cj Sez: I’m a visual person (is that a right brain or a left
brain thing?), and that shows up like screenplay scenes in my writing.
Scenes and
dialogue are the least complicated for me to write.
I enjoy creating the details that permit my readers to
visualize where the characters are and what they are seeing. I try to keep my
details sparse and incorporated into the flow of the scene’s action. I don’t
tell the reader the office is small and crowded. I’ll let the character do that
by having her desk chair bump against the wall when she stands up or spins
around to retrieve a document from her printer that’s sitting atop the
three-drawer file cabinet near her left elbow.
Writing dialogue is another favorite. I especially like it
when I can create almost an entire scene with dialogue and need to use only one
or two “said” tags. It works well with two characters, and with a bit of finessing, also works with three characters.
Dealing with personal introspection / emotions / internal
dialogue is more difficult for me since I “see” the action in my stories,
something akin to movies in my head. Narrative doesn’t exist in movies unless
there’s a voice-over, so I tend to use very little of it. I’ve been told and I
do understand I need more narrative in my novel, so I’m working on expanding my
use of internal dialogue.
By the by, my scenes also incorporate at least one of the
five senses—sight, smell, sound, taste, touch—as well as journalism’s five “Ws”: who, what, when, where, and why. I also add the “H”: how.
Okay, I’ve confessed. Now it’s your turn. What is your
writing strength or weakness?
///
I don’t use Wordpress, but I know a lot of people who do. I
understand there’s been a change in the product that’s driving some users
crazy. Perhaps the information on the Writers in the Storm blog about the new
Gutenberg version will give you some helpful pointers. https://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/12/working-with-the-new-wordpress-layout/
That’s it for the first post of 2019…amazing, isn’t it? 2…0…1…9
Wow.
You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the
same.
cj
Deadly Star is free on Kindle Unlimited at the time of this post. Review: "cj petterson has crafted a tale of murder, espionage, and romance which builds
to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. With a gift for well-written dialogue
and a deft touch at creating suspense, Ms. petterson delivers a must-read story
in Deadly Star."
Drop me a note to sign up for my quarterly newsletter: cjpetterson@gmail.com
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I don't have much to add, since your strengths pretty much align with mine. Thanks for the WordPress alert! An organization I belong to has a new WordPress site. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteThe article about WordPress was very helpful. Thanks for the link. Like you, I thoroughly enjoy writing dialogue. It's fun to get into the heads of the characters and spill the personalities across the page along with parts of the story.
ReplyDelete