“Head”
Clock out, empty mind,
only to fill up again
come Monday morning.
Steve D
3 Tips for Writing Snappy Dialogue
The more I write, the more I find I enjoy writing dialogue. The interplay of characters can be really engaging and tends to liven up the story — and the writing process — for me.
However, it can still be a challenge to write dialogue that is both meaningful and compelling. As a reader, dialogue that drones on is somehow worse than long stretches of exposition. So I just wanted to provide a few tips for writing snappy dialogue that moves the story forward and keeps the reader interested. Continue reading “3 Tips for Writing Snappy Dialogue”
Exercise 9, Part 2: Being the Stranger
We are down to the last 3 exercises in Ursula Le Guin’s Steering the Craft writing book – home stretch! This one is the second exercise in Chapter 9, which is about indirect narration – and it was a bit daunting. Le Guin instructs us to write from the viewpoint of a character we disagree with or hate or is extremely different from ourselves.
First, the prompt:
“Exercise 9, Part 2: Being the Stranger
Write a narrative of 200-600 words, a scene involving at least two people and some kind of action or event.
Use a single viewpoint character, in either the first person or limited third person, who is involved in the the event. Give us the character’s thoughts and feeling their own words.
The viewpoint character (real or invented) is to be somebody you dislike, or disapprove of, or hate, or feel to be extremely different from yourself.”
Steering the Craft, Page 100-101.
Continue reading “Exercise 9, Part 2: Being the Stranger”Haiku Sunday – Conflict
“Conflict”
Finding the conflict
reveals the story’s heartbeat.
Follow the rhythm.
Steve D
#Review AGENT 355 – Revolutionary spies and one remarkable woman
Another Audible Original short story!
I recently listened to “Agent 355” by Marie Benedict, the fictionalized story of a New York woman who became an integral part of General Washington’s famed spy ring in and around New York and Long Island. I liked it! Continue reading “#Review AGENT 355 – Revolutionary spies and one remarkable woman”
Exercise 9, Part 1: Telling it Slant
As an update to my last post about my friend Tiran, his battle with AML, and the livestream he and his partner were hosting to raise money for the San Diego Blood Bank and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: the livestream was a huge success and I am so proud to have been a part of it. All told, the DJs who participated in the livestream raised $2600.00 to be split evenly between the two charities! Almost 1000 people tuned in – the support, both monetary and attendance, was so heartening.
I’m picking back up with the exercises from Ursula Le Guin’s book Steering the Craft. I’ve gone full circle on these: from dreading what to do when I run out of exercises to being ready to be done with them so I can move on to different posts! I will talk about writing goals before November and the whole rigamarole of Nanowrimo kicks into high gear.
Haiku Sunday – Success
“Success”
Achieving greatness
for the story envisioned,
not that expected.
Steve D
October Write Day: Non-Writing Progress
Well, autumn is officially here, and we’re into the final stretch for all goals 2020. September was a bit of a crazy month for me, mostly because of a couple work weeks with longer hours than usual. Continue reading “October Write Day: Non-Writing Progress”
We interrupt this writing post…
Normally I would be posting about October writing goals today, but September got a little hairy with unexpected events, so I have something I’ve got to talk about first…
At the beginning of September a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Tiran and I have been friends for over 25 years. We grew up together, went to college together and although our lives and careers took us different places all over the country, somehow we have ended up in the San Diego area together in the last couple years and it has been wonderful to reconnect.
Befitting the word “acute” in the name, the timeline of his illness went like this: I spoke with him one Sunday by phone and everything was fine – he was healthy, going to work the next day, and we had a good conversation – by the following Sunday, he called me to tell me he was in the ICU. He could barely breathe and his prognosis was dire. He was calling to say goodbye in case he was unable to have that conversation later. I was floored by how fast this leveled him and left him near death. It was another shock in a year of shocks. And we have 88 days left in 2020 for more to go wrong happen!
Haiku Sunday – Beach
“Beach”
Castles in the sand
destroyed immediately
by curious hands.
Steve D
Evening Satellite Publishing 