Friday, 12 June 2015
Monday, 8 June 2015
Writing Prompt 9
Your character has forgotten something very important. How does it try to remember?
Friday, 5 June 2015
Monday, 1 June 2015
Writing Prompt 7
Write about a child running away from something. What is it? Where does the child think he or she will be safe?
Friday, 29 May 2015
Writing Prompt 6
You're a high-ranking politician and your teenage daughter has joined a revolutionary group. What do you do about it?
from http://writingexercises.co.uk/scenario-generator.php
from http://writingexercises.co.uk/scenario-generator.php
Monday, 25 May 2015
Writing Prompt 5
Free write about this street. What would happen here? What kind of person would be walking down it?
Friday, 22 May 2015
Monday, 18 May 2015
Friday, 15 May 2015
Writing Prompt 2
Rewrite a pivotal scene from the perspective of a side character whose POV you have never used before.
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Writing Notes: Voice
Why is voice so hard? I have a lot of weaknesses as a writer, but I sometimes feel like voice is where I meet my Waterloo. I have desperately tried to write differing voices for my characters in my most recent WIP, Emira, but I haven't had much success at it.
I'm good at dialogue, actually. Anyway, I think I'm tolerable at it. A few of my characters do have their own distinctive voice and way of speaking. Take, for example, my technological genius and adrenaline junkie, Gerald Kerring, whose dialogue is incredibly easy to write and even easier to identify. His way of speaking is educated but decidedly toned-down. He prefaces with "I mean" frequently, and finishes with "you know."
But then, on the other hand, there's Rupert, his best friend, the youngest of nine and a restless soul. He's the MC of Emira and I have struggled with his voice to no avail. Although he's technically supposed to talk in the simplest words and phrases, every attempt I make towards this end sounds somewhat contrived. Rupert has far too great a tendency to talk like Gerald if I just let him talk whatever way he wants, and I don't want him to talk like that because he's already too much like Gerald.
And here, I know, is where I've gone wrong. It's not so much a difficulty of finding the right voice for my character, it's a matter of actually finding my character. Rupert is too much like Gerald, which is why he has begun to sound too much like him. I know there are differences, but I need to explore those more deeply.
It's taken me three-fourths of a sequel to find out that my MC isn't well-rounded enough, but at least I know now. Everywhere you read about voice, you find that the best step to discovering your own character's voice is to discover your character. Once you know him or her well enough, it becomes natural.
Still, there are some tips to keep in mind when writing dialogue.
1. Word Choice
It can be slang, it can be long words, it can be the wrong words, it can be curses. Word choice is probably the most noticeable difference in the way characters talk.
2. Sentence Length
More subtle, sentence length gives voices different rhythms. When experimenting with sentence length, it can be helpful to read dialogue out loud. Actually, it's always helpful to read dialogue out loud.
3. Catch Phrases
It doesn't have to be a cliche. Any phrase the character uses frequently, whether it's "sorry," "golly," or "eh" will set that character's voice apart from the others in the story. Which ultimately means that your one character is the only one who should ever use that phrase, depending on what it is.
4. Conversation Style
This is the most subtle and also, in my opinion, the most fun of any. How does your character actually converse with the others? Are they the listener? Are they the one seeking more knowledge? One of my characters is a questioner, always asking questions. I don't just use this in dialogue but in the narration from that character's POV. This can be a quiet but amazing way to show a character's deeper personality.
Some helpful links:
http://writingexercises.co.uk/scenario-generator.php
http://users.pgtc.com/~slmiller/characterexercises.htm
http://fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment.tumblr.com/post/51825892652/writing-tips-84-nine-kick-ass-excercises-to-find
https://writersblock.loft.org/2013/08/14/2641/Finding_Your_Characters_Voice
I'm good at dialogue, actually. Anyway, I think I'm tolerable at it. A few of my characters do have their own distinctive voice and way of speaking. Take, for example, my technological genius and adrenaline junkie, Gerald Kerring, whose dialogue is incredibly easy to write and even easier to identify. His way of speaking is educated but decidedly toned-down. He prefaces with "I mean" frequently, and finishes with "you know."
But then, on the other hand, there's Rupert, his best friend, the youngest of nine and a restless soul. He's the MC of Emira and I have struggled with his voice to no avail. Although he's technically supposed to talk in the simplest words and phrases, every attempt I make towards this end sounds somewhat contrived. Rupert has far too great a tendency to talk like Gerald if I just let him talk whatever way he wants, and I don't want him to talk like that because he's already too much like Gerald.
And here, I know, is where I've gone wrong. It's not so much a difficulty of finding the right voice for my character, it's a matter of actually finding my character. Rupert is too much like Gerald, which is why he has begun to sound too much like him. I know there are differences, but I need to explore those more deeply.
It's taken me three-fourths of a sequel to find out that my MC isn't well-rounded enough, but at least I know now. Everywhere you read about voice, you find that the best step to discovering your own character's voice is to discover your character. Once you know him or her well enough, it becomes natural.
Still, there are some tips to keep in mind when writing dialogue.
1. Word Choice
It can be slang, it can be long words, it can be the wrong words, it can be curses. Word choice is probably the most noticeable difference in the way characters talk.
2. Sentence Length
More subtle, sentence length gives voices different rhythms. When experimenting with sentence length, it can be helpful to read dialogue out loud. Actually, it's always helpful to read dialogue out loud.
3. Catch Phrases
It doesn't have to be a cliche. Any phrase the character uses frequently, whether it's "sorry," "golly," or "eh" will set that character's voice apart from the others in the story. Which ultimately means that your one character is the only one who should ever use that phrase, depending on what it is.
4. Conversation Style
This is the most subtle and also, in my opinion, the most fun of any. How does your character actually converse with the others? Are they the listener? Are they the one seeking more knowledge? One of my characters is a questioner, always asking questions. I don't just use this in dialogue but in the narration from that character's POV. This can be a quiet but amazing way to show a character's deeper personality.
Some helpful links:
http://writingexercises.co.uk/scenario-generator.php
http://users.pgtc.com/~slmiller/characterexercises.htm
http://fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment.tumblr.com/post/51825892652/writing-tips-84-nine-kick-ass-excercises-to-find
https://writersblock.loft.org/2013/08/14/2641/Finding_Your_Characters_Voice
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