“It’s so hot, I think I’m melting. I haven’t been able to write for three days.” Sally held a blended mocha, sweat glistening on her forehead as she plunked down on the Adirondack chair next to me. “Really? What, has your brain turned to mush? Are you fingers slipping off the keyboard?” She stared at me, frowning. “Ouch.” “If you want to be a writer, Sally, you have to press on. Do you want to be a writer? Or just a wannabe?” “I think I’m going to take my mocha elsewhere.” “There’s no crying in writing, bay-bee. I once wrote a book while living in a garage without plumbing, heat or electricity. Believe me, I had reasons not to write. You have to press on, like a mailman, through sleet […]
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TEE’s What and Why: Boy Scout Moment
Say the words “Boy Scout” and most people will think “Be prepared.” (That’s the Boy Scout Motto.) Or they might think of words like trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous … (These are parts of the 12 Points of the Scout Law. I know this because my husband, who is an Eagle Scout, recited all 12 Points to me in rapid-fire succession. Once a Scout, always a Scout.) And yes, this Scout trivia is applicable to writing a novel. What: Boy Scout Moment This is a sweet moment in the beginning of the book where we glimpse the hero or heroine doing something kind – petting a dog, saving a cat, helping an old woman across the street (Boy Scout, remember?) –that functions to create likeability of your character. Why: I […]
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A Quick Skills conversation about Italics and Internal Monologue
Italics and Internal Monologue can be very confusing. I write in Deep POV, so for those who employ this technique, here are some hints that might help. If you’re writing in Deep POV, which many authors are today, remember that you’re in a character’s pov, so anything they think, feel, see or hear filters through their head and directly onto the page. Thus, if it doesn’t have quotation marks around it, it is internal and should not be in italics. The only time you need italics is when the character is remembering another voice in their head, or they are unable to voice the words they are speaking. For example if a person is remembering something their mother, their pastor, their friend, or even something they read, it is another […]
Read the RestConversations: Adding Punch to your dialogue by creating Meaningful Action
“You look upset,” Sally said as she sat down on the deck. She wore a white shirt, her hair pulled back in a sixties’ style headband and a sleek summer tan. I sighed, stirring my frappucino. “I just had a difficult conversation with my son about his driving skills.” “Did you argue?” “No. And that’s the problem. He said everything right. It’s what he didn’t say that bothered me.” She frowned. “We were driving into town. He was riding beside me, his elbow out the window, when I broached the topic. I mentioned that we’d seen him driving in town recently a little too recklessly, and if he wanted to drive our cars he’d have to slow down.” “And?” “He said, ‘Sure, Mom. Whatever.’” “That doesn’t sound–” “He was scrolling […]
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