plan is just as good, even just a list of what you’d like to include in your story. I like to write complete (not long, mind you, just complete) outlines that include all plot points, beginning, middle, and end. That way, it saves me from writing myself into a corner that is near impossible to escape. A little organization goes a long way.

This is not to say that writing every day is a bad thing. I am a very big proponent of writing at least something each day. Whether it’s a story, working on your novel, journaling, blogging, just free-writing… Whatever catches your fancy. In this case, I do say, “Just write!”

And, as always, I merely want to offer suggestions. These are by no means rules! As I found out, nothing stops the process quicker than bad advice!

Happy writing!

Don’t Think You Need an Editor? Check This Out!

We’ve all seen it online—typos can be hilarious! But they can also make the writer look very stupid. Especially when they’re trying to get a point across.

           

Sometimes it can be damaging to the subject.

Sometimes the writer.

If there is anything at stake, even if it’s just reputation, you need a copy editor, or at the very least, a proofreader. It’s not a sign of weakness to hire someone to edit and correct your work; it’s just the opposite actually. It makes your writing stronger and more professional, which is an absolute must in the case of query letters, job applications, or college-entrance essays, where a single mistake can send your hard work straight into the trash bin. At the very least, you may just look like a fool.

It’s a copy editor’s job to look for many things, including errors in spelling, typing, punctuation, grammar, omitted or repeated words or letters, tense shifts; the list goes on. As copy editors are generally very detail-oriented, they will also check for font changes, margin alignment, headings, pagination, and other formatting issues, though these are issues taken up with the designer.
A content editor is one who makes changes to the, you guessed, the content to help the story flow better. They may cut out large parts of the story or rearrange it to be more engaging. A copy editor will correct what is written. No alterations to the story are made unless it is to correct poor grammar. A good copy editor will point out and recommend structural changes for the author to make themselves so as the voice of the author is not lost.
Copy editing is the very last step before publication or assessment. Revisions are made to the final draft by the content or developmental editors, and then the copy editor double checks everything, looking for any little mistake or omission and for aesthetics and linguistics.
Even established authors need their work copy edited. It’s not a good idea for the writer to try and edit it themselves. The writer cannot get enough distance from his own work to see what may have been missed. The writer can also be too attached to be able to make any hard changes. Having someone else read an unfinished manuscript or essay is a better idea. Even a friend or family member may be able to spot what’s been missed. The best plan is to hire a professional who has no emotional attachment and no bias to the writing.
A writer can pour an awful lot of himself into a story or book and can place the value on the story itself and come to the conclusion that it does not need editing. While good content is indeed a very important, if not the most important, part, if a reader is not able to get past typos and poor grammar, its purpose will never be realized. Some people don’t mind typos and spelling mistakes, but it comes down to professionalism. If the writer doesn’t really mind who reads his work or what people think of it, then write on. However, if the writer is interested in getting published, picking up an agent, getting into college, getting publicity, or being taken seriously as a writer, a copy editor will make that more possible and ensure that the reader will be able to be fully immersed in what they’re reading.
A copy editor no longer needs to have a physical manuscript in front of them and mark it up with a red pen. It’s a simple process to receive a digital copy of a manuscript and make the corrections using Track Changes in a Word program. The writer can then choose to accept or reject the changes, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in that the author has a choice in the changes. It is bad in that the author can possibly reject credible changes simply because they don’t like them without much thought if the edit is technically correct. It’s a good idea for the author to stay in touch with the copy editor about any changes, as there may be a rule being applied that the author may not know about.

It is always best for the writer to do what is best for the manuscript and vision, but I highly recommend paying a copy editor to make it the very best it can be to ensure success.

The best of luck and, as always, happy writing!

Top 10 Proofreading Tips

No matter how important your paper is, if it’s full of grammatical errors, typographical errors, and spelling errors, no one is going to take it seriously. It undermines the value of your writing and your readers will lose interest or get distracted. The content of your manuscript will never make it through to your audience.

Proofing and copyediting your work makes all the difference in the world. It establishes your credibility as a writer. Your readers will stay on the message that you intended instead of their getting preoccupied by a missing word or a typo.

 

I have been in this industry for several years and have seen all kinds of manuscripts in all different stages. The most heartbreaking part of this job is telling an author who is proud of their work and set on publication that their manuscript is not even close to being published. Making sure that your manuscript is in the best possible shape it can be will help volumes on your road to publication. Here are my top-ten tips that hopefully will help your on your way.

 

 

 Choose an Appropriate Style Guide

Pick the best style guide for you. The Chicago Manual of Style is for fiction, the Associated Press Stylebook is for journalism, MLA Style Guide is for schools and scholarly writing. As they are updated frequently, make sure that you use the most updated version.

Using a style guide will help you keep the formatting consistent so that it looks more professional. Consistency is the number one thing that will bump your work up to the level it needs to be.

 

 

Do Not Rely on Spell Check

Spell check is an awesome tool and you should definitely pay attention to those little squiggly lines, but don’t rely on it entirely. IT DOES NOT CATCH EVERY MISTAKE. Spell check will catch any obviously misspelled words, but it won’t catch words that are spelled correctly but used incorrectly. For example, I tend to leave letters off the ends of words. Sometimes it’s really obvious (like if I type reall instead of really), but other times, it’s sneakier (like if I type the instead of then). As far as the grammatical suggestions go, spell check is programmed for technical writing, which is why you get those suggestions for correction in your fiction writing that you know are wrong. If you are serious about your work, pay a professional to at least proofread it. You can do as much as you can yourself, but be aware that a writer, when reading what they’ve written, tend to read what they think they wrote, not what they actually wrote. Professional writers hire editors. Amateurs don’t. An agent or publisher will be able to tell right away if you have actually proofed your manuscript or simply run spell check.

True story: I am a regular judge in a statewide book competition. Whilst reading a book that had been entered, I came across the following sentence—“The [person] looked threw the binoculars.” This was someone who was trying to pass herself off as a professional writer and win an award. Any professional copyeditor worth their salt would have caught that. Spell check skipped it by.

 

 

Keep Text Talk Where It Belongs 😉

It’s fun to use emoticons and text talk on occasion, but make sure that they don’t make their way into your professional writing. Spell words out—don’t use r, u, 4, etc. in place of words. The word through is not spelled thru. And for the love of god, don’t ever use emoticons. Keep those smileys in texts to your mom.

 

 

Mind Your Ps and Qs

Keep track of the words that you’re using. Make sure that your words are not incorrectly used, such as effect vs. effect, loose vs. lose, its vs. it’s, or then vs. than, etc. Also watch for word repetition. We all use crutch words when we write, the trick is to spot them.

 

 
Be Punctual

Check your punctuation. Know your basic marks, like commas, periods, quotation marks, etc., but keep your eyes open for too many exclamation points or the dreaded, overused ellipses.

 

 

Know Your Weakness

Research and keep lists of the common errors you make. Is your writing passive? Do you end sentences with prepositions? Comma splices? Dangling modifiers? Tense shift? You know where you’re having problems, suss them out and fix them.
 

 

Explore Your Language

Learn the craft. Read your favorite authors analytically. Get a grammar guide. Subscribe to a grammar blog. Enroll in a writing workshop. Expand your knowledge base. It will improve your chances at spotting errors in your own writing.

 

 

Look Your Writing from a Different Angle

Get a different perspective on your work. This will help you spot the things that you missed the first time. Try tricks like changing the font or reading your manuscript backwards. Looking at your writing in a different way will make the things that you don’t want more obvious.

 

 

Get a Second Opinion

As I said before, it’s always a good idea to seek the feedback of a professional. They really are more likely to catch mistakes, as it is their profession. It increases your chances of producing an error-free manuscript.

 

 

Step Away from the Manuscript

When you are ready to proofread your work, take a step back. Go take a walk, do your dishes, watch a movie—anything away from the computer. Give yourself the necessary space and then come back to tackle it with a fresh view. And if at any time during the process you find yourself angry, frustrated, with itchy eyes, a headache, or any negative reaction, it’s time for another break. You are not going to do yourself any favors by pushing through it. Treat yourself nicely.

 

 

While everything on this list will not take the place of a professional copyedit, it’s a start. It’ll get you a long way toward a completed manuscript.

Okay, your turn! What are your tried and true methods for proofreading?

 

Writing Effective Combat Scenes

A combat scene that is well-written and well thought out adds excitement and tension to a story, whether it’s hand-to-hand combat between mortal enemies or an all-out four-army control-of-the-world skirmish of Tolkien magnitude. Writing a combat scene can be a complex process that may or may not work out, following a few simple rules can ease the headache a little by at least knowing which pitfalls to avoid.

The decision to insert a fight scene into your plot should not be taken lightly. Its purpose should not only be to liven the plot, but to move it forward. If it doesn’t add to the story arc, it shouldn’t be there. Unless, of course, your story is about frivolous violence. In that case, you may not have enough. But for the most part, fight scenes needs to propel your story, add tension, and move the plot forward.

Here are some tips on how to do just that.

 
The Stakes

What are the stakes of your battle? What are the possible consequences for your main character if he doesn’t win? Will he die? Or is it worse? Will his army/companions/country fall into the hands of the enemy? Will his entire race be obliterated? Or is it better? Will he win the hand of the princess and the day? Will he amass a fortune that he will use to take over the world? The higher the stakes, the more tension there is to build. Make the consequences high enough that something MASSIVE will be lost or gained.

Put it all on the line. Make your readers clamor for the outcome!

 

 

Reloading Is for Wussies

One of the most abused tropes of gunplay is just how many shots characters have fired before stopping to reload. If people knew the actual numbers, I think most of them would be surprised. Keep count sometime. Most go on for much longer than is realistic.
The capacity of fictional guns tends to be dependent on how much suspense the writer is looking for. The hero will always have plenty and the bad guy usually runs out. Sometimes the hero will have just enough for the fabled One Bullet Left. Reloading is usually only shown when the writer wants to show what a badass the hero is. If a character is firing an automatic weapon, you can rest assured that he won’t run out until he is 1) dead or 2) has killed everyone else. The only thing that can stop him is the inevitable gun jam. In reality, automatic weapons fire rounds really freakin’ fast. One good squeeze can empty a magazine in seconds.

Keep this in mind when you’re writing your combat scenes. You have the Wide Wide World of Web at your fingertips—don’t be afraid to use it. Do your research.

 
If you don’t know how many rounds a certain gun will hold, don’t just make a number up. “She fired until the gun was dry” will suffice. And if you do know, don’t recount Every. Single. Bullet. Complete with make and model number. The reader will be more interested in how you maintain tension during the scene that your intricate knowledge of the gun.

 
The Stormtrooper Effect

An extension to the previous section is the Stormtrooper Effect. This is where the bad guys can’t aim and then gets killed with one shot from the good guy. It actually really will add more tension and interest to the scene if there is something at risk. If you go into the scene knowing that the hero won’t get hit, it takes something away from the reader and leaves them disappointed.

 At least wing him.

 

Clip? Or Magazine?

One is a clip. And one is a magazine. They are completely different, non-interchangable terms. Though it seems that not everyone knows this. With the raging debates about gun control, you can see how often the terms are misused.

Here is the difference:
A clip hold cartridges together with a strip. This makes it easier to load into the firearm.
A magazine is a detachable container that holds the cartridges and is generally inserted into the firearm to make it function. Sometimes a magazine can be loaded with a clip.
And the dictionary doesn’t always help.

Though most people would actually know what you were talking about if you interchanged the terms, those who do know the difference will judge you. Harshly. If you’re going to talk about guns, at least know what you’re talking about.

 
What Did You Say?!

Battle is noisy. If your character is in a gun battle and doesn’t have ear protection, there will likely be hearing loss or at least ringing in the ears. Explosions and gunfire, especially in an enclosed space, are literally deafening. Write accordingly.

 
The Sword Is Mightier than the Pen

Know your swords. I don’t, but here are a few tips that I found. It seems like every warrior fights with a katana, when in reality, they were very rare. Katanas have a reputation as being the soul of the samurai who was considered to be the master of the weapon, but this, historically speaking, is false. There were no sword fights with katanas. It was usually one hit and the opponent was dead. Generally every cut from a katana is fatal. Real katanas also tend to completely destroy other real weapons.

The katana was not the main weapon of the samurai on the field. They actually used their bows as they originated as mounted archers, the spear for infantry maneuvers to support the archers, swords on spears to counter cavalry, and early firearms. The katana was reserved for when the other weapons became unusable.

If you do it right, a good draw will make no sound. A bad draw is noisy. If your character is using a sword, make sure he or she uses it silently.

 
“Let Me Tell You Exactly How I am Going to Kill You in Excruciating Detail…”

Monologuing. Is there any other way to create tension during a fight scene? Yes. Yes, there is. Make it real. Most warriors or fighters will not stop fighting to make a speech. When the adrenaline is flowing, as it usually is in battle, people generally won’t have the mental faculties to make a witty speech as entertaining as it is.

 Leave out long speeches during high-tension scenes. Replace them with more action (if it’s appropriate, of course).

 

 

What the Hell Happened?

Make sure that you show the outcome of your battle. Did your hero get injured? Is he bleeding? And if he has sustained life-threatening injuries, he should probably die. Or be a robot (which could be kind of awesome.) It’s a cheat to the reader when the hero gets shot 15 times and then goes home for lemonade.

 

Describe the battle scene. Let the reader know exactly what was gained or lost. If you can’t do these things, consider cutting the scene.

 
Visualize the Scenes

If you, as the writer, can’t see the battle scene in your head, your readers are going to have a hard time too. Create a good visual image of every scene in your head as you write it. Create multiple ways of how the scene plays out. This is a good place to use your resources. Ask someone to read it. Can they see the same things you did while writing? If they can’t, rewrite it to make it more clear.

Don’t ask your mom to read bloody torture scenes if she’s squeamish. She doesn’t like that.

 
Technically Speaking

When writing action, short sentences with little detail will create that frantic tempo you’re looking for. Reserve longer sentences for details during slower moments. Long sentences interrupt the pace. Action happens quickly, so write it so it can be read quickly. Use both to create tension and suspense.

When someone is in a tense situation, running for their life, racing against time, or battling the enemy, they usually don’t take the time to stop and admire the scenery. They don’t start reminiscing about the love of their life or comment on the décor. If the adrenaline is pumping, their attention is on their survival—either theirs or someone else’s.

 

I hope that I have at least given enough information to help improve your combat scene or at least pointed you in the right direction. I am not a weapons expert and I don’t pretend to be (except at parties after seven beers), so if there is anything you would like to add from the realm of your expertise, please feel free to leave a comment. The more information the better! So let’s hear it!

Additional Resources:
List of Martial Arts
List of Weapons
List of Military Tactics
Insane (Yet Successful) Battle Tactics from History
Badass of the Week
VIDEO: The Difference Between a Clip and a Magazine
Tactics
Additional Resources on Swords

5 Basic Things Every Writer Needs to Know

You know about plot. You know about character development and conflict. You know about setting and resolution. So what else is there? What are you missing? What else needs your attention?

You.

You are the crux of everything that you write. If you don’t take care of yourself, how are all of those beautiful words (or horrifying, or amusing, whatever your genre) going to get out of your head?

Here are some of the most overlooked but most important ways to make sure that you’re on top of your writing game.

 

Eat Your Heart Out

Your brain can only live off Yoo-hoo and Doritos for so long. It may save you time, but it’s costing you brain power. Not getting the proper nutrition can result in illness, aches and pains, and listlessness.

Listlessness may sound familiar. If you are looking for sugary foods to boost your energy level, here’s what actually happens:

Sugary snacks create a spike in your blood sugar, giving you that oomph of energy. Except your body then looks for more fuel, but since it burned everything on that spike, there’s nothing there. Then comes the crash, and goodbye good writing!

Next time, when you’re looking for a snack, see if you can munch on some veggies or a protein bar to satisfy your hunger. And if you’re not quite ready to give up your Fritos and bean dip, at least bolster it a bit with fruits and veggies. At least it will counter the effect.

Pro Tip:

Before you sit down to write, prepare some good-for-you snacks so when you’re on a roll and get the munchies, you don’t result to picking up something that won’t give you as much brain power. Be prepared.

 

The Hydra Station

I know that writers are supposed to stay up all night, drinking coffee by the gallon, and chain-smoking cigarettes while they crank out the next great American novel.

Studies show that’s probably not the best idea. It turns out that caffeine, in addition to being a stimulant, restricts blood vessels, pulls water from cells, and causes dehydration. So, I hate to be the one to deflate the stereotype, but trade in your coffee for water. Your brain is made of 70% water. Give that thing what it wants! Replenish its fluids and it will reward you by working properly.

Pro Tip:
If it’s not feasible to cut out coffee in lieu of water, try to drink at least one glass of water for every cup off coffee.

 

The Sandman Cometh

With a busy schedule, sleep is usually the first thing that gets cut—and writers get hit more than anyone—especially when there are deadlines. Maybe you get up early to write. Maybe you stay up late to get a little more done. Either of which is fine—but not both. You also need to make up that lost time. If possible, when you stay up late, sleep in. If you get up early, go to bed a little earlier.

Naps can be a two-edged sword. I find that if I sleep in the middle of the day, I wake up two hours later, wondering what year it is. So instead of napping, I try to make sure that I get enough sleep during my normal sleeping hours. I do understand that that’s not feasible for everyone. Enter the power nap. When your brain shuts down and you can’t think of another word, find a quiet spot, and close your eyes for 10-15 minutes. It is usually enough to get you over that bleary-eyed hump.

Pro Tip:
If mental clarity isn’t enough incentive to get adequate sleep, keep this in mind: shorting yourself on sleep can cause symptoms of premature aging such as wrinkles and disease.

 

Get Busy, Child

When you’re writing, it’s super easy to sit at your computer for 15 hours straight, even after inspiration wanes. Moving your body around brings blood back to your cells, including the ones in your brain.

It would be ideal to get half an hour each day to get moving. You could go to the gym (I know) or you could do something as simple as take a 15 minute walk in the morning and a 15 minute walk in the afternoon. Or turn up the music and dance around the living room. Or stretch. Or walk up and down some stairs. Or just step outside. It doesn’t have to be hard. Just get up and move. Any type of activity is better than none.

Pro Tip:
Set an alarm to help you remember to get away from your desk for 2-5 minutes each hour.

 

The Spirit Calls

Studies show that regular practices of the mind result in sharper memory, increased productivity, and increased creativity flow. You don’t have to become a full-on Yogi, but regular relaxation is needed, even if it’s just 5 minutes per day. You can meditate if you want, but gardening, reading, drawing, or even just appreciating nature for a few minutes is enough to do it. It’s very unhealthy to go full-tilt all the time. Even if you are on a roll, take time for yourself and give yourself a mental break.

Pro Tip:
Here’s an exercise that is easy to do with minimal effort. Get away from your desk and to a comfortable place. Get yourself comfortable and let your eyes close for 5-10 minutes. Forget your problems, forget your worries, just be. When the timer goes off, you will feel surprisingly refreshed. At the very least, you gave your brain and eyes some rest and will be ready to get back on that writing wagon.

 

The most important tool that a writer possesses is his mind. A well-rested, well-fed, and peaceful mind is ready to examine, explore, research, and express. Taking care of it will ensure that you are energized, clear, fresh, and inspired.

So, go ahead. Indulge in some self-care. The results may be just what you’re looking for.

 

Creating Character Conflicts

 

Writers know that creating interesting characters is an important part of writing fiction. Adding some conflict, however, creates fireworks and can change an okay story into a great one.
Let’s explore a few aspects. Is it true that opposites attract? Do people who are not suited to each other find themselves drawn together inexplicably? In romance novels, they make the best matches, but do they really? It’s not really known for sure, but in fiction, opposites can definitely create some of those aforementioned fireworks.

Opposites create friction, and friction, as writers know, gives power to the story by creating tension. Tension is what creates that exquisite tug that makes the reader want to keep reading. Relationships are important in real life and must carry the same influence in a story. Even the lone-eagle character who doesn’t think he needs any help at all must accept help from other characters to propel the plot forward. These are the building blocks for creating conflict.

 

When Conflict Is a Good Thing
In a novel, conflict is necessary. Love and lust have given many stories the lifeblood it needs. Anticipation is what draws a reader to your story and keeps him reading. Competition gives it action and excitement. Whether it’s a healthy manifestation of need or desire, an unhealthy obsession, or a power struggle, this is what interests the reader.
When you are creating your characters, take some extra time and develop their competitive personality traits. The resulting conflict will quicken the pace, build tension, and make your book a page-turner.
The Foil
A good way to put the power of opposites to work for you is to use a foil. A foil is a character who acts the opposite of the hero. The foil contrasts the main character to highlight one of their attributes and emphasize their traits. This does not always mean the antagonist. For example, if the hero demands action, the foil advises him to be cautious. The use of a foil gives a scene tension by highlighting the main character’s traits through the use of contrast.

Examples of Foils:
In the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, John H. Watson is Sherlock’s assistant and friend. Where Sherlock is almost unnaturally intelligent, Watson’s intelligence is a little lower (though he’s not stupid). Sherlock is detached and reserved, while Watson is kind and humane. Watson needs earthly cares, while Holmes can go for days without eating or sleeping.
In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Albus Dumbledore is representative of all that is good. Lord Voldemort is the epitome of evil. Dumbledore was the only person that Voldemort ever feared and did everything he could to destroy him, while Dumbledore only wanted to help Tom Riddle (who later became Voldemort.) Dumbledore believes that good and love are universal solvents, while Voldemort considers love to be foolish and embraces evil.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame features Mr. Toad who is kind, good-natured, and wealthy. His foil is Mr. Badger who is extremely unsocial and hermit-like.
In Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes, the eponymous hero has a very fanciful outlook on life. His foil, Sancho Panza, is more practical and down to earth. Physically, Sancho is also described as rotund and short, while Don Quixote is tall and thin.
All of these characters serve to illustrate each others’ strengths and weaknesses. Some of the conflicts are small and subtle (Sherlock and Watson) while others are huge and in your face (Dumbledore and Voldemort).
How and When To Use Character Conflicts
Dissecting each character’s personality traits will give you some great fodder for writing conflicts. The obvious way to do that is to put your characters in the ring together to fight their flaws out (laid back vs. high strung, controlling vs. submissive, happy vs. sad/angry etc.), but your readers may be anticipating that. Not all positive character traits complement each other, so neither do their flaws.
Here’s an example: Peter is a college professor. He’s very kind, intelligent, and understanding but is quick to temper. Imagine a student stays after class and demands that Peter regrade his test due to a low score. The student feels like he should have done better and is very pushy about it. The normally easy-going Peter, when confronted with an angry student, loses his temper very quickly. He refuses and calls the student a bad name. The student files a report and the professor faces legal action/job loss/reprimand, etc.
Here we have a self-centered and privileged character who faces off against an off-the-cuff reaction of a normally dignified character. The conflicts slam together with an explosion of flaw vs. flaw. You can clash any opposing character traits this way. An uptight personality type will clash with and uninhibited one, and extrovert will clash with an introvert, a character who is too generous will clash with a more frugal one.

 

Make your conflicting personalities rub against each other and create some friction. Maximize the explosion when they come together. If everyone in your story plays nice and believes that it all will work out in the end, it’s going to be a mighty boring story. Unless of course you’re writing for 3 year olds. In that case, good job. Plan your characters out, match their clashing traits and, go ahead, create fireworks. Your readers will thank you.

 

How to Write Engaging Dialogue

Writing dialogue can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. After all, we participate in and hear several conversations per day.

Most of our conversations would be super boring to read for the most part. Take this conversation I had with a friend earlier:

“Hi there!” I said.
“Hi!” she said.
“How are things going today?” I said.
“Fine, just a bit tired after my trip,” she said.
“How was the convention?” I asked.
“Good, but long,” she said. “I set up my booth in the wrong spot and had to move immediately. Then some teenagers started hanging out next to me and I was sure they were going to start slacking at any moment, so I had to call security…”

Ugh. I would probably close whatever book contains this dialogue. But you could make it better by condensing it and adding some action and descriptors, like so:

“Hi there!” I said as she answered the phone.
“Hi!” she said, obviously happy to hear from me.
“How are things going today?” I said.
“Fine, just a bit tired after my trip,” she said.
I asked her about the convention, which she told me about in excruciating detail.

Much better to read. It also illustrates the difference between spoken dialogue and written dialogue. You can still relay the same information, just in a different way.

Dialogue Basics

One part of writing successful dialogue is formatting and style. Using the correct tags, punctuation, and paragraphs are almost as important as the quotations themselves.

Dialogue Tags

A dialogue tag is the he said or she said of the quotation. Many times, they are erroneously used as descriptors. For example:

“I hate cats,” he growled.

Keep your dialogue tags simple. Said will usually work just fine. Use asked in the case of a question. Fancy words like denounced or proclaimed, or descriptive words like cried, teased, hissed, joked, smirked, winked, frowned, smiled, et cetera, may be fun to write but actually take the reader’s attention away from your writing.

You can sometimes get away with using more descriptive dialogue tags, but use them sparingly. Instead, use the narration and dialogue itself to show the emotion or action. Remember to show and not tell.

“I hate cats,” he said, growling like a dog.

Dialogue beats

A dialogue beat is a brief description of action in between the dialogue that helps dialogue become livelier.

“Let’s do this,” Jean said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I got places to be.”

Use dialogue beats to break up the spoken words of your characters so the conversations aren’t too boring for the reader. Again, less is more. Use these only when the action is necessary, otherwise you’ll end up on the other end of the spectrum with too many descriptions.

Capitalization

It is a common mistake to capitalize the pronouns in dialogue tags and beats. They are always lower case unless at the beginning of a sentence.

“Capitalization confuses me,” she said.
She said, “Capitalization confuses me.”

 

Punctuation

The first thing to remember about punctuating dialogue is that the punctuation, with very few exceptions, goes inside the quotation marks. If you have a question about whether or not you should put it inside, put it inside. 99% of the time, you will be right.

“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Nowhere,” he replied.
“Well, tell me when we get there.”

When the dialogue tag or beat interrupts the quotation, set it off with commas. Also notice that the first word of the second half is lower case.

“We will be there in,” he said as he checked his watch, “fifteen minutes.”

*Note: The punctuation rules here are for American writers. Rules in different countries will vary.

 

Long Quotations

When writing very long quotations that are more than one paragraph, only use end quotes when your character is done speaking. Don’t put them at the close of the first paragraph.

He began his speech. “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

“Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.”

 

When to Start a New Paragraph

Start a new paragraph each time you change speakers in your text to show your readers that someone new is speaking. You don’t have to use dialogue tags every time the person speaks, but do it frequently enough that the reader doesn’t have to second guess who’s talking.

 

Action

If your speaking character is engaged in action, keep the description of the action in the same paragraph as the dialogue. Spreading it out only confuses the reader.

 

Dialogue as an Information Dump

Don’t rely on dialogue for story exposition—an information dump—to give the reader details about plot or backstory through what the characters are saying. The result is dialogue that sounds completely fake.

“As you know,” Milton said, “I have a PhD in pharmacology and trained at Harvard, so I can get this prescription filled for you right away.”

Dialogue should set the scene, give insight into characters, give the reader a reminder, foreshadow, and advance action. Don’t use it just to convey information. Put your dialogue to work for you. It should be multitasking and doing many things at the same time.

 

Vernacular

Vernacular is the specialized spoken language of a particular group, profession, region, country, etc.—also known as dialect. It is the spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation that distinguishes that group from other groups around them. It is a very powerful tool of characterization, but it is easily overused.

Using too many made up words to convey the vernacular slows the flow of the story and interrupts the reader as oftentimes he doesn’t know what the heck you’re talking about. Take this example from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain from the character Jim.

“I didn’ know dey was so many un um. I hain’t hearn ‘bout none un um, skasely, but ole King Sollermun, onless you counts dem kings dat’s in a pack er k’yards. How much do a king git?”

Ouch. I know it’s English, but it’s not at all readable. Here is a more palatable version:

“I din’ know dere was so many of ‘em. I ain’t heard ‘bout none of ‘em, ‘cept King Sollerman, ‘less you counts dem kings that’s in a pack o’ cards. How much do a king git?”

It’s washed out, but it does get the message to the reader.

The key is to stay consistent. Do your research. Find the common spellings of the terms you’d like to use. Find how people actually talk in the regions you’re referring. Don’t just make up your own terms. This will just confuse and alienate the reader. Also stay consistent in your own writing. If you use vernacular in one sense, don’t change the spelling later on. There is an art form to using vernacular.

 

Dialect and Slang

Use care when writing dialect. An accent alone does not make character come to life and, like everything else, it can be overdone. If overdone, it can turn your character into a stereotype or a joke. It can also annoy or even offend your reader. A little dialect goes a long way.

That being said, word choice can tell your reader a lot about ethnicity, sexuality, background, or appearance. Keep your character’s voice in mind, but make sure it’s readable (see above). Dialect in dialogue should read like real speech. Dialogue doesn’t have to be completely grammatically correct, but there should be a balance between realistic speech and readability.

 

When to Abandon the Rules

Speech tends to be more informal than written words, so know when to toss formal grammar out. Speakers tend to contract words (don’t instead of do not, can’t instead of cannot, etc.) and sometimes omit words, especially in the case of vernacular and dialect.

Speakers are more likely to make errors such as “There’s no more grapes” rather than saying “There’re no more grapes” which is correct, but no one talks like that.

Comma splices in an essay will make a teacher’s hair fall out, but can make dialogue less clunky if used with restraint.

Sentence fragments are a necessity to constructing good dialogue.

These are all examples of when you can break grammar rules to make your dialogue smoother.

 

All of this put together (plus your talent of course) will make your dialogue snap and pop. Do not fear, you don’t have to memorize all of this. The easiest way to get objective examples of correct dialogue usage is to read. Then read. Then read some more. Familiarize yourself with how other authors use dialogue to help with the flow of your own writing.

And as with anything, practice make perfect. Even the best writers don’t always get it right. Keep writing and soon you will be able to mold your words into the message that you intend. And it will rock.

To Fred Phelps

Fred Phelps died today. He was arguably the most hated man in America. He spread so much hate, hurt, misunderstanding, fear, sadness, and vitriol during his life and encouraged others, including children, to do the same.

For that, I have this to say:

I forgive you.

I say this, not out of respect of your hateful ways, but because holding onto hate will turn me into something I don’t want to be. Something like you. I refuse to be that person.

I am a humanist. I believe that all people are created equally. Everyone, gay or straight, nerd or jock, black or white, tall or short, thin or heavy, Muslim or Christian, soldier or treehugger, EVERYONE has equal rights. And there is no one person on this planet who holds the privilege of denying anyone of any orientation the right of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness.

If any one group is causing the downfall of humanity, it is those who cannot let go of hate. So, goodbye, Fred. Your hatred failed to reach one person today.

12 Ways to Make Yourself Sound Smarter

Knowing correct grammar may seem to be an annoying technicality or a detail that is not worth the effort, but studies show that it is to your advantage to know your stuff. The Society for Human Resources and Management reports that 45% of employers are looking to train for grammar and other language skills. So someone out there is paying attention to grammar levels.

What comes out of your mouth does indeed matter as much as the tone in which you say it, especially in a professional environment. We all know people who make some grievous errors in speaking and in writing. I have a friend who consistently says odviously. I worked for a woman who insisted that the saying was loaded for barrel. A woman working the counter at my bank kept saying for say after every sentence (it took me a while to realize that this is what she meant). I even dated someone who called such offenses grammical errors. (The irony was not lost.)  Even my own family is not immune. A very close relative of mine cannot use the correct form of your/you’re. I, however, have never ever made any grammatical errors, as shown in the illustration to the right.

These types of errors bother me more than most, but then again, I get paid to find such mistakes, so my eyes are set to laser sights. That being said, here are some tips that you may or may not already know, but brushing up never hurts. These are common mistakes that people make all the way from executive memos to flyers to manuscripts to chatting around the water cooler.

It’s/Its

This is probably the most common error that I see. Apostrophes are slippery little buggers as is and this rule is counterintuitive. In almost every other use, apostrophes show possession, as in the dog’s bone or my sister’s bad grammar. Apostrophes also show missing letters, such as don’t, can’t, I’ll, we’ve, etc. Therein lies the rub. Its is possessive while it’s shows a missing letter. Good news though, it is super easy to remember which is which. It’s always equals it is. If you can’t substitute it is in your sentence, use its.

Grammar. Its many rules can be confusing, so it’s sometimes frustrating.

 

Dangling Modifiers

A dangling modifier isn’t as dirty as it sounds. It is simply an ambiguous clause that doesn’t modify the right word or phrase.

Take this sentence: “Rotting in the kitchen, my mom threw the bad bananas away.” This modifier (rotting) dangles because it’s not modifying the correct word. This makes it sound like my mom is a zombie who likes to hang around in the kitchen. This may or may not be true, but this I want the modifier to modify the fruit, not my mom.

“My mom threw away the bad bananas that were rotting in the kitchen.”

 

Who/Whom

The word who is only used as the subject of a verb.

Who is responsible for your zombification?

Whom, on the other hand, is never the subject of a verb.

You should give credit to whom for turning you into a zombie?

A good rule to remember is to use who or whom like the words they, he, she, we, and I, which can only be used as subjects. Pair who/whom the same you would pair I/me, he/him, she/her, or they/them.

If you don’t know which to use, default to who. Not only is who more common, whom is considered by some to be on its way to extinction.

 

Me/Myself/I

Making the decision to use me, myself, or I also comes under the heading of subject/object.

Me is always the object. The Nobel Peace Prize was given to me for zombie prevention and awareness.

I is always the subject. I deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.

Myself is a reflexive pronoun, which means it pairs up with a pronoun that has been previously used in the sentence.

I make myself get up every morning and hunt for brains. You wouldn’t use it if you had not mentioned yourself earlier in the sentence.

 

Is it Jane and I? Or Jane and me?

To decide which to use in a somebody else/I situation, remove the other person from the sentence. Is it “My mom made cake for Jane and I”? Or is it “My mom made cake for Jane and me”? Using this formula, which is correct, “My mom made cake for I” or “My mom made cake for me”? Apply this whenever you have a question.

 

Lie/Lay

The word lay must have an object. A person can lay an object somewhere. A person’s body can lie somewhere, unless, of course, it lies, which is the past tense of lay. Confused? Me too. Look at the chart.

Ending Sentences with a Preposition

A preposition is anything that a squirrel can do to a tree that involves running. He can run around it, he can run by it, he can run through, up, at, down, around, to, with, etc.

The rule is to never end a sentence with one. However, that can sometimes sound clunky or pretentious. “My mom became a zombie, which I am worried about” becomes “My mom became a zombie, about which I am worried.” Ugh. In this case it’s better to reword the whole sentence altogether.

I am worried that my mom became a zombie.

 

The Department of Redundancy Department

This is a prevalent one. For example, ATM already means automated teller machine, so adding machine to the end is unnecessary and redundant. The same goes for PIN number, VIN number, DVD disk, CD disk, etc.

A new trend I’ve noticed has people saying PIN code, which is somehow worse. I am not sure what the problem is with just saying PIN, but if you are uncomfortable with that, just use the entire thing, no abbreviation.

 

Distinguishing Between E.g. and I.e.

Latin can be tricky, but this one’s actually pretty easy once you know what’s what.

E.g. is Latin for exempli gratia, which means for example.

I love zombie movies, e.g., Zombie Night, Z is for Zombie, and The Dead Rise.

I.e., on the other hand, is Latin for id est or that is to say.

I love all things zombie, i.e., I am morbid.

A mnemonic trick to remember the difference is to imagine that i.e. stands for in essence (even though it doesn’t, it is essentially the same). Then imagine that e.g. stands for egg-sample. Ha ha, get it? Egg-sample? Ex-sample? All right. Moving on.

 

Random Apostrophes

Apostrophes are one of the most misused punctuation marks. How many times have you seen a handwritten sign reading, “Fork’s for customers only”? (Only once, but that was enough.) Apostrophes (or lack of) can completely change the meaning of a word. For instance, if you leave the apostrophe out of your wedding announcement, it sends a different message entirely.

But if you remember from the it’s/its discussion, it’s actually pretty simple. Simply, an apostrophe is usually used to show a missing letter or to show possession.

We wanted to let you know that we’re engaged, not were engaged. Sorry for the confusion and any ensuing tears.

 

Fewer/Less

Use fewer when you are talking about object that are countable.

I own about 500 books. My friend owns fewer books than I do.  

Less is used when talking about things that you can’t count individually.

I have less than a gig of space left on my hard drive.

 

Then/Than

Use then when discussing the passage of time in a sequence of events.

I was bitten and then became a zombie.

Use than in comparisons.

He is a better zombie than I am.

 

If you don’t know how to use a word or phrase or punctuation mark or are unsure, look it up. Use a search engine or a dictionary and get it cleared up so you can use it correctly. If you are not sure, don’t use it, especially if there is something at stake, such as with a job application. Reword it until it looks right and you are certain that it reads the way you want it.

After all, as Mark Twain so famously said,
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”