Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Scenes can be slowed for dramatic effect by the inclusion of longer dialogue tags, also by setting descriptions for mood, by character descriptions, actions or thoughts. The impression of greater time lapse can also be given as one character summarizes information needed by another but that is already known to the reader.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Dialogue in action scenes should be short and punchy with few tag lines. Incomplete sentences also give the impression of movement and drama.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Dialogue between two or more characters may be used to relay information to the reader. However, it should never be used to transmit information that should already be known to everyone in the conversation. The exchange will feel stilted and false.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

A dialogue tag is not required for every spoken line or paragragh. If the speech pattern, rhythm or context of what’s being said is sufficient to identify the speaker, leave it untagged.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Varied combinations of verbs and adjectives used in tag lines (“she gasped breathlessly,” “he huffed scathingly,” “he exclaimed in stentorian tones”) can become annoying when used to excess. They slow the story and often indicate the intrusion of the author into the character’s viewpoint.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Tag lines that include an adverb(“he said calmly”,) can become a bad habit. Use with caution.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Straining to create different or unusual tag lines for each and every speech is considered bad writing because it can distract the reader. Simplicity is much preferred.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

The appropriate tag line for a question is “he asked” or “she demanded,” and so on. Only when the author intends dialogue written in interrogatory form to be read as a statement is it correct to use “he said” or “she said.”

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Words and phrases used to let the reader know who is speaking are known as tag lines. The most simple, and often most effective, are “he said” or “she said.” Unobtrusive alternatives used for variety include “he replied,” or “she answered.”

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Dialogue for each character should be given a separate paragraph to aid the reader in understanding who is speaking. However, a change of subject by the same character can require an additional paragraph or more. To establish that the speaker has not changed, the original quotation marks are left open until after the final sentence by that character.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

British publications use a different system of establishing dialogue--different, that is, from the American variety. The standard in the U. K. is a single quote mark (‘) for normal dialogue, with double quote marks (“) for material quoted within a speech.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

When indicating speech for publication in the United States, double quote marks (“) are used. When a character directly quotes another within a piece of dialogue, single quote marks(‘) should be used.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Story tellers from time immemorial have declaimed the speeches of their different characters and imitated their voices. However, dialogue as a fictional device had its origins in classical Greek drama.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Quotation marks are used to distinguish dialogue from narrative. It sets the spoken words apart from the character description, actions, thoughts and background of a story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

Dialogue is the interchange, the discussion of events and ideas, between two or more people. In terms of a novel, it’s the conversation between characters.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

There are no absolute taboos in narrative construction. The writer is the architect of his or her story, so free to use the language and writing techniques which best express that vision.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

Present tense narrative lends immediacy to a story, making it feel as if events are happening in real time. It’s a difficult narrative to maintain, however, and can distract readers, preventing their submersion in the story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

First person narrative is useful for stories which depend for their effect upon close reader identification with the main character. It’s a narrow point of view with limitations which may outweigh the advantage gained from it.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter - February 2011

Greetings:

February 1, at last. The reprint of FIERCE EDEN should be showing up on the shelves as we speak. I received my author’s copies a few days ago, and must say I’m impressed with the presentation Sourcebooks has done for the book. They’ve gone to trade-size paperback—paperback the size of a hardcover book—with their Casablanca Classics reprint program. The lovely shades of green and rose they chose for the cover look like spring and Valentine’s Day, and should make it easy to spot on the shelves. You may have seen this “profile” picture on my FaceBook page, though you have to click on the image for the full, enlarged effect. I’ve said it before, but will repeat it to be perfectly clear: this is a reprint of a bestseller from 1985, not a rewritten book. So many authors are reworking their earlier books these days that the question naturally arises. The only thing different about this reprint is correction of a few printer’s errors plus a small continuity bit that the original editor missed. FIERCE EDEN is available for the Kindle on Amazon.com. Other e-book formats can be downloaded at: www.ereads.com.

I also received a couple of contributor’ copies this month for FALL IN LOVE LIKE A ROMANCE WRITER, TRUE LOVE STORIES BY 67 AUTHORS. This collection was compiled by Amelia Gray, who is a romance author herself. My love story is in there, along with those of Robyn Carr, Heather Graham, Eloisa James, Kat Martin, Linda Lael Miller, Bertrice Small and 60 others. And it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day, too!

Meanwhile, I’ve completed the first round of author revision and polishing for Book #3 of my medieval trilogy. I think I gave the title for this as BY GRACE SEDUCED last month—not surprising as I’ve gone back and forth on what to call the story. The title for publication will be SEDUCED BY GRACE. I’m not sure what difference it makes, but there you are. The book is set for publication in October, following BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE in August, and BY GRACE POSSESSED in September. As I’ll be doing a second round of revising and polishing before I ship the manuscript to my editor, you’ll still be hearing about this book next month, I’m sure.

We’re under a tornado watch this morning, and rain has been pouring down. The storm delayed my sending this newsletter as I had to shut down my computer for a while as a precaution against power surges and outages. Otherwise, our winter has been fairly normal. We had a few snow flakes, sleet and freezing rain for a couple of days last month, but nothing compared to the horrific snow and ice elsewhere. (My heart goes out to all who are under blizzard and deep snow warnings today!) Last week saw our usual late January “warm spell,” with daytime temps in the high 50s and low 60s. I took advantage of the sunshine to work in my garden, pruning my antique roses (or helping my husband since this is a man-size job on these 6-feet tall shrubs), also cutting back the huge oleander that’s been trying to take over the driveway, and making art bonsai forms out of my intermediate-sized crepe myrtles. The plants fought back, and I have the scratches to prove it! But things are looking more orderly, at least for now. Funny, how much better that, plus a few hours of sun, can make you feel.

I’ll be attending the Written in the Stars writer’s conference for NOLA, the North Louisiana Branch of Romance Writers of America, on March 11-12. A book signing, sponsored by Barnes and Noble, is included during this event. I’ve also agreed to participate in the Silent Auction that’s part of the conference. My contribution is the critique of a synopsis, with auction proceeds to benefit NOLA. Anyone attending is free to bid. For information and registration go to: www.nolastars.com

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, ever wonder what a romance author does for it? My husband and I usually go out to dinner. Sometimes, he gives me a piece of jewelry, sometimes roses, sometimes candy—it’s always a surprise. In return, I usually make one of his favorite desserts, but with some special twist. This year, the plan is for a made-from-scratch cheese cake (Betty Crocker Ultimate Cheesecake recipe) with a center decoration of a hand-sized Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter heart-- Reese’s being one of his favorite things. Ah, romance!

With warmest wishes for love and remembrance this month and all through the year,

Jennifer

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

Third person is the standard narrative form in published fiction because it most closely matches oral storytelling tradition. It feels familiar and “right” to the reader.