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Posts tagged ‘writing tips’

Apr 4

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Writing nonverbal cues to enrich your characters’ lives

I just finished a fantastic online class with Margie Lawson called, “Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist.” I highly recommend any of Margie’s classes–they’re like taking a Ph.D level course in how to empower your character’s emotions with tons of hands-on practice.

One of the tools she shared at the end of class is The Center for Nonverbal Studies. It’s a fabulous site that includes a nonverbal dictionary, a page on the nonverbal brain, and even an in-depth explanation of the “adam’s apple jump,” which, according to the site, is “an unconscious sign of emotional anxiety, embarrassment, or stress. At a business meeting, e.g., a listener’s Adam’s apple may inadvertently jump should he or she dislike or strongly disagree with a speaker’s suggestion, perspective, or point of view.”

The nonverbal dictionary lists gestures, signs, and body language cues. I’m reading through the lists and making notes of anything that catches my interest or that I can see one of my character’s doing. For example, under “Jaw-Droop” I found this usage explanation:

The jaw-droop is a reliable sign of surprise, puzzlement, or uncertainty. The expression is often seen in adults and children who a. have lost their way (e.g., in airports), or b. are entering or walking through unfamiliar, crowded, or potentially threatening places (e.g., darkened restaurants, taverns, and bars).

You’ll even find a bit of history in the nonverbal dictionary. Under Lawn Display: “Lawns mark territory and betoken status. Each year, Americans buy an estimated 500,000 plastic pink flamingo ornaments to mark their yard space–and to provide tangible evidence that, “This land is mine.” Read more

Mar 31

Understanding the art of lying to create believable characters

Recently, I was writing a scene where my protagonist is trying to decide if the man she is talking to is lying to her or not. This made we wonder: can you tell when someone is lying to you? And how? Is it a telling gesture or look that gives them away? Or, is your character more complicated than that? And do you know them enough to even know if they are lying?

Lee Lofland is a veteran police investigator with years of experience who has sat across from some of the best liars in the world. Lofland has been a sheriff’s deputy, patrol officer,  and detective and has worked in prisons, as an undercover officer and in narcotics, among other areas of law enforcement.

He has also written a book for writers, “Police Procedure and Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit),” that is a treasure trove of information on how the police work. Authors from Jeffery Deaver to J.A. Jance to Hallie Ephron give Lofland’s guide a thumbs up. Read more

Mar 26

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Choose six wise guides to help you write your novel

In “Chapter After Chapter: Discover the Dedication & Focus You Need to Write the Book of Your Dreams,” author Heather Sellers recommends limiting the books you read while you’re writing your novel.

In an earlier chapter, she recommends making a top 100 list of books like the one you want to write and to read these books before you start writing.

But while writing your book, she says to limit your reading to six books: three books like the one you want to write (the books that inspire you the most) and three craft books. When she wrote her memoir, “You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face Blindness, and Forgiveness,” she had the following craft books on her desk: Robert McKee’s “Story,” John Gardner’s “On Becoming a Novelist,” and Eric Maisel’s “Fearless Creating.”

Sellers stacks her six books on her desk and before she starts writing she might flip through them for inspiration or, if she gets stuck during her writing, she turns to them for a boost. She calls them her “Six Wise Guides” and says the reason she sticks with six is for focus. These six books, she says, will teach her everything she needs to know to write her own book.

In my next post, I’ll share my six guides and why I chose them. What six books would you choose and why?

Mar 21

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The key to writing success? Never give up!

“My favorite rejection letter was from an agent who said, “We don’t have time to take on any new clients, and if we did, we wouldn’t want you.” But I kept trying. My second book got published. The first one never did.” Lisa Scottoline, author of legal thrillers.

The above quote comes from the book “The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists,” edited by Andrew McAleer.

Rejection is a natural part of any creative pursuit. In business, we say, “Some will. Some won’t. So what.” I like to say, “Some will. Some won’t. Keep going!” Okay, so maybe the alliteration isn’t as good, but the message is better. “So what” gives the vibe that you don’t care. “Keep going” conveys determination. Much better.

Last year, I submitted a creative nonfiction piece to a contest and it didn’t win anything. It didn’t even make it to the finals. I know I had rushed the project, but I still felt it was a good piece of writing. After reading it again several months later, my rushing was evident. Instead of tossing the piece out, I rewrote it and entered it in another contest where it won first place. If I had let a little rejection get to me, I never would have realized the piece’s potential.

Potential. I love that word. It means capable of being or becoming. Use rejections to push you forward into your full potential.

To read more on how to turn rejection into success, read my post, How to use rejection to improve your craft.”

Mar 17

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Channel your anxiety and fear to write your best book

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” — Leonardo DaVinci

In a recent Storylogue.com lesson, novelist and TV Writer/Producer Lowell Cauffiel mentions that many would-be novelists get to the two-thirds point in their novels and quit.

Author Dorothy Parker has been quoted as saying that she hates writing but loves having written.

Writing is hard–physically, mentally, and emotionally. We struggle to find just the right words and structure. We question our work and question our abilities. We question everything.

Cauffiel says this is good. He tells how author John Steinbeck kept a journal during the time he wrote his great American novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

Steinbeck constantly questioned himself and his abilities. Below are a few of his thoughts from his journal, Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath: Read more

Mar 12

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How your book is your teacher

As a business owner, I often meet other business owners or people who want to start a business. I’ll never forget one lady who told me she wanted to start a business but, over the years when I’d ask her how her business was going, she’d always reply that she was “researching” and “getting ready to start it soon.”

While I’m sure she learned a lot about her field, she never did start her business. She was always getting ready. A friend of mine calls this the “paper-clip-arranging” syndrome. It’s a syndrome that affects writers and other artists as well.

What is the real problem? FEAR. Read more

Mar 4

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Add alliteration to make your pages pop!

In my earlier post, “Rhetorical Devices: Your Secret Writing Weapon,” I mentioned that, as a poet, I often use alliteration, which is the repetition of the same sounds or the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables.

I never really thought about using alliteration purposely in my prose writing…it just kind of happened naturally as I wrote and tuned in to my “poet’s ear.” But after taking Margie Lawson’s online class on Deep Editing and Rhetorical Devices, I realized what a great tool alliteration (and other rhetorical devices) can be to make my pages pop.

You don’t want to overdo alliteration making your prose sound forced or “writerly” but you can learn to use it to add sparkle to your sentences.  Read more

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