Dialogue

Dialogue …is a semblance of speech, an invented language of exchanges that build in tempo or content toward climaxes. ~~ Sol Stein in Stein on Writing


One of the elements that many fiction writers struggle with is the art of writing good dialogue in their stories. Recently, I returned to a classic, and favorite of mine, Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, to brush up on my fiction techniques.

In Chapter 11 of his book, published in 1999 by St. Martin's Press (ISBN 0-312-25421-0), Stein talks about the secrets of good dialogue. Here are some golden nuggets from this chapter:

• Dialogue...is a semblance of speech, an invented language of exchanges that build in tempo or content toward climaxes.
• Learning the new language of dialogue is as complex as learning any new language.
• Dialogue is always in immediate scene, which is one reason readers relish it.
• Confrontational dialogue... is immediate, creating a visual image of the speakers as it shoots adrenaline into our bloodstream.
• Dialogue... is indirect. The key word to understanding the nature of dialogue is that the best dialogue is oblique.
• Characters don't need to make speeches at each other.
• We're not only characterizing, we're building a story... . A reader's emotions can be sparked with few words. That's the power of dialogue.
• Dialogue is a lean language in which every word counts. Count for what? To characterize, to move the story along to have an impact on the reader's emotions.
• What the reader gets from your fiction is the meaning of words. And most important, the emotion that meaning generates.
• ... what counts is not what is said but the effect of what is meant.
• ... the best way to judge dialogue read aloud is to read it in a monotone without expression. The words have to do the job.

Stein has many more wonderful suggestions and tips for improving the dialogue in your fiction. I strongly suggest you read Stein on Writing and, when you're finished with it, read another Stein classic, How to Grow a Novel.
Happy Writing!
Coach Sue

Attitude of Gratitude

Today, I went to an ESL party at the college where I teach. Students and teachers gathered to share in the food and fellowship of many cultures. While I was sitting there enjoying empanadas from Colombia, dim sum from Korea, and tuna pasta salad from America, a student came up to me.

"Mrs. Kern! I'm so glad to finally see you," he said to me. "You taught me ESL Writing two years ago. I never see you in the halls and so I thought you were no  longer teaching here. I've been wanting to thank you so much for teaching me. I've taken English Composition 101 and now 102 -- I've received A's in both classes and now I'm going to be transferring to a four-year college, maybe Bucknell. I know your teaching was so instrumental in my success. I was so afraid I wouldn't get to say 'Thank you' to you before I graduated."

Wow! That felt great! Not because his words stroked my ego -- but because I heard him say that I made a difference in his world. That's what really matters -- that's what it is all about -- that's why I'm here in this world: To Make A Difference in the Lives of Others.

No matter what you do in your daily world, I am sure that you, too, make a difference. Think about it and  when you have come up with a few ways your life has helped others' lives, give thanks that you were given that opportunity to help and to see how what you do matters.

Earlier this week, I received a package from a friend. She had sent me clips of her articles that have been published. A few years ago, I encouraged her to start writing. As her writing coach, I helped her see the unique gift that God had blessed her with and how, through her writing, she could help others who suffer with a chronic illness, just as she does. Her book, The Many Faces of The Wolf, is featured on my blog under Publications. I was thrilled to read my friend's published articles. And, again, I was humbled by the note she wrote me: "These writings occurred because you encouraged me and believed in a skill (gift) I did not know that God had given me."

Tonight, I am so grateful for the student  I saw today and for the friend whose package I received this week.  You see, I've been thinking I should stop teaching, writing, and coaching new writers, and return to full-time work in the corporate world. Finances are tight, as they are for most people these days, and that corporate salary, once obtained, could make a difference in our monthly budget.

But that difference pales in comparison to the difference I seem to be making through The Writer's Cottage. That's all I need to know to make my decision to stick with the vision for The Writer's Cottage that God gave to me on that river bank nearly 10 years ago on June 2, 2000.

And for that vision and all that has occurred since then, I truly have an Attitude of Gratitude.

I wish you many wonderful hours and days and weeks and months and years of making a difference in this world in whatever you do.
Coach Sue

Now what?

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! I love Wednesdays because by the middle of the week I am pretty tired from my writing, teaching, and household responsibilities, so this is a perfect excuse to cozy up to a good book when I'm done my day's work. And that's exactly what I plan to do tonight. :-)

How are you doing on writing 30 minutes about one of the items on your fun list? It's okay if you haven't looked at it since Monday. I skipped Tuesday on purpose so that your mind would have a day to mull over what you had written. In writing terms, this day off is called the "incubation" period. Even though your conscious mind is not working on your writing, your subconscious is. When you go back to your written piece, you will see it in a different perspective and will sharpen it based on what your subconscious has been doing with it.

So for today, I want you to go back to the first draft you wrote on Monday, read it out loud to yourself or a friendly person. Then take pen/pencil to paper and start making changes as led by your writing muse.

As always, feel free to post your draft here.

Oh, and don't forget to get a good book to read tonight. After all, that's what Wednesday evenings are all about.

Happy writing and reading!
~~Coach Sue

Write What's Fun

Good Monday morning! Is everyone rested from the weekend? I hope you did something fun as well. It's important to give your inner writing muse rest AND fun to keep those wonderful, wacky writing ideas flowing through you.

So, bright and early today, we are going to take a look at our lists of things we do for fun. These are the things we should be writing about. Because what we love to do, we excel at, we become experts at, eventually. Plus, we love to teach others about what we love because we want others to feel the joy in these activities. What better way to fuel your writing than to write about what you love?

For your writing practice today, I want you to choose one fun thing from your list and then start another list. On this second list, I want you to write in big letters at the top of the page the fun thing you chose. Then start a mini-brainstorming session by writing down EVERYTHING that comes to your mind about that fun activity. Don't censor your thoughts! Let your writing muse go crazy with this exercise. After about 15 minutes, stop recording your thoughts. You should have plenty of ideas on the page by that point.

Pick one idea and write for 30 minutes without stopping on that idea. If you want, post what you wrote to the comments section of this blog. On Wednesday, we will work on developing a sellable writing piece from today's writing practice.

Get writing and remember--have fun!

Coach Sue

Day 1

Happy April 1, everybody. According to my calendar, today is National Fun Day! I think it is the first day of the rest of YOUR writing life--think about it, really. Today you can forget about all those false starts, writer's blocks, rejection slips, etcetera, and start anew, refreshed in the knowledge that you are brand new today, and so is your writing muse.

Let's get started. In preparation for the upcoming weekend, I want all of us to make a list of all the things we do for fun--all those activities we do just because we love doing them, not because we are getting paid to do them. Be honest now! Write down what pops in your head first, not what you want to write down to impress us. Then email the list to this blog.

What are you going to do with them, you ask? Stay tuned bright and early Monday morning and I will tell you!

Happy First Writing Day!

Coach Sue