Conversation. Breaking rules in fiction

May 19th, 2012

For dialogue, at least in fiction, breaking the rules of conversation can be a good thing.

First, the three rules of rule breaking, as best-selling author Bob Mayer will tell you (applied to writing), are (1) know the rules; (2) have a good reason for breaking the rules; and (3) take responsibility for breaking them. (These rules and other great info can be found in his book, Write It Forward: From Writer to Successful Author. ) This is excellent advice. And that can certainly be applied to dialogue.

What are some of the rules of Conversation?  From an old Linguistics course textbook*, which fell into my lap this week, I found a page covering H. Paul Grice’s Maxims of Conversation**. I thought I’d apply these to writing dialogue. These are some of the rules you’ll want to break in your fictional dialogue.  (Be aware, though, that conversations should probably still make sense, for those who write experimental fiction.) This is just one way of looking at dialogue, a different perspective, to help writers “think outside of the box,” though we usually don’t think in terms of rules of conversation,  except in specific cases, like the rule to not interrupt, and so on. These maxims have been criticized, but are useful as general guides to politeness–they don’t represent the full range of human communication.

What are Grice’s Conversational Maxims?  ***  And how can they be applied to writing dialogue.

There are 4 kind of  Maxims/ Rules.

Maxims of Quantity:  (1) make your contribution to the conversation as information as necessary, which means don’t make comments that seem to add nothing and mean nothing; (2)  but at the same time, do not make it more informative than necessary

This first part of the Maxim should be followed for storytelling–don’t make comments that seem to add nothing and mean nothing.  But they can be broken, for example, when the character is responding from a different perspective, or when that kind of comment is the character’s MO–when avoiding a topic or when frustrated, and so on. For this second part, a run-on sentence of dialogue would be the example of more information than necessary. This could be done to add conflict or humor. Though be cautious of anything that doesn’t add to the storytelling.

Maxims of Quality:

The two maxims of quality are (1) do not say what you believe to be false; and (2) do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Both of these rules can obviously be broken to good effect in fiction–for example, to add conflict and obstacles for the protagonist to overcome.

Maxim of Relation:

The Maxim is to be relevant. Being relevant in dialogue isn’t absolutely necessary, if doing so for a character is actually part of the character or character’s behavior. Or it may be a way for a character to deal with a specific person or situation.

Maxims of Manner:

The four Maxims of Manner are (1) avoid obscurity of expression; (2) avoid ambiguity; (3) be brief; and (4) be orderly.

As far as the form of dialogue, I would be careful about breaking the rules. For content,  so much could be done. Some ways to break these rules in fiction are when the expression is fresh; the ambiguity provides conflict; and the long-winded character has a specific reason for tending to be that way–though again, I’d suggest caution, for any writing that doesn’t add to the storytelling. As for orderliness, human relations and conversation in real life aren’t always orderly–except maybe if you’re at a dinner party where conversation is the objective–and conflict  and dynamic dialogue are the goals in fiction, not necessarily orderliness. ;-)

I hope this has helped you think from a different perspective about your approach to writing dialogue . Some writers who are noted for great dialogue and their use of dialect are Amy Tan, Susan Straight, and Elmore Leonard.

For writing fiction, what are your thoughts on creating great dialogue and on rule-breaking?

———————————————————————————————————–

*An Introduction to Language (4th Edit.) by Victoria Fromkin & Robert Rodman, pg 225.

** From “Logic and Conversation.”

*** http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/grices-conversational-maxims.html

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Submissions tips

May 5th, 2012

When you submit a submissions package to an agent and/or editor, there are some important things to keep in mind. First and foremost, always check the Agent’s or Editor’s Submissions Guidelines. These can be found online. Take into consideration what they’re looking for and what kinds of books they’ve signed in the past.

Most submissions require a query, synopsis and the first 3 chapters. For the chapters, include the first three in the novel, not the chapters you think are the best, or that you think represent your writing the best. If you do feel that way, then it’s time to reassess your first three chapters.

Below are some quick tips for the query and synopsis.

Tips for the Query:

The query is a business letter, so it should be a formal letter. It’s also a selling tool. But remember that you’re selling the book, not yourself (secondarily yourself).

The query letter should not include the ending.

Include any marketing hooks.

The query should be one page.

Have a great hook that relates what your novel is about.

Tips for the Synopsis:

Always introduce your most important character first.

Write in present tense.

Focus on major plot points, not a scene by scene summary.

Reveal the novel’s ending.

The rule for length is the shorter, the better, usually about one to two pages, but it depends on the length of your novel and the complexity of the plot.

And always proofread.

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Review: “Catch Me,” by Lisa Gardner

April 28th, 2012

Back from maternity leave and investigating a murder scene, Detective D. D. Warren is confronted by Charlene (Charlie) Grant, who tries to recruit D.D. to investigate her upcoming murder—over the past two years, two of Charlie’s friends were murdered on January 21st of each year, and Charlie expects she’s next. That’s just 4 days away.

The story is Charlie’s, though it’s told primarily through both Charlie and Detective Warren. As Charlie prepares—she has all the details from the two previous murders—she sweats bullets when her present collides with some startling events in her past, and she’s faced with difficult choices.

D.D. Warren is a charming mixture of new mother and talented, hard-nosed detective, experiencing the softness and demands of motherhood against the starkness of real life as a big-city detective, pursuing a killer.

Gardner’s great opening had me interested and into the story immediately. Terrific story, terrific storytelling. While the story had a few upsetting details—that is life and great fiction—the stand-out characters were very much worth getting to know and read about. In addition to unusual characters, this novel had some great twists and surprises—a can’t-put-it-down suspenseful plot—everything a reader could hope for in a very good read.

I sometimes compare certain things to great meals—like great lectures and great conversation. This was like going to an excellent restaurant, ordering a wonderful meal and having it be really surprisingly great. Calling this novel “a very engaging book” is an understatement.

Lisa Gardner is a New York Times bestselling author of 14 novels.
Her Detective D.D. Warren novels include Catch Me, Love You More, Live to Tell, The Neighbor, Hide, and Alone.
Her FBI Profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim.

 

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National Writers Union – benefits for writers

April 21st, 2012

This organization of writers is an activist group For writers, working together to share information, to speak out collectively, to improve the working and economic lives of all writers, in all genres. I am a member.

Some of the benefits of NWU membership:

1.) Organizing and Advocacy. With 16 chapters nationwide, they advocate for writers through legislative action for things like: copyright, unfair publisher practices, rights to free expression (both here in the U.S. and elsewhere).

2.) Member education. This includes the Grievance & Contract Division, but also events and trainings held nationwide, and Publications and resources online.  Some of the publications that are available to members are:

  • Freelance Writers Guide;
  • Copyright: A Guide for Freelancers;
  • Guide to Book Contracts;
  • Authors Network: making book promotion tours easier with 100 hosts and a list of reading venues and reviewers;
  • On the Road: A guide to book promotion & touring that was written by NWU members, with tips on pitching to the media, organizing local tour, and so on.
  • Standard Contracts & Guides (for Journalists);
  • Tips for Better Work-For-Hire Contracts;
  • And so on.

3.) Grievance Resolution & Contract Advice. Is the publisher refusing to pay you? Delaying the publication of timely work? Misreporting your royalties?  Or,  perhaps you don’t know how to negotiate — the NWU nationwide network of contract advisors assists members by reviewing contracts of all genres.  Contact the GCD at advice@nwu.org for FREE assistance.

4.) A Community of Writers.

5.) Journalism, Book and BizTech Division Activities & Resources.

6.) Union Plus. Go to www.unionprivilege.org directly to see how this program can save you money.

7.) Health Insurance.

8.) Press passes.

To read about NWU recent initiatives and advocacy on behalf of writers or to join, visit www.nwu.org. You can join online or download an application form.

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Thoughts on rebirth at Easter

April 7th, 2012

Whatever one’s religion, and whether one celebrates it or not,  Easter is about rebirth and, I think, has something for everyone.

First,  I want to explore the holiday’s origins, to be inclusive. It’s interesting always that for most or all of what we believe, there are the threads of these stories–some version–through all of our cultures, a commonality that serves to unite all of us.  Its origins date back before the Christian form of the holiday, though the Christian holiday obviously stands on its own—-possible planning, to have the holiday be a part of the spring and the idea of renewal.. 

I’ve included some information about the origins of the holiday (from Wikipedia) in the next few paragraphs (but if you want to skip all of that, just scroll down 6 small paragraphs)**.

The origins of the holiday are linked to the Jewish Passover by its symbolism (See WikiPedia: Easter), and by its position on the calendar.

It’s also a secular holiday with the Easter bunny, egg decoration  and egg hunting. The Easter bunny is a kind of Santa Claus of the holiday, and the egg is a symbol of birth. Egg decorating symbolizes the ability to change and our uniqueness. There’s also the quandary or conundrum of which was first, the egg or the chicken–again implying change (Make of that what you will).

But further than that … before the Christian form of Easter, scholars propose there was a Germanic form, a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European goddess of the dawn, Hausos. ((1) See Wikipedia: Hausos) ”The dawn goddess was also the goddess of spring, involved in the mythology of the Indo-European new year, where the dawn goddess is liberated from imprisonment by a god (reflected in the Rigveda as Indra, in Greek mythology as Dionysus and Cronus).” (1)  

References to a dawn goddess also come from “the Sanskrit vanas “loveliness; desire,” in the Rigveda, and from the Latin name Venus and the Norse Vanir. “(1)

“The name indicates that the goddess was imagined as a beautiful nubile woman, who also had aspects of a love goddess. As a consequence, the love goddess aspect was separated from the personification of dawn in a number of traditions, including Roman Venus vs. Aurora, and Greek Aphrodite vs. Eos. ” (1)

“The Italic goddess Mater Matuta “Mother Morning” has been connected to Aurora by Roman authors (Lucretius, Priscianus)”; and the “abduction and imprisonment of the dawn goddess, and her liberation by a heroic god slaying the dragon who imprisons her, is a central myth of Indo-European religion, reflected in numerous traditions. Most notably, it is the central myth of the Rigveda, a collection of hymns surrounding the Soma rituals dedicated to Indra in the new year celebrations of the early Indo-Aryans.”(1)

**So, the common threads in most of the stories are a time of change, the season of spring, represented in previous times by a kind of Dawn Goddess, who is imprisoned but freed, a kind of rebirth. The dawn and spring are times of rebirth, of change, of things that were hidden coming to light, of seeing things that were of yesterday in a new light, of a brief time of fallowness but then new seeds taking root with new life. Of a new day and a new chance. (Some of you may remember Anne of Green Gables (Anne with an “e”  ;-)   ) who was taught that every new day was a new beginning.)

Change is the thing most stable in life. It is one of those rhythms of life. Easter is a holiday of change–among other things, it symbolizes dying and being reborn, which of course, applies to the creative process and to growing as a writer, as an artist. When we become, we kind of shed a part of our old self and embrace the new–the new as an expression of the potential self, our potential self. And the potential self is a well that never runs dry.

Have a very Happy Easter.

© Document Driven 2012

(1) Wikipedia: Hausos

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The Opening — Doorway to a Novel

March 31st, 2012

Last week, I promised some authors that I’d write a post about craft. And having just completed one of my  online Submissions Workshops yesterday–query, synopsis, opening, and first 3 chapters–I’m going to write about openings. Having stayed up (way-too) late last night, this may be fairly brief this time.

For readers, the opening is one of a series of doorways–it’s about first impressions. The question, should I read this particular book or another one? Somewhat like a sifting process–the title, author, cover, and  blurb/review–along with word-of-mouth–and not always, of course, in that particular order–and then comes that opening.

(Everything in the novel is related to everything else, affects everything else, so the question with a  post on craft is always, where  to start  ;-)  …(and stop). )

The opening should establish these things:

1.) Type of book or genre – A mystery starts differently from a mainstream or a romance, for example.

2.) Voice -  Voice includes the POV, the way you write, the characters and their personalities–how they express themselves.

3.) POV – Who is the story about and from whose perspective(s) will readers be experiencing this story, as well as how intimately readers experience the characters–i.e., first person is more intimate than third.

4.) Setting — Where is the action taking place, as well as tone and how description of setting contributes to the type of book, to atmosphere.

5.) Time period – When is the action taking place: historical period, date, time of day.

6.) Characters – Establishing who the main characters will be (depending on the novel). Who is the protagonist(s),  the antagonist? Who are the subplot characters? Fears, desires, and so on.

7.) Goal – What is the initial goal of the protagonist? How does this change with events?

8.) Motivation – What is (at least) the initial motivation for the main characters?

9.) Inciting Incident – What happens to set off the major events in the novel?

10.) Ordinary World – The ordinary world must be established in some way so that readers see what the protag’s world was before “the change”–what s/he has lost, who s/he was at the beginning of the novel–so readers have a reference point for how the protag changes over the course of the novel.

11.) Conflict – What is the conflict? For the scene(s), for the novel? How are the protag and antagonist related to the conflict?

12.) And the opening should in some way foreshadow the ending.

Wishing everyone a great writing week!!

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Spring & the Writer’s Quarterly–a time for review, renewal, growth

March 24th, 2012

With Spring here and the end of March approaching, it also means that the first quarter of the New Year is over. It seems a good time to review goals, to take the measure of how we’re doing  and then to renew those goals. The New Year offers a unique opportunity for self-renewal, for setting goals, for setting oneself to achieving old goals and new ones, for hope. With the first quarter of the year coming to an end, let’s reinvest in that opportunity, in what we are, what we want, what we love. And Big Congratulations to all those who have met most or some of their goals!! It takes not only talent but also effort, persistence and focus.

As artists, writers, let’s look at what could be referred to as–what I’m going to refer to as–our writer’s Quarterly Report, of goals & achievements. Remembering that part of what a Quarterly measures is not just whether we’ve met a projected goal, but also growth. Growth. Let’s look at what we’ve done and what we haven’t, but also how we’ve grown as writers. It’s a snapshot of how we are doing so far, of how we’re doing in each “department” of publishing–writing, marketing, ebooks, social networking–and then a reinvestment in those goals.

First congratulate yourselves on having met the goals that you did. In any part of our lives though, there are goals and desires that can be frustrated, for which that Quarterly doesn’t show much growth. For those goals, we don’t want to be like the dieter who eats one brownie, loses perspective because of not winning this one battle, and proceeds to eat 5 more–losing the whole war. While this is just an analogy–eating 5 more brownies may not mean losing the whole war–it illustrates a perspective that is so needed in our writing–the perspective of persistence. And revisiting that saying in publishing, that persistence–in any goal–often counts more than talent.

So, let’s take that Writer’s Quarterly Report and review it, and then renew our commitment to those New Year’s goals. Spring is a time for renewal.

You are your own creation–apply you, your talents to becoming the person/author that you envision, to becoming the writer, the author that you have dreamed about. To make that dream, a reality.

A Spring poem for inspiration: “And it’s Oh the wild Spring and his chances and dreams. There’s a lift in the blood. Oh this gracious and thirsting and aching unrest; all life’s at the bud, and my heart, full of April, is breaking my breast.” — Henley.

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The Artist Date–creative renewal

March 17th, 2012

Julie Cameron wrote a book called The Artist’s Way.  In the book, she advocates for what she calls “The Artist Date.”  This is something I’ve tried to incorporate into my weeks. Her idea: a 2-hour (or so) block of time that an artist–writer, designer, painter, musician–sets aside to spend time alone for nurturing their creativity, their inner creative child. (See the book for more information.) Julie Cameron talks about “replenishing our creative resources.”  She also writes that resistance to one’s artist dates is “a fear of intimacy–self-intimacy.”

(Note: According to psychologists, the self is made up of 3 entities: the adult, the parent, and the child. And of course the conscious and subconscious.)

As a past (and present) student of psychology (literally having taken a lot of coursework), I believe these are the kinds of things that help keep an artist fresh, keep the creative wheels turning, and each person is different as to what will be their creative fountain of renewal and ideas. But this need for renewal–for living life so that you as an artist have a full reservoir of creative raw material, and thus more to apply in your creative field–is nothing new. It also helps with writer’s block.

Here are some of my artist’s dates ( which can also serve as research for a book):

A new experience, a new possibility for a setting in a novel.

A walk or run on the beach or along the river, in the woods or mountains.

A visit to the bookstore (or library), to gather magazines (at least some that I don’t usually read) and books for perusal, with hot tea at hand

A visit to the local Art Museum, gallery, historical landmark, or other interesting places.

A drive into the country or elsewhere to visit somewhere that’s loved, somewhere that’s new.

Playing music or doing something else that exercises another talent or creative activity.

                                       *    *     *

Do you like the idea of artist dates? Do you use artist dates in your life? What kinds of things renew you as an artist/writer?

“The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.” — Stephen Nachmanovitch.

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Mystery reference & resources

March 3rd, 2012

For the mystery and crime writers out there–or whoever writes crime into their books–here are some of the reference books I’ve had on hand:

Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers, by Lee Lofland, published by Writer’s Digest Books.

Private Eyes: A Writer’s Guide to Private Investigators, by Hal Blythe, Charlie Sweet, and John Landreth, published by Writer’s Digest Books.

Police Officer’s Guide, by Bill Clede, published by Stackpole Books.

Postmortem: Establishing the Cause of Death, by Dr. Steven A. Koehler and Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, published by Firefly Books.

The Mystery Writer’s Source Book: Where to Sell Your Manuscripts, published by Writer’s Digest Books.

And a website that’s excellent for forensic information, which I discovered through bestselling author, Vickie Hinze: Forensics4Fiction, with retired senior criminalist Tom Adair. (This past year, Tom Adair published a debut novel, The Scent of Fear.)

He has 15 years of forensic experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Entomology. He was triple board certified in forensic related fields & one of only 40 board-certified bloodstain pattern analysts & 80 board-certified footwear examiners worldwide. Plus a list of other great qualifications, listed on his website.

Any other great resources–books or websites? Please feel welcome to share them.

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Focusing your story, your writing life

February 25th, 2012

Something on focus–or “framing”–today…in fiction, in life.

When we’re talking about having a great opening, preventing a sagging middle, and jazzing the readers with a terrific ending, we talking about focusing that story, about keeping it moving, keeping it intriguing–and keeping the readers turning those pages. I wanted to touch on that today, and on ourselves as writers, focusing our writing lives–so that our writing careers have a great opening, middle and “ending.”  When we hold up a frame, like an artist might, to look at different aspects of our fiction and our lives, what do we want to include within that frame?

We want the story to be compelling from beginning to end.  When we hold up that frame, what is our focus? Here are a few questions to consider:  Is there too much backstory in the first few chapters? Are the first few chapters seamlessly leading readers through your opening–introducing your characters, your Central question, your plot, voice, genre–and then into Act Two? Where are the turning points? Does the conflict build, scene by scene,  to a satisfying climax? Are there too many subplots, which don’t support the main plot, so that the plot and conflict are diluted and fizzle? Or are there too many characters or too many scenes that don’t go anywhere, that don’t support the main story, that don’t add to characterization or conflict? 

In the same way, is your writing life focused? Are you building your brand? Are there too many distractions and your efforts are diluted–they’re not focused on your goals. Are you supporting your main goal, your greatest desire and dream, with how you spend your time, your energy?

For inspiration, here’s an excerpt from my Plein-Air writing, The Harvest from Earth’s Palette:

“…Art captures those moments, those stories. The Earth whispers into our bones the age-old ways of storytelling, of capturing life in art. But the Earth captures who we are. We are the art; our lives and selves are the medium. We paint the world with who we are. We are the figures in our own paintings, the heroes in our own stories, the decisions we make about life and others–decisions that may be truth, or what we need or want to believe.

The courtyard of the land awaits, with empty tables, to be filled with players. We carry around a frame, holding it up much like an artist, seeing sections of that courtyard, like a photo album, spread across the landscape, a scene here, a grouping there: visitors on covered porches; painters with canvases, on balconies, near orchards; writers sitting in gardens, gazing at mountains. Each group, each person creates their own story. While Life frames us into what or who we are, we frame ourselves by what we do, how we live our lives, by the choices we make. So we paint ourselves into the landscape, surrounding ourselves with our own frames. …”

Our fiction tells the stories of people,  but your own life is your own story, one you are telling right now, right here, with how you choose to spend your time, your energy. With how you express your passion…or don’t.

For the full text of The Harvest From Earth’s Palette, here’s the link:

http://www.columbiaarts.org/anthology/2010/pages/gorgeWhitehouse/janiceHussein.html

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