Working the Steps

Thanks for visiting Sharp Pen Dull Sword yesterday! Probably my most revealing interview so far. And yes, a guaranteed date every night rocks.

Today, I’m “working it” at RaShelle Workman’s site, A No. 2 Pencil Stat! RaShell’s an awesome lady. And she rocks, despite what her kids think!

And cheers for Clarissa at Listen to the Voices - she got a book deal!

Downloaded ESPN’s Sports Tap ap to my iPad recently. It provides updates on your favorite teams or sport. If a game’s in progress, it announces every new score, even if the device is off. You read that right! Freaked me out the first time I heard the ESPN jingle from my quiet iPad. Remind me not to follow basketball, as it would just chirp all night long.

I plan to catch RED this weekend. If that doesn’t work out, we’ll just watch How To Train Your Dragon again.

Anyone else catching a movie this weekend?

Listen to the Voice of an Expert

I may be an author, but I’m still too new in this game to provide certified writing tips. Movie tips YES, writing tips NO. So, I brought in an expert!

Clarissa Draper posts the most sensible, easy to follow, and enlightening writing tips on her blog – Listen to the Voices. (She’s also providing first chapter critiques for those who are interested.) I asked if she would be so kind as to provide some writing tips for my fellow bloggers and writers, and she agreed without forcing me to grovel or beg. (Thanks, Clarissa – it’s not a pretty sight!) Enjoy!

5 Keys to Realistic Dialogue

I used to be horrible at dialogue. Then somebody told me I should write a chapter of dialogue to practice. So I did. Not only that, I wrote a whole book. Dialogue only. And it's one of the best stories I've ever written.

Dialogue alone can make you cry, laugh, think, and throw your book against the wall. Dialogue is moving and well written dialogue is powerful. I doubt you want to write a whole novel in dialogue just to practice. So instead, why don't I just tell you what I've learned.

1. It should always move the story forward.
2. It should make sense to the reader - ever jump into a conversation and have no idea what they're talking about? Yeah, I don't like it either. So, don't do that to your reader.
3. It should end. Who wants to read an hour's worth of conversation?
4. It should tell us more about the character - dialogue is a great place to glean insights as to a character's voice and characteristics.
5. It should be interesting and meaningful - this means you should keep backstory out of your dialogue unless it's vital to the plot and moves the story forward. Also, keep your opinions out of it. Just because you're vegetarian doesn't mean all your characters are and that they want to make a point about it in every conversation.

No one wants to read this:

"Hi, Jane, what are you carrying?"

"Hello, Martha, I went to Johnson's grocery story on Fourth Street, near your house, and bought groceries. You know the place... your brother got shot in that store with a revolver five years ago, during a robbery. Remember?"

"Oh yes I remember, I went into a deep depression and had to be hospitalized for three years. They preformed shock therapy, did you know? I never thought I would make it out alive. I petitioned to the government to stop such treatment for a year and had no response."

"I helped you with that. We worked long hours, late at night to prepare signs and petitions. I hate the Republicans, they are a bunch of crooks. In 1964, the started a war that I felt never needed to be fought."

Thanks, Clarissa! Everyone please visit her site, Listen to the Voices.

And I am visiting Jeffrey Beesler’s World of the Scribe on Thursday and sharing about my writer's doubts. Stop by and snark at my insecurities...

Everything but the kitchen sink...

Because I am not about to take out our kitchen sink! Home repairs are not my specialty.

But as I cruise the world of blogs, I’ve noted some really cool things happening as of late…

Rogue at The Roads of Autumn Dusk was recently listed on the Horror Blogger Alliance He has an awesome site, so check it out.

Nebular’s site CineMarvellous just celebrated one year AND won the Top Movie Review Blog 2010 award!! Go check it out HERE

Powdered Toast Man at Just the Cheese decided to take my Movie Dirty Dozen one step further and posted an Actress and an Actor Dirty Dozen. His actor list is close to mine, but I need to come up with my own actress post!

Geof at Enter the Man-Cave is posting his very first book review on Monday!! So please show him some manly support.

My review of Fever Dreams by Preston and Child appeared this month in Prinkipria. If you’ve not seen this online fantasy/science fiction magazine, you need to check it out!

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me a special Friday the 13th Award! Thanks again, Yvonne. For those who don’t know Yvonne, she posts poetry every single day, and while I am not a poetry person, there is something about the way she brings her words together that is really amazing.

I pass this special award to:
Clarissa at Listen to the voices – she posts the best writing tips ever!
Nicole at One Significant Moment at a Time – she’s really cool!
Carol at Under the Tiki Hut – her Friday’s Top Ten posts are great!

RaShelle at a No. 2 Pencil Stat!
gave me the Creative Writer award – thanks, RaShelle! I’ve received it previously, so won’t bore you with facts & fluff.

Other than that, still playing Starcraft II and working on a sequel to my book. I have special guest on Tuesday you won’t want to miss. And some movie reviews are coming, too!

And snark! It was suggested that Simon at Constant Revision should have a nickname, and I think Snarktopus fits him very well.