Writing Mixtape - 10 Tips for Writing Dialog

Dialog allows you to provide insight into your characters and ways to move your story forward. If you write in third person, it also gives you a way to show what your character is thinking.

Here are 10 tips for writing dialog:

1. Make sure your characters’ speech sounds realistic and not too formal. People don’t always speak in complete sentences. They also use jargon and contractions.

2. Don’t overuse dialog to highlight a character’s accent by writing large chunks of dialog phonetically. It’s okay to make a brief point about how to pronounce something, but it’s overuse annoys readers.

3. Mix up your dialog to avoid overusing dialog tags (e.g. he said or she said).

   Example: “Are you going out tonight?” Jill asked.

   “I didn’t plan on it.” Jack picked up his laptop and slid it into his messenger bag.

4. If two characters are alone in a conversation, you don’t have to use dialog tags on every line. The exception to this is when the dialog goes on for several pages. You don’t want readers to be confused about who is speaking.

5. Use dialog to help show your reader a character’s reaction or feeling instead of “telling them.”

   Example: “I’m done,” Mandy said, grimacing. “I’ve tried and tried, and he won’t listen to reason.”

6. Don’t substitute synonyms for “said” to avoid overusing it. With the exception of “asked” for questions, stick with “said.”

7. Make sure your slang matches the character’s age. If you’re not familiar with slang from other decades, there are lots of dictionaries available online.

8. Make sure your references for stories set in present day are correct. Not many people wind down the windows anymore. We no longer tape or video our shows or rewind our movies. Tech is always changing. Make sure your references are current.

9. Don’t overuse dialog in your writing. It breaks up sections of narrative text, but conversations shouldn’t go on for twenty pages.

10. Don’t underuse dialog. Authors often fall into the trap of “telling” instead of showing. Too much expository text gets tedious.

What would you add to my list?

Writing Mixtape: The Oxford Comma

I’m a GenXer, so I’ve decided to corral all my writing-related posts under the header of “Writing Mixtape.” Here’s my first entry…

Comma, Comma, Comma, Chameleon. Today’s post is on the Oxford Comma (the serial comma). It’s the punctuation in front of the conjunction when there is a list or a series of items. (The comma after “ice cream.” I like pie, ice cream, and chocolate.)

Using it or omitting it are both correct, and there has been a battle royal going on for years between the two camps. It all boils down to which style guide you follow. Book publishers tend to use the Chicago Manual of Style (#TeamOxfordComma), and journalists tend to follow the Associated Press Stylebook (#TeamNoOxfordComma).

The caveat is that the Oxford comma is recommended if there is confusion without it. For example:

My heroes are my parents, Godzilla and King Kong.

Without the serial comma, it looks like the speaker’s parents are Godzilla and King Kong. To make it clearer:

My heroes are my parents, Godzilla, and King Kong.

I have always been on #TeamOxfordComma. That’s the way Mrs. Hooper taught it in the third grade, and it stuck. It can be difficult for writers if your editors use different style guides. When they do, it’s a good idea to make a note, so that you follow their requirements. You’ll use your preference by default. Habits are hard to break.

What’s your preference?

Plotter, Pantser, or Something Else?

I hated doing formal outlines in English class. It felt too overblown and detailed when all I wanted to do was write. When I wrote my first mystery series, I was pretty much a pantser (I wrote by the seat of my pants).

I wrote myself in a lot of corners and had to go back and rewrite large swaths of chapters to make sure the mystery flowed. I also had days when I was stuck and didn’t know what to write next. It took me over five years to write the first novel. I knew I had to write faster, and I had to find ways to make that happen.

I’ve been in IT for the past twenty years, and I decided to apply some of the tools to my writing life. I love spreadsheets and project plans. Since I have limited writing time, I have to make the most of each session.

Now, before I start a new book, I spend a few weeks plotting out the entire book chapter by chapter. It’s an outline, but it’s a narrative of what happens in each chapter. I make sure I have motives, clues, and a story that flows. When I start to write, I have each segment defined. I also do a lot of my research during this time, and that keeps me from getting bogged down when I’m writing. I usually stick to my outline, but there are times when I change something, so my paper copy always has some handwritten notes and scratch outs.

This is the process that works for me. It gives me a plan for each writing session where I’ve done the basic research and already worked for the plot holes.

You need to find a process that works with your style and schedule. Give it a try to see if it makes you more productive.

My Editing Process

After I type those wonderful words, “the end,” the biggest part (and probably the most important part) of my writing process begins. The editing and revising parts are key to creating a good book. Agents and publishers are looking for manuscripts that are well polished. This is the process that works for me.

• When I finish the first draft of the manuscript, I read through it two, three, or maybe four times from beginning to end to make sure my word count is on target. I also want to make sure that I didn’t leave any plotholes, things that are not plausible, and clues or situations that are not completely explained.

  • This is also where I check for boo boos like she had lunch twice on the same day or her boyfriend’s eye color changed midway through the book.

  • One of my series has Jules as the sleuth, and another has Jade. I always have to check to make sure the gals are in the right book. I also have to make sure that the place names are also in the correct series.

  • If I change any character names, I have to make sure that I changed it everywhere.

• After every major revision, I run a spellcheck and a grammar check to make sure I didn’t create any other issues.

  • I also have a list of my over-used words and phrases that I go through and correct.

• Then I send the manuscript to beta readers and my critique group. When the comments come back, I review and make another round of edits.

• If my agent is querying this manuscript, then I send it to her, and her team reads it and provides feedback. (Another round of revising)

• About six months before the book is due, I do one or two more rereads to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

• Then about a month before the deadline, I do one more last read before sending it to the publisher.

This is the process that works for me. I used to hire an independent editor for an early review and feedback, but I usually only do that now for a new series.

My editing buddies through the years (Riley, Disney, and Cooper).

Spotting Overused Words and Phrases

When I’m creating early drafts of a book, I often overuse certain words or phrases. Sometimes, I’m not even aware that I’m doing it until later reads make it glaringly obvious. My biggest offenders are “just,” “that,” “made a beeline for,” and “hustled.”

Here are some ways I try to combat the repetition.

• Create a list of your overused items. When you start reviewing and revising, search and do some rewrites.

• When my critique groups or editors mark words that are too repetitive, I add them to my list to check for.

• When revising, use your search feature to find how many times you used the words on your list. Since I’ve been paying attention to my offenders, I use “just” and “that” less often than I used to. You’ll be shocked when certain words show up multiple times on the same page.

• Run a spellcheck after each major editing session to catch typos and other boo boos.

• Use your word processor’s “read aloud” button to listen to your work. (In Word, it’s on the Review tab (Read Aloud).) More often than not, you will heard your overused or misused words.

What would you add to my list?

Ways to Build Your Author Network

Writing is often a lonely endeavor. You need a network of writer friends to celebrate the amazing times and help you when things aren’t so great. Here are some ideas of ways that you can build or add to your network of writers.

• Follow other writers (especially ones in your genre) online. Sign up for their newsletter.

• Look at the other authors who share your agent.

• Look at the other authors who you share your publisher.

• Meet other authors who live near you.

• Join a writing group. This was the best thing that I did for my writing career. They offered book events, all kinds of training, and camaraderie.

• When you meet an author, follow them on social media. Make sure to add them to your contacts.

Here are some things your network can help you with

• Partner together for in-person and online events.

• Find writing opportunities like anthologies and upcoming events.

• Share each other’s social media announcements.

• Promote each other's events and help them celebrate.

• Partner for newsletter swaps, guest blogs, or other promotional ideas.

• Build up a group who could help you with blurbs.

• Find advice and recommendations on writing, publishing, and agents.

What You Can Learn from Setbacks

The writing journey is really a rollercoaster ride with a lot of highs and lows. Everyone experiences the great and the not-so-great moments. No one likes the latter, but there are things you can learn from them.

• When something disappointing happens, see what advice you can glean from it. Can you make improvements in something you’re doing?

• Allow yourself time to process bad news and to grieve. Sometimes, the news is devastating.

• Don’t reply or respond when you are upset or angry. Take some time to process and craft your response.

• Rejection Slips - If you’re fortunate enough that the agent or publisher provides you with feedback about the reason your work was not accepted, read it when you’re not emotionally charged. See if you can incorporate the advice to improve for next time.

• Bad Reviews - Everyone gets them. You can have hundreds of good reviews, and that one bad one often sends writers into a tailspin. Reviews are nice, but they are mainly for other readers. If you read them, see if there is a nugget of wisdom in the response. If not, ignore it and move on. You will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and you don’t like every book you read. Don’t reply or argue with the reviewer.

• Critique Group Feedback - You will get lots of feedback from your critique groups or partners. Read it when you are not emotional. Change what is wrong or what needs to be improved. But you don’t have to make every change that is mentioned. Make sure you’re not losing your voice in the rewrites.

What have you learned from a setback?

Valuable Lessons Learned from Critique Groups

One of the best things I did early in my career was to find a critique group to help me hone my writing skills and to test out plots. I’ve been in several of all sizes through the years. Some were in person, and others were virtual. Here’s what I learned and what worked for me.

• I write cozy mysteries, and I focus on groups that are made up of mystery writers. I read mysteries and thrillers, and I understand the conventions. I am able to provide good feedback on others’ work when I know the genre.

• When I was starting out, my first critique was a mixed group of published and pre-published folks like me. That was helpful. I was in the same boat as the newer writers. The people with more experience had great insights and ideas to share. As the years went by, critique groups come and go for different reasons. My last two groups have been with published mystery writers, and that helps me at this stage in my journey.

• You will get a lot of feedback and comments about your writing. It took me a while to figure out what changes I should listen to. In the end, it is your work and your voice. If it’s a procedural thing or a plot hole suggestion, then I usually make the change. In my first group, there were fifteen members. When we would go around the table for comments, half would say change something, and then the other half said don’t change it. It was confusing. I finally had to go with the change that would best mesh with where I wanted the story to go.

• You cannot take the critiques personally. It’s hard. You have worked so long on your manuscript, and now someone is tearing it apart. But my goal was always to improve my work and make it the best it could possibly be. It did take a while to build up a thick skin that I could listen to it and not get my feelings hurt.

• It helps to set the rules of the group before you start. For my groups, if you see grammar or spelling errors, point them out in your notes, but don’t spend the group time talking about them. Save your comments for plot holes and the craft of writing.

• Getting a variety of feedback helps me as a writer, and it prepared me for editor, agent, and publisher feedback and reader reviews.

What would you add to my list?