cj Sez: First, for all my Alabama readers, I’d like to pass along an announcement from the Alabama Writers Conclave:
“We want to reach out to
Alabama writers of every stripe, race, ethnicity, age, gender, and background. Our current
President, Sue Brannan Walker, is offering an online workshop and an incredible
opportunity to hone your writing skills. The deadline for application is October 31st!
Please also note that, as of press time for this blog, Dr.
Brennan informed me that November is already filled, but December and January
are currently open. Contact them on their Facebook page or at www.alabamawritersconclave.org
***
As the year’s end races closer and closer, I find that
keeping track of my appointments is getting harder and harder. I could alibi
that I have way too many things to do, but the truth is I need to pay
attention and keep a better appointment calendar, as in just one. Right now, I
have at least two and occasionally three. I’ll note an appointment on the
calendar on the kitchen door and forget to write it in my planner or vice
versa. That wouldn’t be much of a problem if I would just check both places
every morning . . . which, of course, I don’t. The third “occasional calendar” is
simply the collection of all those little scraps of paper and back-of-business-card
notes that I shove into the bottom of my jeans pockets or purse. Who I’m
supposed to meet when and where just disappears.
Out of sight, out of mind is the term. I’m a visual person (is that a right brain or
a left brain thing?), and that shows up in my writing.
Scenes with lots of 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. But I generally 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 having
her dialogue say something about having to share the space with her secretary
and their joint collection of computers, printers, and file cabinets.
 |
| Please, please, never do this. |
I love writing dialogue. I especially like it when I can
create almost an entire scene with dialogue and only one or two dialogue tags. 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.
Okay, I’ve confessed. Your turn. What's your writing
strength or weakness?
By the by, I did a guest blog on MotiveMeansOpportunity yesterday,
talking about NaNoWriMo. Stop by and check it out if you have a moment, and let
me know what you think. You can find the mystery writers site at http://bit.ly/2ei5EPa
That’s all for now. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and
I’ll try to do the same.
cj . . . sending ghostly, ghastly Halloween vibes
your way and reminding you that Christmas is only two months away. So, here’s a
great gift idea: Set aside a buck (less than the cost of a cup of coffee or a
glass of tea) and buy “More Than Friends,”
a bundle of six novels offered by Crimson Romance on Amazon. For 99 cents, you can buy hours and hours of reading
enjoyment for yourself, a BFF, or a grab-bag party gift. Find it at… http://amzn.to/2dnqnLJ
cjpetterson@gmail.com
blog at: www.lyricalpens.com
Amazon Central Author
Page: http://amzn.to/1NIDKC0
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