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September, 2012

Writing Dialogue

by Bruce L. Cook

Writing fiction is challenging enough, but a dialogue quickly makes a writer feel “out on a limb.” Some thoughts in this area. (Continued below...)

   
         
 

The Origins of Your Blog Success

by TJ Philpott

  

 

Blog success originates not from the fancy layouts or nifty widgets but rather from the unique content found on the blogging platform! If what the site administrator offers viewers continues to be interesting and relevant reading material people will continue to return! It all boils down to the personal commitment of the individual blogger insofar as to the success of the blogging platform itself!

Here are 5 things any individual will need to supply if they intend to become a popular blogger!

Idea

The starting point for any blog is the 'seed' or idea behind it's purpose and what the reading material contained within will be based upon! The theme is crucial from the standpoint that you want to be sure there is an audience for it and most especially if you intend to make money! The theme you decide upon gives you a way in which to direct your efforts since you want to maintain a certain focus when composing updates.

Motivation

Ideas are merely thoughts or dreams until you decide to take a definitive action towards making them a reality! Taking the first step is typically the hardest when entering into anything new and when launching a blogging platform it is recommended to compose a series of posts! The point here is you want visitors to have more than one update to view or they may not take your site serious enough to even return. The more posts you display the greater the commitment you will reflect to visitors!

Focus

This helps you to coordinate your efforts for the best results but just as importantly your focus will help you stay consistent with the theme of your site. It will do little good if you continue to veer away from the theme since it will confuse readers and even discourage them from returning! The main objective is create unique content that is relevant to the theme so you can attract visitors and then develop their loyalty!

Patience

This supplies the persistence you need while you wait for the results you want while also helping you beat back any feelings of frustration! Remember a successful blogging platform is one that has a loyal following but viewer loyalty does not occur overnight, it takes time!

Curiosity

Without a deeply rooted curiosity or passion it will make both your research and writing efforts more difficult! People expect to see high quality and unique content when they land on your site and it is up to you to create it but if you lack the inner drive to do so the platform will fade from existence! It is always highly recommended to consider your own level of interest when selecting a theme for just these reasons!

Blog success is much more a product of the unique content found on the blogging platform itself and not the fancy designs or widgets being used. It all comes down to people wanting reading material of interest to them and finding a source they feel is reliable. Once this occurs reader loyalty begins to develop but only after a period of time! This is why the origin and success of the blogging platform is wholly dependent upon the initiative and commitment of the site administrator! After all the use of fancy designs or widgets are no substitute for the 5 things only a blogger can supply as discussed here today!

About The Author
TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.

To learn more about what it takes to achieve blog success and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques for your online marketing needs simply visit:http://blogbrawn.com

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/
writing/article_2222.shtml


 

 

Dialogue ... (continued)

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First, dialogue is good. Don't fear it. Dialogue helps to break up the density (and sometimes boredom) associated with length and complex sections. Even better, dialogue can clarify narrative and allows the reader to understand through the character's point of view.


For example, in the passage below the story starts by making an important point in what we might call "direct address" (non-dialogue). 

.............

The sun rose with an ominous hue over the village of Green River. While the workers had yet to awake, Joe was already awake, dressed, and standing on the river bank. His nervous glances could not ignore the sunrise, its orange tinge and indistinct shadows, and the bold stillness and dead quiet of the day. It was nothing like any morning he had ever seen.

"Joe!" came a whisper to his left.

Joe jumped back. He turned cautiously back to see Gwen, who had emerged from the shadows. "Eh?"
he asked.

"Don't you..." she turned away from him, gazing across the water. Her voice trailed off.

"What?" he demanded, stepping back.

"Don't you feel it?"

"Well, yes. Something crazy."

"More than crazy!" she insisted, pointing at the sun.

"The sun?"

"Look at it!" she whispered. "It's never been like since, since, well...."

Joe faced Gwen. "When? What are you saying?"

Gwen looked down, toeing the sand.

"When?"

"Do you remember the day when Papa Ebert died?"

"It's been 20 years."

"Remember what that day was like?"

Joe looked up, remembering, and suddenly felt a lurch in his arms, an involuntary tightening. Closing his eyes he felt his muscles relax as he fell to his knees, trembling.

.............

The point of the passage might be, simply, "It was an ominous day in Green River Village." But, clearly, the dialogue lets the reader feel more.

Secondly, the dialogue is not restricted to a tiny utterance. Instead it develops along with the story and indeed may continue for pages. A writer fears a multi-page dialogue, thinking the reader will tire. However, remember well that any reader will appreciate an excuse to trot quickly through the pages, and such a dialogue passage makes that possible.

Another question is whether to include "he said" and "she said", etc., with every utterance. As you can see in the passage above, it's possible to use these dialogue tags sparingly. However, please note that writer guidelines warn against the use of alternatives to "said". These are disparagingly called "bookisms". According to the guidelines, "said" is best if the dialogue is strong enough. According to the preachments, a writer simply pulls these words from the air, like a thesaurus, and "said" is the only proper word to use.

It is my feeling that a writer needs to go beyond truisms. In the above example, three
bookisms are used: demanded, insisted, and whispered. In my opinion, these three words tell us about the characters feel, and this is very important.

Another problem is the style of speaking, or (sometimes) dialect. In writing dialogue you need to imagine how one of the characters would speak. Hopefully, the other character(s) in the discussion will speak in another distinct way. In the worst case, a new writer will offer only one manner of speaking for all characters, and - voila! - that voice is the author himself or herself.

Practice writing dialogue with these thoughts in mind. One useful exercise would be to write whole short stories with dialogue alone and then trying to read the manuscript aloud. If your voice hesitates during the reading, it may well be time for revision.

Strike a balance between story and dialogue. In this way you can spark greater reader interest and understanding even as you describe your character.



Bruce L. Cook

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Publishing New Writers,

September, 2012 (no. 1309)

Publisher:

Dr. Bruce L. Cook
7337 Grandview Ct.
Carpentersvville, IL  60110

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