Books with dialog are ten times livelier than those with long paragraphs and indirect quote. For example—
- Barry told her he didn't want to hear any more about it and stomped out of the room shouting that he was leaving and would never come back.
...is a lot more interesting like this:
- "I don't want to hear any more about it!" Barry turned and stomped out of the room. "I am leaving, and I am never coming back."
Some rules people sometimes forget when running dialog:
- Start a new paragraph every time another speaker says something.
- If the speech runs through several paragraphs, each of the paragraphs should have a beginning quote but not an ending (close) quote until the end of the last paragraph.
- Watch your speech tags. Teach yourself to do without them.
- Use contractions in speech.
- Use "curly" quotes when typesetting dialog.
- Keep speech crisp and to the point.
- Don't burden yourself by describing where the person is, how the person is speaking, or the feelings conveyed. Let the words do that. Let the reader fill in the gaps.
If you struggle to come up with good conversation when you're writing a story, here's a source with some tips that may be helpful.
Whether you're writing a fictional work or delivering a technical presentation, dialog is a useful tool for adding interest and deepening the reader's comprehension of your topic or story.
If you've ever graded papers or paid attention to emails that spill onto your desk, you'll probably agree with me that the most common mistake in the English language is...
...Misuse of the apostrophe with "it."
Yup. That's it. It has become the national consensus that you'd better use an apostrophe if you can, and that means always with "it." Right? Wrong.
"I looked at it's tires."
"Does your cat scratch it's nose?"
"I don't care for it's taste."
Well, friend, the word "it's" means "it is."
"I looked at it is tires."
"Does your cat scratch it is nose?"
"I don't care for it is taste."
Teach yourself that the apostrophe in "It's" is the "scar" left from surgical removal of the word "is," and maybe you'll be one of the 5 percent who can resist the temptation to insert the apostrophe when it's not supposed to be there.
Is it always wrong to write "it's?"
Of course not. If you want to say "it is" in a hurry, use the apostrophe. That's what it's for, to cut out a syllable. Faster to write. Faster to speak.
It's a beautiful day. = It is a beautiful day.
I'll tell you when it's time. = I'll tell you when it is time.
Run before it's too late! = Run before it is too late!
Have fun. Conquer the biggest language in the world. You can do it.
You and the editor you choose are going to see things differently. The editor will puzzle over some words in your manuscript, and when the edited text comes back to you it's not even close to what you were trying to say. Or the editor has cut out your choicest words, and your most beautiful paragraphs have been split into two or three parts.
If you're using a ghostwriter or someone to create a book from the notes and information you provide, the process can be even more frustrating. Your writer is trying to say what you would say if you could. When you get a peek at the first draft, you are horrified.
Yes, editors and writers make mistakes. When you find errors in edited text, here is the best way to fix them:
- Give the exact location in the text, show the text as it is now and how it should be. Add an explanation if you feel one is needed.
If you feel your writer or editor has missed the direction you want to go or has a perspective that conflicts with the one you want in a section of the book, here's the best way to deal with that:
- Talk to your editor or writer. Email doesn't work. Try to be good-humored about what you need, and you'll get it faster and better.
If you've changed your mind about deleting or including something in the book, try this method:
- Suggest where the new text should go or give the exact words that should be deleted. Give your reason for adding or deleting text and listen to your editor's rebuttal if there is one.
In short, when changes are needed in your ghostwritten or edited book, be as specific as you can about the change you think you need and be open to what your editor has to say.
"Hello," she smiled.
That's easy to correct. The speech tag ("she smiled") has to describe speaking.
"I don't know," he shrugged. What? How can you "shrug" words? Other words used as speech tags that shouldn't be include "grinned," "trembled" "beamed" and so many more.
"Said" is the finest speech tag in the language. Use it shamelessly. Not forever, but without embarrassment.
Do you really need a speech tag? Maybe not. If only two people are talking, you don't have to keep telling the reader who's talking. It's nice to slip in a clue or two once in a while, but avoid sounding like a drone.
Three things your book should do--
* Open doors
* Deliver at least one benefit
* Change your reader in some small way
These are the only reasons for writing a book. A lot of us like to write for ourselves, and there's nothing wrong with that. Psychiatrists say that keeping a journal is good therapy. It's fun to create situations and make comments about life.
But your book won't sell five copies at a church picnic unless you give your reader something he or she needs or wants.
I ask authors who call me about their book, "How do you want this book to change your reader?" "What do you want your reader to do after reading your book?" or, cruelest question of all, "Why should anyone care that you've written this book?"
Your grandfather survived the holocaust. You grew up in the slums and graduated from college. Your infant son fought a horrible disease and finally died. You've moved from a farm in Ohio to a New York City apartment.
All these have the kernel of a decent book, but only if they're driven by a singular purpose that entertains, informs, and offers to change the reader in some way. Otherwise, Who cares?
That's Griffith Writing Tip #3. Make sure your book has one overriding purpose and stick to it.
I started off with with a specific tip to improve your writing: eliminate "just" and "very."
Here's a general one that can transform your writing in a minute from the mundane to the captivating: write your book for one person.
It's tempting to think of your book's being swept off bookshelves around the country as thousands of people submerge themselves in a best-selling book—by you! That may happen, but when somebody picks up your book and begins reading, it's a one-on-one experience. Write your book the way it will be sold—to one person at a time.
Imagine that person as your typical reader for the book. This person has characteristics such as gender, age, occupation, education, geography, and most important—interest in what you have to say. Draw a picture of that person in your mind and direct everything you have to say to him or her.
When you focus on one person, your book automatically commands a broader market. Why? Because...
- You give more of yourself when you expend yourself on an audience of one.
- Your one reader at a time feels personally involved in whatever you have to say.
- The book's intense relationship with one reader captures the attention of others.
Your book will be stronger when it can meet the specific needs of your reader. Invite this imaginary person to your writing sessions.
I edit books almost every day of the year, and I'm pretty sure that the biggest single mistake that writers make is using too many words.
There are plenty of words, about a million in English and more joining all the time. We bolster our thoughts with words that repeat the meaning of other words or that mix up the reader more than ever.
The first thing I do when I get a new book to edit is to do a "find-delete" command for the word "very." Then I do the same thing with "just." Once in a while I leave the word in place. Most of the time I delete it. Guess what? No meaning is lost, no emotion is flushed away. It's better!
First tip: Get rid of empty words. The most commonly used empty words are "just" and "very." Your writing is better without them.
