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.

In a Slump? Motivational Tips You Can Use Right Now!

 

You know you need to get your work done. You know you need to do it now. You sit down, crack your knuckles, put your hands on the keyboard and… nothing. You try to keep at it, you dig deep and look for the motivation, but it’s not there. Suddenly, you feel like doing anything but writing. There are three movies on your Netflix queue that you need to watch. For the second time. Your dishwasher needs to be emptied. The ducks at the pond need your bread scraps or they may starve. Anything but writing.

It happens to us all at some point. Except for Stephen King, who seems to have a limitless well of material inside him. Or Ray Bradbury who wrote every day until he died. Okay, fine, maybe it is just me, but I am willing to admit to the possibility of others who have run into the same thing.

If you wait for motivation to come to you, you’re in for a long, long wait. If you are waiting for inspiration to strike, it might, but there’s always the chance it may not. Here are some tips to create your own motivation. Even if you’re not a writer, these tips can be modified for motivation in any area.

1. Get into a Groove, Not a Rut

Create a groove for yourself. Write the same time every day, if possible. I have a sliding schedule and have a hard time with this, but I found a time that works for me. It may not be as often as I like, but it’s better than not doing it at all. A writer I knew used to get up an hour earlier every morning to write. She got up at 5 a.m. instead of 6, but she got her novel written that way. When you do finally find your groove but have to miss your scheduled time, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just get back on it at your next scheduled time.

2. Visualize the End

Visualize your finished piece. What do you want it to look like? Who would you like to see reading it? Putting a finish line there for yourself helps you to see that there is just that. An end. It’s not just a endless cycle of sitting down and writing. You are working toward an end product. This will also help you from getting into the dreaded rut from number 1.  

3. Put Yourself on the Hook

Make yourself accountable by committing to a deadline. Publicly. Whether it’s with your writer’s group, on your Facebook page or Twitter, or just telling someone, make your deadline known. You will be more motivated to get it done if there are people paying attention.

4. Dust off that Photo of David Hasselhoff

Do you have a book that always makes you want to write? Don’t put it away on a shelf; keep it next to your writing space. For me, it’s a newspaper article written by my stepfather about my birth father before he died. I want to make both of them proud, which is a great motivation. Keep your muses close to you to inspire you at those moments when you need inspiration.

5. No Labels

Don’t limit yourself with labels. Avoid ideas like “When I publish this, I’ll finally be a writer” or “When I sell a million copies, I’ll be someone.” You are already a writer. You are already someone. Work instead on being a great writer. Don’t place your worth in the future. The only thing that will accomplish is the feeling of worthlessness now. Feelings of worthlessness never got anyone anywhere. You know the trap is there; you don’t need to throw yourself into it.

6. Do Not Deliberately Throw Yourself into the Sarlacc* Pit

Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t constantly punish yourself for not having sold as many books as Stephen King or writing as much as Ray Bradbury. This is a greased trap every writer should avoid. Falling into a hole of despair will not help you accomplish anything. Stop yourself when you start to recognize the signals. Don’t let yourself fall in. It’s a hard climb back up.

Do pat yourself on the back when you do well. Reward yourself when you reach your goal. Your day-to-day efforts deserve some acknowledgement. You don’t have to throw yourself a parade every time you write a paragraph, but, hey, you got it done. Have that double-shot macchiato with extra whip as a reward. You deserve it.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarlacc

7. Don’t Sabotage Your Progress

If you have found your groove and are in it, don’t let anything stop you. However, don’t take it too far. If I overdo it one night and stay up until 2 a.m., it may take me out for three days and I don’t produce anything. Keep it on an even keel and don’t exhaust yourself. I also find that the quality of my work suffers if I drink that third cup of coffee and push through. The time spent in revision is not worth the effort spent on sub-par work.

8. Work through the Suck

A friend of mine once gave me some advice that I have never forgotten. Work through the suck. It may not be going the way you imagined, but keep going. It will get better. It’s not going to get worse the more you practice. Quite the opposite actually. Natch.

9. Keep it Moving

If you don’t feel like working on your novel, short story, or whatever you’re working on, don’t push it. But do write something. Journal, blog, write story outlines longhand on your Snoopy notepad that you keep because it’s cute, it doesn’t matter. Just write. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, but it will keep your chops up. After all, that is what Steve and Ray do. Imitate your heroes. Pretty soon, you’ll be up there with them. And if not, at least you didn’t end up in the Sarlacc Pit.