Monday, February 7, 2011
What Are You Good At?
We spend a lot of time as writers talking about our weaknesses, shortcomings, and struggles. We gnash our teeth and beat ourselves up, hide from our inner critics and talk ourselves down.Today, we’re following Baloo’s advice. We’re going to accentuate the positive.
One of my favorite things to write is dialogue. If it’s dialogue between two male characters, all the better. Ironically, I’m not a fan of it in real life, but I love writing two guys ribbing each other.
Unfortunately, I had to cut one of my favorite scenes of this type. This happened to be the only scene in the book that wasn’t in either the hero or heroine’s POV, making this scene the literary equivalent of the turd in the punchbowl. So, it had to go.
But, it’s a prime example of something I think I do well. I realize this is dangerous as the rest of you could read this and think, “Holy shit, she thinks that’s good?!” But I’m pulling up my writer big girl pants and posting it anyway.
Here’s the set up. Duke is a cop, best friend of the hero and part of the secondary love story in the book. Richie is the hero’s brother, a firefighter/EMT, and the town playboy. As you’ll see, Duke is recently divorced and not exactly beating women off with a stick. Until he meets Lucille.
“Don’t look now, but there’s a pocket pixie checking you out,” Richie said.
“Women don’t check me out,” Duke murmured without looking up from him notes. “She’s probably thinking about starting a fire to get your attention.”
“She’s not looking at me.”
“How do you know?”
“I smiled at her and she looked like someone shit on her shoe. She turned back to you and went all googly-eyed again.”
Duke’s pen froze. He looked up to see not only was Richie not smiling, he looked insulted. “Is googly-eyed an official medical term?” Duke asked, his mood improving by the second.
Richie crossed his arms then narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be a dick. You don’t want to talk to her, fine. Just trying to help a guy out.”
Duke felt guilty for about half a second, until he remembered Richie had swiped every woman he’d bought a drink for in the two years since his divorce.
Deciding he needed to make sure he had all the facts, Duke headed for the porch to ask Emma a few more questions. And maybe get the number of the red-headed pixie he definitely wouldn’t mind having in his pocket.
Now it’s your turn. Today is all about the positive. What do you do well? What’s your favorite part to write? Your MS dripping with angst? Or maybe you have a knack for the physical comedy. Lyrical prose that paints vivid pictures or unique new worlds that suck readers in. Pat yourself on the back and kick that inner critic to the Kraken.
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83 comments:
That was a great bit of dialog and you must hang onto it and use it at some point!
What do I write best? Well, I'm proudest of the little tidbits I drip into things... Like in The Chameleon Goggles when the crew is considering that the upcoming battle against a zepellin is onesided to the max.
“If only this world had dragons.” Emily muttered. “They would be really handy right now.”
“No, they wouldn’t. Trust me,” Jezebel commented.
Emily turned to stare at her but decided not to go there.
Yes, I love throwing in...what would call them...red herrings? No, that's not it... And I happen to think I do them quite cleverly!
(I can just see the expression on Emily's face as she considers that Jezebel undoubtedly does know the truth about dragons, and all Emily knows is what she's read in Dragonriders of Pern books.)
I think I need to think on this better. I'm in that place where I'm not sure anything I write is that good. I like this little bit of emotional tension....
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her eyes shifted to the left. Lying.
“No?” He reached into the pocket of his coat.
And with that simple movement everything playful drifted out of the carriage.
Miss Jordan tensed and the air between them thickened with her fear. Her eyes rounded to huge disks and her face paled further. He stilled, paralyzed in her terror.
Cass knew that look, had seen it countless times on his mother’s face as she waited for the consequences of his father’s violent temper. The visceral effects of that look—the sickness in his stomach, the desire to remain motionless as not to spook her, the urge to beat whatever caused her fear to a bloody pulp—coursed through him, as it always had, and memories of standing between his mother and his father rattled in his head.
He blinked, trying to clear his mind. This wasn’t his mother and he wasn’t ten years old. This was an entirely different female in an entirely different situation. He exhaled a shaky breath.
Marn - That's clearly showing the hero go to another time in his mind. And he's feeling now what he felt then. Very nice. But now I want to know why the heroine is so scared!
I did use it, Chance. LOL! I used it here!
I don't know if you call them red herrings either, but whatever they're called, you're good at them. I'm not essentially a detail oriented person, but lots of your fun stuff is in the details. Tiny things many writers wouldn't think to add. That's a great skill, lady.
I'm so glad Pollyanna is back. I almost missed her.
What do I do well? (*starts humming song* Sorry, this brought up an old country song I used to sing along with--"Do what you do do well, boy, do what you do do well...give your love and all of your heart and do what you do do well...")
I think I'm good at the ironic one-liner which gets dropped into chapters quite a bit. It can begin a chapter or end it, or be smacked right in the middle of an argument or scene and make the reader snort. I like to do one-liners, in real life and in prose.
Otherwise, I'd say my dialogue is pretty good. My male dialogue, I imagine, is more along the lines of manicorns. A lot of my male characters are chatty, but otherwise, I enjoy my dialogue.
This is a good thing because I'm so bad about making stuff actually happen in the book, someone better be saying something funny to keep the reader interested. I'm like the Harry Met Sally writer; lots of talking, little plot.
Umm...I'm good at organizing...and planning...and plotboarding...
LOL!
Seriously though I am good at those things. As for the writing itself, so far my biggest compliment is that I think I'm really very good at story ideas. It's the getting the idea on paper to match what I envision in my head that still needs work.
I might say pacing - I do think I work well with keeping the story pushing forward and not just hanging out in limbo. BUT, sometimes I rush the story along and don't get the character growth I need along the way.
Well, my heroine is a prostitute. Even though she was lucky enough to get into a "good" brothel early on and then get set up as a mistress with a couple of wealthy men, she's not without her bad experiences.
I personally find the portrayal of a lot of courtesans and mistresses in historical fiction right now a bit too romanticized for my tastes. To think that these women always wielded power over the men they consorted with is a bit optimistic. Chances are even the luckiest of them would have had to suffer some sort of physical abuse or degradation.
This particular prostitute--my heroine--had a bad experience in a carriage.
Marn, you're supposed to say "You'll have to read the book!" LOL! But I agree with you. Though it probably depends on the woman. Still, that scene reveals a great deal about both characters, and in not a lot of words. Great job.
I love that everyone is saying what they're good at. See, we can do this!
Hellie - You are good at that. I don't think I've ever read your stuff and NOT had that snort thing happen. LOL!
Scape - Those are valid skills that will help you turn these stories from ideas to finished works. My ideas usually start out very simple and I have to work to add texture to them, to make them more exciting. So huzzah for you on having that part down already.
Pacing is good too. I've worried my pacing might be too quick, but I think I've settled into a groove of sorts, where it moves well without giving the reader whiplash. I hope so anyway.
I love the dragon line. *LOL* It's one of those little dialogue grenades they throw in movies and you wish they'd expand on more--but are just FUNNY. *LOL* That is hilarious, Chance.
Marn, I'm really loving your hero--he's definitely the variety to run into a burning building to save kittens. *sighs* I think that's what I like about the good historicals--the real dramatic angst some authors are able to write. It wasn't rose petals and champagne ALL the time, esp considering the topics being written about. :) Courtesans do seem to be overly romanticized. Selling your body for sex, even in the "best" of circumstances, has a psychological toll that is rarely resolved good enough for me.
Oh.... Ahem.... Sorry....
You'll have to read the book! LOL!!
Thanks for the compliment, by the way. I love your snippet above too. The whole male-male dynamic is fun and you do a great job with it. :)
I'm going to have a flock of readers with snorting issues. I'm so proud of me!
Nice post, Terri, and a good reminder to take stock of our talents. I loved the exchange with Duke and Richie. You can put it on your website as a "DVD Extra". :)
Maureen, you're the goddess of worldbuilding. :)
Marn, very nice--taking the heroine's reaction and making the hero relive a painful experience.
I am good at dialogue, and humor, and I enjoy having my characters interact with banter and wit. I don't have a snippet to share at the moment -- I'll try to find something and post it later. :)
Hellie - I know you'd never admit it, but you do do angst well. On the rare occasion you let fly, it is angst city!
Thanks, Donna. I love the idea of DVD Extras for books. Deleted Scenes should be an entire page unto itself!
Since I've gotten to read some of your stuff, I can agree, you are good at humor. And really good at taking a cliche and twisting it, so the line or phrase is fresh and original. That's not easy to do.
Hells - my hero is the sort who would run into a burning building for kittens. But he's fun because he doesn't know that he's that sort of guy yet. And if he did, by chance, save the damsel, he'd probably think he didn't do it well enough, would worry that he didn't get there in time to save her from smoke inhalation, would think that someone else could have done it better. Sort of a "here I am, your hero, bet you wish it was someone more heroic" kind of guy.
The non-hero hero. Which is totally different from the anti-hero. I'm intrigued to know more about this man.
Hellie - You can give away travel packs of tissues with your book cover on them!
I’m intrigued to know more about this man.
I will take this opportunity to say... You'll have to read the book! LOL!!
Sort of a “here I am, your hero, bet you wish it was someone more heroic” kind of guy.
*LOL* I love that guy! Hilarious, yet also heartbreaking. A lethal combination.
I can see it now. "You'll weep when you realize you actually paid money for this book."
You know there are books I've bought at signings that should have come with small packs of tissues just for that very reason.
Hellie – You can give away travel packs of tissues with your book cover on them!
Would that be for the snorting or the angst?
Hey! Go read the blog again. No negative Nellies allowed today.
They are going to weep with joy!
And really good at taking a cliche and twisting it, so the line or phrase is fresh and original. That’s not easy to do.
Though I've read very little of your stuff, Hells (PIRATE), I agree with this. Even from your posts here, I think this is apparent and definitely one of your strong suits.
Both, of course.
That's the way, Marn! Though I love how Hellie makes it sound like a good thing that he would save kittens from a burning building, but when my guy would do that, it makes him a manicorn.
*huff*
Uhm...I was talking to Donna. LOL! But that's pretty much a given that it applies to Hells as well.
Those are supposed to be OUR hotties. Good thing I have all the keys around here or we'd never see those boys.
You're welcome.
Wow -- pirates are stealing other pirate's compliments? LOL No wonder I keep my hotties locked up!
Thanks, Terri, for the kind words. :)
pirates are stealing other pirate’s compliments?
I love it when we start drinking before 7 am! It makes for an exciting day!
Though I love how Hellie makes it sound like a good thing that he would save kittens from a burning building, but when my guy would do that, it makes him a manicorn.
Because Nate couldn't settle for just rescuing the kittens, he'd have to knit them all sweaters and find them all good homes by having a fundraiser once he was done. He's a manicorn.
All positive comments sounds like a great idea, Terri, but when it comes to my own writing, I find it easier to talk about weaknesses. I think some of my best writing comes in descriptive passages. I'm pleased with this description of the hero of "Back Home Again," for example:
Caleb looked enough like Max to be his brother. Both were Marshalls bred true. They had the long legs, broad shoulders, and large, graceful hands of all the Marshall men. And the eyes . . . Lauren had those eyes—Marshall blue, Dori called them, a blue that verged on purple but never quite made it. But Max’s eyes were often lit with laughter or soft with thought. Caleb’s gave less away. They dared the world. The small, crescent-shaped scar on his right cheekbone and the scornful curve of his mouth assured that he’d never be confused with Max. Caleb might ride to the rescue, but it would be on his terms and on a bad-boy Harley, not a white horse.
(I posted this snippet on my blog several months ago, so some of you have seen it already.)
*sighs wistfully* I'm surely not the only one here who wishes for Janga to hurry up and publish, right?
Seriously, it's gorgeous, Janga. I can't wait to read the whole thing.
I do love what everyone is sharing. I too vote for Ter's dialogue to be shared on her web site. I can hear those voices. Chance has me wondering about dragons, and I'm in love with Marn's hero already. I'll be back to see what Donna and Scape share, and I've read enough of Hellie's writing to know that another thing she does well is the I'll-show-you stuff. You know, romance writers can't do X. Well, I'll show you. And she does--splendidly.
I’ve read enough of Hellie’s writing to know that another thing she does well is the I’ll-show-you stuff. You know, romance writers can’t do X. Well, I’ll show you. And she does–splendidly.
*LOL* You know, I think that might be the best compliment of my life. Thank you, Janga.
*applauds*
Lovely, Janga. I knew I'd get something positive out of you if it killed me! Oh, to make it possible for you to see your work through out eyes. Then you'd see how beautiful it is.
I love the details in that description. The crescent-shaped scar and the graceful hands. Those are the touches that make a character really come to life.
Hellie's the queen of "I'll show you!" LOL!
Pretty sure I came out of the womb like that. Doctors said, "We don't think she's going to make it." I'll show you. "We don't think she's going to be able to function, you'll probably have to put her in a home." I'll show you. "You can't afford to go to college." I'll show you. Now the writing. *LOL* There was this college professor who was horrible to us (freshmen) and he said, "You will not flunk my class" and I remember thinking, "You think I'm a twit, do you? Well, I'll show you." And all my papers were aimed at him. *LOL* I was such a cocky little shit. I didn't flunk either.
Huh. You think that's my motto? I've always wondered what my life motto was. I bet this is it. How funny.
This is definitely it. Now if you'd just use it for good! LOL!
Yeah, that IS the problem. *LOL*
Stealing each other's compliments? that is such a good pirate thing to do!
Hel, you and Donna can do promo with those little packets of kleenex with your cover on them. Or little squeegees with your name and book title on them to clean up the monitor. Or little shamwows...
My mind is spinning!
I love all these snippets!
And I want to put Hel and Donna up on a stage to exchange ending chapter snippets!
Janga - Yeah, obviously the dragons Jezebel has dealt with aren't of the Pern variety! Love your word painting.
We could dare her...
Bet you couldn't use that trait to finish your book!
I basically used this method in an email BEFORE Janga posted her comment. Which I find hysterical. LOL!
Maybe Hellie could give out little piggy keychains that snort when you push a button. I bought kiddo a cow one. The nose lights up and it makes a loud mooing sound. Never know when that might come in handy...
Are you saying I snort like a pig?
I think the shamwow would be good if the release is an ebook. If a print, kleenex!
Yes, Hel and Donna in a snort-off!
I wonder if we could print up Revenge shamwows on Cafepress?
Did you contract amnesia? Try reading the comments again. YOUR comments. Dippy.
I refuse to participate in a snort-off. I only let my characters snort when there is no other way for them to express their disbelief. LOL
And I don't think I could use the tissues as a marketing thing -- I don't do angst or teary-eyed writing.
Janga, your snippet was lyrical. Absolutely beautiful.
I don't know what to post. Christine would have a fit if I posted from the WIP. Mmm. Maybe I'll just rest on my comments from yesterday as examples. LOL
I don't remember saying I snort like a pig. I snort like a horse. But it's been a long morning and there is still another half hour of it, so who knows what I've said this morning.
I'm sure we could print up Revenge shamwows. A very practical item.
Your readers snort, sillies!
Revenge shamwows! That would be so cool!
Thank you, Chance. I thought I was going to have to throw a damn pig to clear this up. LOL!
Donna - Make something up. You've got Zane and Becca. He's a logger, she's a tree hugger.
Go!
I was such a cocky little shit.
Was? WAS? AHAhaaaSnort! Wassnort ... wuzzzsnort ....
Ahh, then maybe our books need to have a wipe-off clear plastic cover. LOL
Market the Revenge shamwows as loincloths for the hotties. :) Which they can whip off to do windows, wash cars, etc.
Bless you, Julie.
Plastic covers? Makes it sound like gentlemen readers will be doing more than just reading them. Probably not what you were going for.
*snort!
Good one, Bo'sun!
It's a built in concept! He's trying to do his job, she's tied herself to the trunk. I want to see him talk her off that tree. LOL!
Actually, that would be fun to write. Hmmmm.....
Goodness, probably not. LOL I'm off to deal with a mini-crisis. I'll be back later!
You’ve got Zane and Becca. He’s a logger, she’s a tree hugger.
RWR Improv. Love it.
That was built in CONFLICT. Damn it.
Hope all is well, Donna!
Make it WW story, Bo'sun!
I don't think WW would go for a tree hugger. And that's not something I could fix in 800 words or less. LOL! Maybe not 80K.
Well, a ranger finding a woman chained to a tree...she got the directions wrong on where the protest was... He frees her but the protest is over so they have coffee somewhere.
I mean, he likes trees, too!
And she's doing it to prove to her mother that she does too believe in something strong enough to speak up! (Mom's an ex-radical from Berkeley...)
Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Go write that!
Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.
EXCEPT why would you chain yourself to a tree BEFORE anyone else was there? I mean, that's probably even a little too gung ho, even for Ghandi.
I didn't say she was the smartest twig in the forest!
She was pissed at her Mom. We all do stupid things when we're pissed at our Mom!
Mayhaps her mother chained her to the tree as a lesson. Then left her there, but sent the nice ranger to find her?
What do you do well?
Well ... this question got me ratherCurious (always a dangerous thing in my case) so I went back 7 looked at some of the things I wrote. My conclusion? After reading stuff like this
"If The World is an Imperfect place, then I am the Perfect example of a Worldly Woman."
"I think that one of the most challenging aspects of life is understanding what you Truly believe … and coming to terms with how and why those beliefs came to be."
"The truth is something that you tell some one
when
you care about them.
A lie is something that you tell some one
when
you love them enough to tell them what they desperately need to hear."
"Yes, tolerance is the truest sign of civility
And civility is the truest sign that a society is socially advanced
It is our civility to each other
Our respectfulness for each other’s differences
That has made our nation unique
When we forget to be Tolerant
It is Impossible to be Civil
And
Without Civility … there can be no CIVILIzation. "
" The ability to write beautiful words does not necessarily denote a beautiful soul. A talent for touching someone’s heart does not mean that the author has one. "
"Le soleil se lève. Le soleil se couche. Telle est la vie. Quand on fait le plus de temps entre le lever et le coucher? C'est mon cher est appelé ... Vivre."
Which means ...
The sun rises. The sun sets. Such is Life. When one makes the most of the time between the rising and the setting? That my dear is called … Living.
"I do not mind the 'sound' of quiet. It does not represent a deficiency. An inadequacy. A lack of what-ever in my life. For me, Quiet is the sound of A Mind at peace with it self."
"Nothing. The Thing about expecting Nothing is that you are NEVER disappointed when Nothing is exactly what you get."
"HOPE is the glue that holds you together, when every thing around you is falling apart."
"I’m looking at my career options. I’d be a Dominatrix except that I’m part Transylvanian. At the first sight of blood instead of getting hot n’ bothered, I’d get The Munchies …"
"The trouble with being Brilliant is ... No body knows What The Hell you're talking about!"
"Goodbyes are like ….. Herpes. They are painful. Uncomfortable to talk about. And you never quite get over them."
Every now and then I sit & ponder about the deeper, hidden Mysteries of Life. Stuff like “What does Yabba-dabba-doo Really mean?”
When I complained to a woman about the difficulty of the question she had asked at the end of her blog She told me that I was being Girlie.
My response was “Whining because a woman asks me a question I don’t want to answer does not make me Girlie. It makes me a man!”
"I have this friend. She said that I was kinda weird. But then she admitted that she was rather Odd. Which is good. Cuz I figure if an Odd Person calls you weird ... then it really means that YOU are Normal."
"I keep putting one foot in front of the other because that is the only way I know how to Be. Besides … if I keep putting one foot in front of the other then I am less likely to end up with one of them in my mouth!"
"God knows that sometimes the only choice we have is to walk away. That’s why he created us with feet."
My conclusion is ... I'd write a darn good fortune cookie! LOL
Jules - Or you could write on the wrappers of the Dove chocolates.
Wait, that sounds like a Disney movie...
Or popsicle sticks! That would be cool! ;)
Julie's fortune cookies...that would be a good promo item!
My head, I need to get my head out of stuff for RT. Or just get into it and finish some stuff so I can stop thinking about it.
Okay, her Mom chained her to a tree? I don't think they have that BAD a relationship! That would have to make her the evil stepmother. Though last night's House presented a good interaction between a mother and daughter...very thought provoking.
And I so enjoyed Castle last night!
Don't say anything about Castle. I taped it. We'll watch it tomorrow probably. Tonight is a trip to the mall for kiddo's semi-formal dress. Heaven help me.
Maybe her mom has a sick sense of humor...
Or is very committed or committable!
Semi-formal dress? Pictures! Must get the highest embarrassment factor so she can moan about you to all her friends....
Okay, her Mom chained her to a tree? I don’t think they have that BAD a relationship!
And this is a beautiful example following yesterday's blog about too many critiques where a story written by a committee just isn't the same... *LOL*
We're not writing, we're brainstorming.
I know, an alien tied her to the tree and the Ranger has to save her from the zombies!!
...where a story written by a committee just isn’t the same…
That's because anybody who has ever had kids knows that a mother would Never chain her child to a tree.
She'd use Grey Tape ...
Silence is golden, duct tape is silver...
Silver ... and sticky ... and seductive. Just image how the duct tape would look if you ...
Strategically wrap the duct tape in such a way that it caressed her figure. Accenting her small waist … the curve of her hips … the swell of her breasts … her thighs straining against her bonds … and she’d be so angry her eyes would be flashing. Her face would be flushed.
She’d be seducing him with out even realizing it.
And because it is heavy duty duct tape the ranger would have to us a knife to get it off. Maybe … probably he would have to cut into her clothing to unbind her from the tree. And he’d feel her soft skin through the slashed clothing against his rough hand …
How perfectly diabolical is that?
Definitely duct tape! LOL
Damn, I'm running out the door and don't have time to read the whole snippet. But I skimmed and there's more snorting! LOL!
I love this premise. You must write if it's calling to you!
Silence is golden, duct tape is silver… is my favorite t-shirt.
I love the Desmond Tutu quote. It's one of my favorites. *LOL*
And the line "like hell has frozen over long time." *LOL*
Keep writing!
Thanks Hells!
Bo'Sun - I totally forgot all about the snorting in there. It's kismet!
Something about the heroine I started here is nagging me to write more on this.
Go, Scape! We should issue challenges more often!
Julie...her Mom duct taped her to look seductive to the ranger? That really is one free thinking Mom!
Zombies and Ranger...now, that is an interesting book!
Scape, that was wonderful! I definitely want to read more of that. Get to writing!
Sorry I wasn't around this afternoon. This Chapter 2 and I were having a duel to the death. I think I've finally won, at least for the moment. *deep breath* I'm going back in. . .
Thanks Donna!
Good luck with Chapter 2.
Are we still writing by committee?
Okay
Free thinking or …
Desperate? The mom just found out she has cancer & she wants to see her just-divorced-man-hating daughter happy again before she passes on …
Or
Maybe the mom is a rich rancher who wants to prove to her cynical daughter that a man might want her daughter for herself & not her money.
Or … sounds like a good exercise in what ifs. So, you tell me!
And while you are pondering that, I will take the opportunity to thank everyone. You are an amazingly talented group of writers.
And it was a real delight to be able to read some examples of what-you-do-best.
I look forward to reading more.
Until then …
Good night.
Good luck.
And Good Writing!
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