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Hello!
Apr 23, 2016 12:51:07 GMT -6
Post by Yinglan on Apr 23, 2016 12:51:07 GMT -6
Hi, my name is Yinglan and I currently live in Utah. I'm new to this "forum" thing, so I'm not sure how it works yet but I'll learn sooner enough. I have always want to join a writer group and I have. I'm actually member of a writers group on Meetup but the meetings are in Salt Lake City and I don't live near there. Anyway, I guess online works too. I've been sort of struggling to come to term about whether or not I am a writer because a writer has published work and I don't. The closest I've ever got to having something published was when an article I submitted to a magazine that nobody reads got published two years ago. It doesn't really count when nobody reads the work. At the moment, while I'm busy with school and work, I'm drafting a compilation of the short stories I've written. I have no clue when that'll be done though. I think I joined this forum in hopes to find a mentor or maybe a collaborator on the way to give me a little help in my writing. One of the things I hope to improve is to expand my vocabulary. Currently, when I write dialogues, I try to minimize the "said" or "asked" and instead use some other word to express the same thing and I find myself struggling at times. So I hope this forum will help with that. I'm looking forward to chatting with everyone. Oh and I do have a blog, it is called This is Another Story.
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Hello!
Apr 23, 2016 16:43:46 GMT -6
Post by The Voice on Apr 23, 2016 16:43:46 GMT -6
Hi Yinglan! I'm glad you stopped by and joined us. I joined a writers group through Meetup when I lived in Phoenix and that worked out well, but now that I live in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, it's harder to find a local group. That's one of the reasons I started the forum. Geography doesn't matter in cyberspace! I understand your struggle with how/when to think of myself as a writer. When is it appropriate to use that term? I write, but like you, have never published anything other than on my blog, so does that count? What if you've been published but not paid? I guess deep down I figure that since I write and I'm taking it seriously, I can use the term, at least among friends. As far as I'm concerned, you're a writer too. I've also been looking for both a mentor and others with whom I could collaborate. I hope this forum (once things start picking up) might be a good place to find those people. I'm always open for collaboration so if nothing else, hit me up and I'd be happy to work with you. Check out the links in the Writers Resource area. You may find some things that are helpful. So Welcome... and if you need any help or have any questions, just let me know. I am your humble servant here. ~V
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Hello!
Apr 23, 2016 18:43:32 GMT -6
Post by Yinglan on Apr 23, 2016 18:43:32 GMT -6
I agree, geography does not matter here which it's a good thing.
Well, at least in my mind, it doesn't matter whether one gets paid for their writing, it just matters that someone's reading it and that person takes it seriously, then he/she is a writer. So I guess I am one.
That's great, I hope we'll get to work on something together. At the moment, I'm expanding one of the flash fiction stories I've written for the Sunday Photo Fiction into a 2000-3000 words short story as part of my short story collection. I'm currently at around 1700 words but I'm stuck because I wrote the climax at the beginning of the story and I'm at the connection point. I'm not sure how to describe it. The main character falls off of a cliff but I can't think of why. Do you know where I can post that to get some help?
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Hello!
Apr 23, 2016 21:28:11 GMT -6
Post by Joy Pixley on Apr 23, 2016 21:28:11 GMT -6
Hi Yinglan, good to see you here! I know what you mean about the "she said" / "he said" dialogue tags. They can seem awfully repetitive sometimes. Lately I've gotten into the habit of only using action beats, no dialogue tags at all. It can get a little tricky sometimes when I need *some* action beat to say who's talking that isn't yet another "she nodded" or "he looked at her" but I think overall it's working for me better.
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Hello!
Apr 23, 2016 21:57:32 GMT -6
Post by Yinglan on Apr 23, 2016 21:57:32 GMT -6
I've been trying the no dialogue tag thing too but it's hard to do that when the story is told in the third-person point-of-view. I've been told that if there are only two characters in the story and it's written in the first person, then dialogue tags are not necessary. I think it makes sense.
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Hello!
Apr 24, 2016 5:56:40 GMT -6
Post by The Voice on Apr 24, 2016 5:56:40 GMT -6
Yinglan, you can post stories in The Writers Desk section under fiction and mention any specific help or critique you're looking for. I'm sure we can help figure out some solutions for your story.
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Post by Joy Pixley on May 2, 2016 8:07:31 GMT -6
I'm writing in third-person POV and use action beats instead. Example from my Nano draft:
Linsalla snapped before she could stop herself. "What do you need?"
Tor's face collapsed. "You called for me?"
"I did?" She strode to the fireplace and threw the wadded-up paper into the flames.
He hesitated. "Yes, my lady. This morning. About the sheep farmers, I believe."
"Hm." She still hadn't looked at him again. This was partially his fault, of course. He could have prevented this entire debacle, long ago. So much practice holding her emotions in, but now they flowed like a wild river, racing around inside her. She felt like hitting something, a decidedly odd and discomfiting thought.
"I could come back later."
"No. I do have something to ask you." ....
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Hello!
May 2, 2016 8:20:41 GMT -6
Post by The Voice on May 2, 2016 8:20:41 GMT -6
I like that method Joy. I really need to work on that area in my writing.
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Hello!
May 4, 2016 13:48:55 GMT -6
Post by Joy Pixley on May 4, 2016 13:48:55 GMT -6
I just stumbled on it, myself. I don't recall ever making a conscious decision to avoid dialogue tags, but once I started doing it for the first X number of chapters in the novel, it really looks *weird* if I stick a dialogue tag in there now. So it feels like you commit to doing it all the way. Now, if you're already using dialogue tags most of the time, you can get away with using action tags sometimes and it doesn't look so weird for some reason - at least, that's how it seems to me.
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Jade
Junior Member
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
Posts: 63
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Post by Jade on May 10, 2016 18:35:15 GMT -6
I too have always liked the idea of being a part of a writer's group but just can't physically go to any right now. Hello 21st century and online forums! And added bonus: we get to meet writers from all over. Diversity is awesome In regards to the dialogue tags, I too have also be using action rather than dialogue, and when I do use dialogue, it's usually something like "exclaimed", "roared", "muttered", something that actually adds to how the character is talking rather than just "said" or "replied".
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Hello!
May 13, 2016 6:46:24 GMT -6
Post by The Voice on May 13, 2016 6:46:24 GMT -6
In regards to the dialogue tags, I too have also be using action rather than dialogue, and when I do use dialogue, it's usually something like "exclaimed", "roared", "muttered", something that actually adds to how the character is talking rather than just "said" or "replied". I used to use a lot of those as well but I've had others (including an instructor) tell me those should be avoided and it's usually best to just use the simple "said", "replied", etc. I tend to disagree, but I can see how if used too much it might be distracting. I don't know.
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Jade
Junior Member
"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
Posts: 63
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Post by Jade on May 31, 2016 17:23:02 GMT -6
In regards to the dialogue tags, I too have also be using action rather than dialogue, and when I do use dialogue, it's usually something like "exclaimed", "roared", "muttered", something that actually adds to how the character is talking rather than just "said" or "replied". I used to use a lot of those as well but I've had others (including an instructor) tell me those should be avoided and it's usually best to just use the simple "said", "replied", etc. I tend to disagree, but I can see how if used too much it might be distracting. I don't know. I've heard of the same critique from others including an instructor as well, but like you, I tend to disagree. Still, I try not to overuse it and I do notice how when I read, I skip over "said"s and so on.
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gahlearner
New Member
“Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic.” ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Posts: 46
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Post by gahlearner on Jun 2, 2016 4:56:39 GMT -6
Hello Yinglan, nice to see you here. I'm also glad to have found an online writing group, I wished for something like this for some time now. About the 'he said/she asked'--I've recently read a pre-published version of a book by Nicholas Rossis (who has a helpful blog on WP). He's kind enough to often hand out free copies of some of his books. The book is called 'The perfect beat' and deals with what is discussed above. There are many examples of how to use these 'beats' instead of dialogue tags. It does take more words than merely saying 'he said'. I've also read that 'said' is easiest for the reader to just pass by without being confused while some of the more flowery tags could throw the reader out of the story, because she is wondering how that particular thing sounds. I still use them, but try to cut down on them and put in as many beats as I can think of.
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Hello!
Jun 2, 2016 8:05:04 GMT -6
Post by Joy Pixley on Jun 2, 2016 8:05:04 GMT -6
That book sounds great! I just found Nicholas Rossi's WP site and am following him. Not that I actually need MORE writing advice, given how much time I spend reading it as it is (instead of, say, WRITING). But who knows, this guy might have the one golden thing I need to hear. And the beat thing sounds good. Although I wonder how you can have a whole book about it?
I've heard all those same things -- especially that "said" tends to disappear and not be noticed.
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gahlearner
New Member
“Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic.” ― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Posts: 46
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Hello!
Jun 3, 2016 7:23:18 GMT -6
Post by gahlearner on Jun 3, 2016 7:23:18 GMT -6
That book sounds great! I just found Nicholas Rossi's WP site and am following him. Not that I actually need MORE writing advice, given how much time I spend reading it as it is (instead of, say, WRITING). But who knows, this guy might have the one golden thing I need to hear. And the beat thing sounds good. Although I wonder how you can have a whole book about it? I've heard all those same things -- especially that "said" tends to disappear and not be noticed. He is a writer and of course promotes his own books through all the means we regularly read about on advice threads for indie authors. But he is a very friendly and approachable person, and often posts, or has guest posts, about writing advice. The book with the beats is not very long. I know that he plans to publish it, but am not sure where. He's still working on it. He asked for input a while ago, whether people would be interested in something like that, who would want to read the draft, and, you know me: memememe... He sent me his draft, I found a few typoes and incinsistencies, told him about it and that's how I know all this. I like the idea and what's in there. It has categories, like anger, fear etc., and lists phrases that can be used as beats. He's compiled them for himself, got quite a collection, and thought this might be useful for others, too. I think it is.
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