So many readers are also trying to become writers that I want to cheer you along, give you tips, and help that dream materialize.
Some time ago I read that the biggest secret wish of a sampling of women was to write a novel.
So here's step one: Stop keeping it a secret. We're on the brink of a New Year, and this can be your first resolution. Share the goal with some close friends or relatives. No, don't tell them the whole story of your book, just the fact that you want to write one.
Studies show that the act of sharing a goal with another person already increases its chances of happening. Now that someone else knows your dream, it's as if they're holding you to it. You have to make progress because, occasionally, they'll say, "How's that book coming along?" and you'll have to answer, "I'm still outlining," or "I'm on Chapter Three," or whatever. But at least you will be doing SOMETHING, not just thinking about it.
You've probably noticed in my bio that I've written 20 books. Guess what the real number is? Probaby 35. And a dozen screenplays that have never made it all the way to production. Some sell, some don't. The point is to write, not to think about selling your work. Do I hope those others sell at some point? Of course. But either way, I'm glad I've written them.
What if you never sell a single thing? Doesn't matter. Anyone who writes JUST TO SELL is not as good a writer as they would be if they wrote from their heart, to tell a story.
And if you never sell anything, writing is still therapeutic. Do quilters sell all their quilts? Any of their quilts? Do they care? Stitch together your story, make a masterpiece, and then curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book (yours) and bask in a job well done.
Friday, March 8, 2013
A Word About Dialogue
I love dialogue. If truth be known, and of course it is because you can see it in my books, dialogue is what I do best. I enjoy plotting and description, but if I'm brutally honest, my dialogue is better than either of those two.
Part of this is because my training-- and my MFA-- were in screenwriting, a very dialogue-driven form. You don't get long-winded descriptions in screenplays. Action and dialogue move it along.
It's also because I've always been fascinated by the way people talk. I minored in linguistics simply because phonetics and accents have always intrigued me. From an early age I was writing down overheard conversations and interchanges (much to the dismay of my elder sisters when she thought she was alone with her friends).
But here's what I want to tell beginning writers: Do not use verbatim dialogue. Make it up and it will sound more "real." Example: You're watching the news and suddenly there's a story about a 911 call. They run a caption of each person's comments (the same has been done of phone calls of the British royals or of various U.S. Presidents). And what do you find? A lot of "y'knows," a lot of interrupting, a lot of sentences that evaporate into nothing, a lot of "uh-huhs." People are not articulate wonders. They meander, they stammer, they repeat themselves.
So, ironically, to sound "real" you have to edit out all this fringe stuff. Authentic-sounding dialogue includes brisk interchange and even misunderstandings, but you have to stop short of it being absolutely real.
Beginning writers think they have to be absolutely true to the moment (and if it's nonfiction, then quotes should be accurate), but if you're crafting a story, you're going to have to be a lot more entertaining than a 911 dispatcher.
Part of this is because my training-- and my MFA-- were in screenwriting, a very dialogue-driven form. You don't get long-winded descriptions in screenplays. Action and dialogue move it along.
It's also because I've always been fascinated by the way people talk. I minored in linguistics simply because phonetics and accents have always intrigued me. From an early age I was writing down overheard conversations and interchanges (much to the dismay of my elder sisters when she thought she was alone with her friends).
But here's what I want to tell beginning writers: Do not use verbatim dialogue. Make it up and it will sound more "real." Example: You're watching the news and suddenly there's a story about a 911 call. They run a caption of each person's comments (the same has been done of phone calls of the British royals or of various U.S. Presidents). And what do you find? A lot of "y'knows," a lot of interrupting, a lot of sentences that evaporate into nothing, a lot of "uh-huhs." People are not articulate wonders. They meander, they stammer, they repeat themselves.
So, ironically, to sound "real" you have to edit out all this fringe stuff. Authentic-sounding dialogue includes brisk interchange and even misunderstandings, but you have to stop short of it being absolutely real.
Beginning writers think they have to be absolutely true to the moment (and if it's nonfiction, then quotes should be accurate), but if you're crafting a story, you're going to have to be a lot more entertaining than a 911 dispatcher.
My Three Latest Novels
I've been asked to share a brief description of my three latest novels. It's my first foray into e-publishing, but I'm thrilled that the prices are so low, making them accessible to even more readers. They're available on Kindle for just peanuts, and also as paperbacks on Createspace.com for amazingly low prices as well. These books are in three completely different genres and have three distinctly different voices.
JUNGLE:
In this riveting adventure-romance that will appeal to Twilight fans (no vampires, I promise!), as well as to all readers, we meet Nina, a young college student who dreams of following in the footsteps of her uncle, a renowned anthropologist. She is beyond excited when her uncle tells her of an amazing opportunity to explore an uncharted island in the Indian Ocean. When Nina accidentally ventures into the deepest part of jungle, a bronzed hero magically leaps from the treetops to rescue her from a wild animal attack. And when she stares into his brilliant green eyes, she knows without a doubt that this is no ordinary tribesman. Spine chilling danger, cannibals, murder, and a romance beyond anything she’s ever imagined.
SISTERS IN THE MIX:
Kate is an obsessive compulsive woman with a cooking show. She screams when the paper towels don’t tear off straight, somehow gets chocolate to explode, and basically wreaks havoc in the kitchen. She’s funny and sarcastic, and viewers love her. Should a woman with hormone issues actually wield a frying pan? Kate compulsively paints out graffiti, corrects grammar on public signs, and tries not to embarrass her husband and three kids. She longs for the days when she created crossword puzzles for the local paper, and tries to convert her therapist into a word person. Still, her life is in relative control because she wisely moved far away from her life’s nemesis, her sister—a flamboyant artist and her polar opposite. In this laugh-out-loud novel, Kate’s life turns upside down when the very sister she despises suddenly moves in with her. Kate’s sense of family obligation and propriety keeps her from throwing Jackie out onto the street, but she makes lists of people she’d like to murder this afternoon, and Numbers One through Three are Jackie. How can Kate avoid spending the rest of her life in a padded cell?
PINHOLES INTO HEAVEN:
In this literary novel we meet Gavin Matheson, who grows up in the Midwest during the 40s, 50s and 60s. His mother, Lila, is a war widow and raises Gavin to be the kind of man Gavin imagines his father was. Hopetown is both a place and a time of innocence-- or is it? Gavin sees his home through the gauzy lens of boyhood dreams until poverty, racism, pride, betrayal, and murder shatter its image forever. But Gavin fulfills a promise and finds that honor and love lead to triumph, and hope travels with him, in his heart.
If you get a chance to read these, I hope you'll enjoy them. And please leave reviews online, and tell your friends about them. Find the books at amazon.com/author/jonihilton. I have 20 books listed there, so be sure to click to page 2 to find the Kindle books. Or, visit createspace.com for paperback versions.
Happy reading!
JUNGLE:
In this riveting adventure-romance that will appeal to Twilight fans (no vampires, I promise!), as well as to all readers, we meet Nina, a young college student who dreams of following in the footsteps of her uncle, a renowned anthropologist. She is beyond excited when her uncle tells her of an amazing opportunity to explore an uncharted island in the Indian Ocean. When Nina accidentally ventures into the deepest part of jungle, a bronzed hero magically leaps from the treetops to rescue her from a wild animal attack. And when she stares into his brilliant green eyes, she knows without a doubt that this is no ordinary tribesman. Spine chilling danger, cannibals, murder, and a romance beyond anything she’s ever imagined.
SISTERS IN THE MIX:
Kate is an obsessive compulsive woman with a cooking show. She screams when the paper towels don’t tear off straight, somehow gets chocolate to explode, and basically wreaks havoc in the kitchen. She’s funny and sarcastic, and viewers love her. Should a woman with hormone issues actually wield a frying pan? Kate compulsively paints out graffiti, corrects grammar on public signs, and tries not to embarrass her husband and three kids. She longs for the days when she created crossword puzzles for the local paper, and tries to convert her therapist into a word person. Still, her life is in relative control because she wisely moved far away from her life’s nemesis, her sister—a flamboyant artist and her polar opposite. In this laugh-out-loud novel, Kate’s life turns upside down when the very sister she despises suddenly moves in with her. Kate’s sense of family obligation and propriety keeps her from throwing Jackie out onto the street, but she makes lists of people she’d like to murder this afternoon, and Numbers One through Three are Jackie. How can Kate avoid spending the rest of her life in a padded cell?
PINHOLES INTO HEAVEN:
In this literary novel we meet Gavin Matheson, who grows up in the Midwest during the 40s, 50s and 60s. His mother, Lila, is a war widow and raises Gavin to be the kind of man Gavin imagines his father was. Hopetown is both a place and a time of innocence-- or is it? Gavin sees his home through the gauzy lens of boyhood dreams until poverty, racism, pride, betrayal, and murder shatter its image forever. But Gavin fulfills a promise and finds that honor and love lead to triumph, and hope travels with him, in his heart.
If you get a chance to read these, I hope you'll enjoy them. And please leave reviews online, and tell your friends about them. Find the books at amazon.com/author/jonihilton. I have 20 books listed there, so be sure to click to page 2 to find the Kindle books. Or, visit createspace.com for paperback versions.
Happy reading!
How to Get Un-Stuck
How to get Un-stuck
Many writers, especially when they're starting out, experience writer's block. There are dozens of ways out. Here are just five:
1) Don't always start at the beginning. Tackle your book in the middle, then come back to the beginning later. Write about the parts that come to you now.
2) Take a walk, rest your brain, do something completely different. Come back refreshed.
3) Outline. Often an outline will keep you plugging along, rather than waiting for inspiration to hit. Professional writers don't have the luxury of writing only when the notion strikes them. You put your time in faithfully each day, whether you're in the mood or not.
4)Flip your characters. Make the women men. Make the villains good guys. Make one a dog. Really push the envelope. Sometimes it's all it takes to get over that catch in the thread. You might come back to your original plan, but you'll have cleared away the cobwebs.
5)Read someone else's work that inspires you. Often when you see a play or movie, or read a book, you come away with extra drive to tell your own story.
Good luck, and remember: Writers write.
1) Don't always start at the beginning. Tackle your book in the middle, then come back to the beginning later. Write about the parts that come to you now.
2) Take a walk, rest your brain, do something completely different. Come back refreshed.
3) Outline. Often an outline will keep you plugging along, rather than waiting for inspiration to hit. Professional writers don't have the luxury of writing only when the notion strikes them. You put your time in faithfully each day, whether you're in the mood or not.
4)Flip your characters. Make the women men. Make the villains good guys. Make one a dog. Really push the envelope. Sometimes it's all it takes to get over that catch in the thread. You might come back to your original plan, but you'll have cleared away the cobwebs.
5)Read someone else's work that inspires you. Often when you see a play or movie, or read a book, you come away with extra drive to tell your own story.
Good luck, and remember: Writers write.
He Said, She Said
One of the hallmarks of an amateur is the way they handle dialogue. They can't believe that "said" is enough, and they have their characters blurting, exclaiming, postulating, and retorting. If you've done your job right and given your readers well defined characters and believable things to say, you shouldn't need to tell the reader HOW the line was said. When a woman walks in on her husband having an affair, we don't have to be told how she delivers the line, "How could you?"
Some writers feel they get into a rut using "said" all the time. This happens for two reasons. One, they don't realize that "said" is a great little word we don't mind seeing frequently. The other is that they don't know how to show which person is speaking any other way than to keep repeating, "Joe said" then "Sam said," then "Joe said" again. First of all, when only two people are speaking, it's often obvious whose line it is, and you don't have to spell it out. Also, you can establish the speaker by using action. Here's an example of both:
Joe turned back. "You coming with us?"
Sam looked up from the television, then back to the show. "I don't think so."
Joe threw his jacket across the leather wingback. "You never go anywhere. You can't just stay here like a hermit."
"I go places."
"The mailbox doesn't count."
Sam clicked the remote. "I like it here."
"Whatever." Joe grabbed his jacket and headed out.
See how the dialogue flows without anyone having to retort or exclaim? And you know who's speaking because you're describing their actions. Mentally immerse yourself in the scene and you'll see what they're doing. Then describe it and the question of who's speaking will answer itself.
Some writers feel they get into a rut using "said" all the time. This happens for two reasons. One, they don't realize that "said" is a great little word we don't mind seeing frequently. The other is that they don't know how to show which person is speaking any other way than to keep repeating, "Joe said" then "Sam said," then "Joe said" again. First of all, when only two people are speaking, it's often obvious whose line it is, and you don't have to spell it out. Also, you can establish the speaker by using action. Here's an example of both:
Joe turned back. "You coming with us?"
Sam looked up from the television, then back to the show. "I don't think so."
Joe threw his jacket across the leather wingback. "You never go anywhere. You can't just stay here like a hermit."
"I go places."
"The mailbox doesn't count."
Sam clicked the remote. "I like it here."
"Whatever." Joe grabbed his jacket and headed out.
See how the dialogue flows without anyone having to retort or exclaim? And you know who's speaking because you're describing their actions. Mentally immerse yourself in the scene and you'll see what they're doing. Then describe it and the question of who's speaking will answer itself.
Write What You Know
I was sitting in a class at USC, in the Professiona Writing Program, when a young woman confessed that she had a hard time writing because she was "young and hadn't experienced anything yet." How wise she was to recognize the importance of experience. And how smart we would all be, as writers, if we realized that everything we go through is grist for the mill. Even our bad experiences teach us something and give us wisdom. Our trials, our adversity-- it can all work its way onto the printed page.
So my message for you today is to use your experiences and write what you know. From the city where you grew up, to the jobs you've had, to the people in your world-- these are the elements that will give authenticity to your work.
I just listed a YA adventure romance with Kindle and CreateSpace. It's called JUNGLE and it takes place on an uncharted island in the Indian Ocean. Now, I'm not an anthropologist (though I loved those college classes), and I'm certainly not a cannibal, but I used life experience to creat villains, heroes, and real romance. Research helped fill in the details about sailing, botany, language, and primitive cultures.
In another of my Kindle books, "SISERS IN THE MIX" I drew heavily on my actual life. This is a humorous chick-lit novel about an obsessive-compulsive woman with a cooking show, whose flamoyant sister moves in and creates all kinds of chaos for the main character. I don't have OCD, but I've lived long enough to know lots of people who do, so that made writing about it easy. I used to host a daily TV talk show. I've won tons of recipe contests. I like word puzzles and sometimes correct the grammar on signs. I have a husband and kids. So my actual life experience helped me include those details and write about these people in a setting I know well.
Look at your life and take a stab at a story that incorporates the elements you know best. That's how to best write a story that will ring true to your reader.
So my message for you today is to use your experiences and write what you know. From the city where you grew up, to the jobs you've had, to the people in your world-- these are the elements that will give authenticity to your work.
I just listed a YA adventure romance with Kindle and CreateSpace. It's called JUNGLE and it takes place on an uncharted island in the Indian Ocean. Now, I'm not an anthropologist (though I loved those college classes), and I'm certainly not a cannibal, but I used life experience to creat villains, heroes, and real romance. Research helped fill in the details about sailing, botany, language, and primitive cultures.
In another of my Kindle books, "SISERS IN THE MIX" I drew heavily on my actual life. This is a humorous chick-lit novel about an obsessive-compulsive woman with a cooking show, whose flamoyant sister moves in and creates all kinds of chaos for the main character. I don't have OCD, but I've lived long enough to know lots of people who do, so that made writing about it easy. I used to host a daily TV talk show. I've won tons of recipe contests. I like word puzzles and sometimes correct the grammar on signs. I have a husband and kids. So my actual life experience helped me include those details and write about these people in a setting I know well.
Look at your life and take a stab at a story that incorporates the elements you know best. That's how to best write a story that will ring true to your reader.
What Good Editors Do
I've been writing all my life and have had the pleasure of working with countless editors. And it's been more pleasure with some and less with others.
Here's why: Not everyone has the editor gene. It's more than mere training, believe me. A person might be highly skilled in grammar and pacing, let's say, but can't really feel what you're saying in her heart. Or his heart. Or, in the case of most of my novels, they don't understand how comedy works. They majored in English Lit and want all books to read like Jane Austen. I could bore or regale you for hours telling horror stories of editors who tried to butcher my work, inserted insane lines and "jokes," and added so many adverbs I literally had nightmares. When I can catch it in time, I've put my foot down and refused to be published in such a mangled fashion.
But then... I've had brilliant editors whose seamless work made mine shine all the brighter. They caught moments when I drifted from the plot, they suggested repairs to hurried endings, they condensed without losing the meat-- in short, they worked miracles. It's so much more than proof reading! The bottom line is this: A good editor hears your voice and then keeps you true to that voice. Always remember that.
Here's why: Not everyone has the editor gene. It's more than mere training, believe me. A person might be highly skilled in grammar and pacing, let's say, but can't really feel what you're saying in her heart. Or his heart. Or, in the case of most of my novels, they don't understand how comedy works. They majored in English Lit and want all books to read like Jane Austen. I could bore or regale you for hours telling horror stories of editors who tried to butcher my work, inserted insane lines and "jokes," and added so many adverbs I literally had nightmares. When I can catch it in time, I've put my foot down and refused to be published in such a mangled fashion.
But then... I've had brilliant editors whose seamless work made mine shine all the brighter. They caught moments when I drifted from the plot, they suggested repairs to hurried endings, they condensed without losing the meat-- in short, they worked miracles. It's so much more than proof reading! The bottom line is this: A good editor hears your voice and then keeps you true to that voice. Always remember that.
Of Heroes and Villains
Lots of writers love their protagonists so much that they can't bear to be hard on them. This is a huge mistake. You will not have a good story if your hero is so superlative that nobody can match him. Whether it's a hero or heroine, the same rule applies: Your villain must match in strength and wits.
Think about it-- your hero conquers whatever or whomever his challenge was, but it was a man of straw, someone anybody could have defeated. Not much of a story, is it? You need to make your villain as vile as your hero is wonderful. Make him even stronger if you like. Make him relentless, formidable, diabolical. Make the reader wonder how the hero will ever prevail against such a terrible opponent. Now you have suspense and the interest of your reader.
Even in a comedic chick-lit book, you have to remember to balance the protagonist and the antagonist. In "Sisters in the Mix," I created a woman who has OCD, hosts a cooking show, corrects grammar on public signs, and wants a world of neatness and order. Who descends into her structured little world? Her nemesis-- a flaky, bohemian artist sister who undermines her parenting and even wrangles her way onto the cooking show. Each is as strong as the other as they butt heads.
And remember, nobody is all good or all bad. Give your hero flaws, and give your villain virtues. Then it will not only ring truer, but it will give each character room to grow and change, for better or worse.
Think about it-- your hero conquers whatever or whomever his challenge was, but it was a man of straw, someone anybody could have defeated. Not much of a story, is it? You need to make your villain as vile as your hero is wonderful. Make him even stronger if you like. Make him relentless, formidable, diabolical. Make the reader wonder how the hero will ever prevail against such a terrible opponent. Now you have suspense and the interest of your reader.
Even in a comedic chick-lit book, you have to remember to balance the protagonist and the antagonist. In "Sisters in the Mix," I created a woman who has OCD, hosts a cooking show, corrects grammar on public signs, and wants a world of neatness and order. Who descends into her structured little world? Her nemesis-- a flaky, bohemian artist sister who undermines her parenting and even wrangles her way onto the cooking show. Each is as strong as the other as they butt heads.
And remember, nobody is all good or all bad. Give your hero flaws, and give your villain virtues. Then it will not only ring truer, but it will give each character room to grow and change, for better or worse.
Do You Have The Discipline to Write?
Besides being a writer, I'm a foodie. I love cooking and have won many cook-offs and recipe contests. When I read a recipe I can tell immediately if it will work. This is far more crucial with baking than with cooking, because baking is an actual science. If you leave out the flour, say, it won't work. If you leave out even SOME of the flour, it won't work.
What does this have to do with writing? Flour is like discipline. You can have all the other ingredients (raw talent, ideas, an eye for detail, etc.) but if you lack discipline, you will never succeed at writing. Or singing. Or dance. Or art. Or sports. There are so many talented people out there WHO WILL NEVER MAKE IT because, despite being phenomenally gifted, they don't have the discipline to take their craft to the next level. You can't just like writing. You can't just love writing. You can't just have a bucket full of terrific ideas. You must be someone who can roll up their sleeves, ignore the flu, hunker down, and work hard. Every day. Even when there's a chocolate silk pie in the fridge. Even when your best friend wants to go to lunch. Even when a new movie just opened. Even when it's a beautiful day to go sailing. All the talent in the world will not make up for the inability to sacrifice. And, oddly enough, a mediocre writer can actually surpass the talented one if he simply has that dogged determination to complete a task. Writing success, like baking success, requires the right ingredients. And discipline, like flour, is not one you can leave out.
What does this have to do with writing? Flour is like discipline. You can have all the other ingredients (raw talent, ideas, an eye for detail, etc.) but if you lack discipline, you will never succeed at writing. Or singing. Or dance. Or art. Or sports. There are so many talented people out there WHO WILL NEVER MAKE IT because, despite being phenomenally gifted, they don't have the discipline to take their craft to the next level. You can't just like writing. You can't just love writing. You can't just have a bucket full of terrific ideas. You must be someone who can roll up their sleeves, ignore the flu, hunker down, and work hard. Every day. Even when there's a chocolate silk pie in the fridge. Even when your best friend wants to go to lunch. Even when a new movie just opened. Even when it's a beautiful day to go sailing. All the talent in the world will not make up for the inability to sacrifice. And, oddly enough, a mediocre writer can actually surpass the talented one if he simply has that dogged determination to complete a task. Writing success, like baking success, requires the right ingredients. And discipline, like flour, is not one you can leave out.
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