LET THE UNDERDOG STAR IN YOUR NEXT NOVEL

 Relating to the Underdog

Photo from Pixabay

What do you think when you look at the photo to the left? Everyone's pointing a finger at the little boy. Tears stream down his face. What's he feeling? 

Fear, shame, distress come to my mind. People are judging him, and he's in a bad situation. They're all ganging up on him. He represents an underdog. Though this photo was staged, I feel sorry for him. I want him to escape. 

Readers Love the Underdog

The underdog is one of my favorite characters to write. The plot is near and dear to reader's hearts because it represents strong versus weak, rich versus poor, healthy versus sick, imprisoned versus free, unloved versus loved, and the list goes on and on. That’s why this character works in any genre. 

In my upcoming novel, Run Girl Run, my protagonist Tracie is an underdog. She escapes her violent father only to find herself swept into an invalidating world that owes her nothing. While on the run, she must solve a family secret that comes at a cost.

Who doesn’t love the disadvantaged? In his or her world, the scales tip in the wrong direction, forcing the character to fight for justice. From the time we were children we felt sympathy for Cinderella and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

Later we watched movies like Lord of the Flies, The Shawshank Redemption, Never Been Kissed, Rudy, and The Blind Side. And we read books like The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Red Queen, and Memoirs of a Geisha. Why? We liked to root for the main character. It felt good when he or she finally got their just reward.

Tips for writing the underdog character:

1.    Make sure the audience understands your character’s motivation. Why does he/she want to succeed so bad? What happens along the way to make it harder? Why does it matter on an emotional level? According to Alfred Hitchcock, emotion is an essential ingredient to suspense. (Suspense is another topic I will cover in a future blog.)

2.    Let your character take the action needed to reach his goal. Otherwise, he/she becomes a punching bag for the plot. If someone else saves the character, your protagonist fails to earn their reward.

3.    Raise the stakes during his/her journey. When he/she reaches the goal, the story ends, so make winning difficult and interesting.

4.    Don’t make the disadvantage so lopsided that no one will believe your character can beat the odds.

5.    Ronald B. Tobias, the author of 20 Master Plots, has some excellent advice. He said if you want your reader to feel empathy for the protagonist, make sure the emotional/ intellectual plane is equal or lower than the reader’s. Readers want someone they can relate to, not someone superior to them.

6.      Reaching goals must come at a cost for the protagonist or someone else. This is the emotional conflict that must accompany the external plot. Pit what your underdog wants against what she needs and you’ll write a hell of a story.

 

Have you written a story about an underdog? What is your favorite underdog story? Why is it your favorite? Do you have a writing tip I didn’t list? If so, leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

For more blogs, Click here to go to my official website. Rather than shut down this Blogger site, I linked the two. There is a link on the website header if you wish to come back to Blogger. 

 

10 WRITING TIPS THAT HELPED ME GET A BOOK DEAL

Photo by Eileen Pan on Unsplash   

  Hello, and welcome to my blog. 

 Today, I want to share some important tips that helped me.  I   have limited it to 10 useful pearls, so this is brief. If you have   a tip to share, please leave a comment. This list is not all-  inclusive. And I don't consider these rules. When I started   doing fewer of these things, a publisher noticed my work. 

 1. Write concise sentences. Don’t stack the adjectives.

 Here’s an example of stacking. Her father has a long, pointed,   frizzy, red beard and a large, scarred, crooked nose. There is  too much at once. If the details are important, sprinkle it into more sentences.

 Consider the following. Her father has a pointed beard and a crooked nose. Specific details are better than a list of descriptions. They help the reader remember the character.


 2. Use strong verbs and omit most adverbs to form stronger sentences.

Consider this sentence. Devon walked slowly across the room. What does walking slowly look like? Did Devon tiptoe or slink? Describing how he walked will improve the prose. Not all adverbs must go. Study the line in question and try to improve it with a stronger verb. I limit my adverbs to one or two in a chapter, if that.


3. Describe and resist explaining the interesting parts of a story. When we explain, we slip into telling.  When we describe, we show. Most writers have heard the saying show don’t tell. One way to check for telling is imagine yourself doing whatever your character is doing. If you can do it, you’re showing.

Adverbs tend to tell instead of show. Consider this dialogue.

“I can’t go,” she said, sadly.

Let’s see her pain.

She lowered her head and swiped a runaway tear. “I can’t go.”

Now the reader can see a sad woman.


4. Save telling for the boring parts and make it quick. If your character takes a bath, don’t include the details unless something exciting happens. That goes for house chores, travel, and anything a reader can imagine without help. No one cares about the soap unless it's laced with poison. 


5. End scenes with the point-of-view character experiencing a different emotion than at the beginning. If she was carefree, give her something to worry about. Maybe she realizes the man she loves is married to the sister she hasn't seen in ten years. The changes we create drive the plot. Readers need a reason to turn the page.


6. Avoid unnecessary words that add nothing important. Cut words like just, very, that, rather, quite, and seem unless you’re using them in dialogue to make a point. Even then, double check. Google crutch words in writing. Look for them in your story by using the word processor search box. Cut, cut, cut. Long, confusing sentences drag the pace.


7. Ask yourself how you can make your story more interesting. Maybe cats have wings in your novel. Perhaps butterflies bite and spread disease.  Anything goes. It’s your story.


8. Read to become a better writer. Learn to recognize good and bad writing. The best writers I know read several novels a year.


9. Leave your readers with an impression. Your fans may not remember everything in your story, but they will recall how it made them feel.


10. Connect with other writers. Go to conferences in person or online. Join writing critique groups. Try to find groups with published writers who mentor others. Learn from others. 


· Bonus tip: Keep writing if you like to. Don’t let anyone convince you to stop. While some people have more talent than others, perseverance counts. If you want your work published, keep trying.


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DANGLING AND MISPLACED MODIFIERS

                                             Photo by George Bakos on Unsplash
 

I've been away from Blogger for several months now. Since things are changing here, I will probably move my posts to a different site. After the pandemic started, I didn't spend as much time on social media. Like this unplugged, abandoned television in George Bako's photo, I was isoloated and felt out of place. And I noticed other bloggers either stopped posting or moved their posts off Blogger. 

Today, I wanted to blog again. Dangling and misplaced modifiers came to mind. Sometimes writers write unclear sentences and end up with something silly. This is the case with dangling modifiers. A dangling modifier is usually a prepositional or participial phrase that describes, or gives more detail about the wrong word. The word it was supposed to modify was left out of the sentence, and the modifier was placed near the wrong word, leaving the modifier dangling.

Let me give you some examples:

While still in diapers, my father remarried. 

Ha ha. Babies don't get married, so we know this is a messed up sentence. Since while in diapers is next to my father, the sentence means my father was still in diapers. It should refer to the narrator, and the word I isn’t in the sentence. To correct this, the I should be added. While I was still in diapers, my father remarried.

Here is another dangler with the same problem:

While reading a book on the sofa, my cat jumped onto my lap.

Cats don’t know how to read, so this is silly. Instead, it should say: While I was reading on the sofa, my cat jumped onto my lap. Or: While I read on the sofa, my cat jumped onto my lap. 

 Here is a misplaced modifier which has a similar problem:

He read from his Kindle wearing glasses.

We can assume it is the male in this sentence who is wearing glasses, but the way it’s written says the book is wearing glasses since the modifier is next to Kindle. Maybe rewrite it as: He wore glasses and read from his Kindle.

Here is another problem sentence:

At the bottom of the aquarium, Leslie saw the eel.

Leslie wasn't swimming in the aquarium with the eel. To fix this issue, rewrite it like this. Leslie saw the eel at the bottom of the aquarium.

One day, I walked the dog in my pajamas.

A four legged dog can't wear two legged pajamas. The fix: One day, while I wore pajamas, I walked the dog.

I am selling several old hats from grandpa in great condition.

Is grandpa in great condition or are the hats? How about: I'm selling several old hats in great condition that belonged to my grandpa.

It’s important to edit your writing to avoid silly mistakes. I hope this brief post helps you understand how to identify a misplaced or dangling modifier and how to fix it.

 

 

TIPS FOR GREAT DIALOGUE

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

Hello Writers,

Come on in and hang with me a while. Let me give you some tips about writing dialogue for your characters. I'll start with the basics for new writers, then move on to easy rules that help everyone. 

Structure

For each line of dialogue, the character’s words must have curly quotation marks on both ends.

For example. “It’s in the car.” 

The other punctuation marks such as any period, question mark, comma, explanation point must be inside the quotation marks. Think of it as a neat package with everything kept inside.

Dialogue Tags

Dialogue tags are the small phrases that show who's speaking. They stay outside the quotation marks. 

I’ll use our example above to show you. “It’s in the car,” Sara said. 

The sentence ends with a period after the tag said. Some writers are confused about when to capitalize while using a dialogue tag. Only capitalize when the tag starts with a proper noun like Sara. If I had used the word she instead, I wouldn’t capitalize it. 

For example: “It’s in the car,” she said.       NOT: “It’s in the car,” She said.

When using dialogue tags, give them purpose. It’s best to use tags sparingly to tell the reader who's speaking when there may be confusion. Also, stick to said or asked. Readers gloss over said and asked, but linger on words like exclaimed, whispered, yelled, huffed, and other expressions. But back to what I was saying; let me show you how writers overuse tags.

“It’s in the car,” Sara said.

“Where in the car?” Todd asked.

“Under the seat,” Sarah said.

“Which seat?” he asked.

Don’t write like that. There are too many tags. No reader wants to look at that. If you are unsure if you used too many, read the line out loud. You’ll know instantly if it sounds robotic. 

Now to my next point. Each person speaking gets their own line like I wrote it above. What if everyone wrote dialogue like this?

“It’s in the car,” Sara said. “Where in the car?” Todd asked. “Under the seat,” Sara said. “Which seat?” he asked.

It’s hard on the eyes, isn’t it? Don’t write like that either. Those are basic tips for structure, and I only mention it to help new writers who may not know the difference. Give each speaker their own line. 


So, what do you put between the quotation marks? I have easy rules.

#1. Dialogue isn't a conversation. It must be in line with a character’s desire for something. Nobody talks unless they want something.

When people talk, they chitchat, pause, and sometimes never get to the point. If your characters speak like that, they'll bore the reader. Drop all the pleasantries and think about the character's motivation. What do the characters need or want to move the plot along? 

For example: If Mary is looking for her husband’s killer, she won’t chitchat while that is on her mind. She wouldn’t ask her neighbor, Leanne, how to grow mums. She might ask Leanne about strange sounds the night of the murder. 

Whenever you’re not sure if the dialogue is appropriate for the scene, ask yourself, if I eliminated it would the reader understand what’s going on? Make each line count. The next time you watch a movie, listen to the dialogue. Each line has a purpose. The actors don’t talk unless there's a reason.  

#2. Dialogue expresses the character, not the writer. It's not there to dump information that the writer wants the reader to know. It isn’t a speech.

Please don’t dump information on the reader in long-winded character speeches. 

For example, a man is talking to his neighbor: “As you know, Bob, my son has been in college for five years. He should've graduated last year, but he likes to come home in the summer instead of taking classes to catch up. I think he should work harder. Finish and get a job.”

If Bob already knows about his neighbor's son, he doesn’t need to hear the story again. This is an example of the writer trying to dump information onto the reader. Don’t force-feed the details. The writer is putting the words in the character’s mouth instead of letting the character move closer to his goal.

#3.  Choose to show a scene instead of using dialogue when possible.

Sometimes it’s better to let the characters show rather than talk, even with conflict. In my following example, a married couple is having a problem in their relationship. I could let them argue and fight, but consider the following instead of a page of dialogue. 

 The couple leaves their penthouse apartment. Harry rushes toward the elevator while donning his hat, leaving his wife far behind him. When she finally catches up, the elevator doors bump her as she gets inside. She clutches her purse against her chest. Both of them are frowning until the elevator stops on the fourth floor, and the doors open to reveal a beautiful woman. Harry holds the elevator, removes his hat, and smiles at the lady when she enters. His wife takes a step away from him.

See what I mean. A visual can show the reader the state of their relationship without them saying a word.

#4. Use contractions

 Unless your character speaks formally, use contractions such as don’t couldn’t, wouldn’t and others. It sounds better than do not, could not, should not. It will seem natural to readers. 

#5. Don’t use proper names excessively when using dialogue tags.

This goes back to what sounds good. It’s better to tag with he said, she said, instead of calling the characters by proper names when it’s clear who he and she are. Proper names identify individuals of the same gender. For example: If Mary is talking to Casey, one of them will need their name when tagged. 

#6. Give each character their own voice, a contrast from one another

Let each character have their own way of saying things based on their education, age, personality, outlook on life.

For example: If someone told a pessimist that her husband filed for divorce, the dialogue might go like this: 

“Oh, you poor thing. You’ll never ever find another man. Now that you’re over forty, you should move back in with your parents if they’ll have you.”

While an optimist might say:

 “He wasn’t right for you. But don’t worry, there’s this guy I know who's perfect for you. If I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d go out with him myself. I’ll set you up.”

The optimist and pessimist will have different outlooks on everything. That’ll determine what each will say. Each character has a motivation even if it's only responding to what was said. It’s the writer’s job to determine how each character will reply.

#7. Don’t let heads talk in empty rooms.

Give the reader a little scenery and action between the dialogue. When the dialogue goes on too long, it seems like heads are talking. Without scenery, everything goes blank, sometimes referred to as white room syndrome. Ground the reader with a view of the surroundings. Give the characters something to do to engage the reader, so the scene becomes realistic.

#8. Use subtext when to add depth to the story when appropriate. 

Dialogue is interesting when the reader can read between the lines. The subtext is the meaning beneath the spoken words and within the body language. Often what’s said isn’t what’s meant. It’s implied. This avoids on-the-nose dialogue that points out the obvious to the reader. Readers like to come to their own conclusions.

Don’t get into the habit of letting characters to tell each other exactly what they’re thinking all the time. Whenever you find them being candid, take a step back. Is this information necessary to advance the plot or the readers’ understanding of what’s going on? If not, cut it. Why would one character share or withhold their thoughts from another character? There are whole books written on subtext, and it’s beyond the scope of this blog. I may write a blog about this subject later.

This post was longer than I had planned. I hope this helps you create believable dialogue in your stories. Whatever you do, keep writing.

THE WRITING SCHEDULE

My Own Routine

People ask me how I make time to write. My day job takes 40-50 hours out of my week. If I'm not physically at my office, I'm running errands to keep my small business afloat. I have a husband, two dogs, two cats, and a house that needs attention. 

My morning starts with preparing for work and tucking everyone in before I head to my job. When I get home, the chores are waiting. 

Colby is my only distraction.

It's easy to say there's no time to write. But I enjoy creating stories, and sometimes I'm up past midnight pounding the keyboard. It's part of my life and writing a novel takes months. 

CREATE A SPACE FOR WRITING

I have a cozy spot in my living room where I disconnect from the rest of the world. Phone calls, televisions, and distractions disappear. Occasionally, my cat sits on me. No problem. Two of us can fit in the chair. This is where I alternate between reading books and writing my own. To understand writing well, I read every day. 

When I'm in my den, my imaginary world takes priority. I build it line by line, page by page, and chapter by chapter. This is what I do most days. Some people think my habits are strange, obsessive, and unnecessary. It makes me different from them. It makes me a writer.

LET THE CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS CONVEY THEIR EMOTIONS

Photo by Gabriel Matula on Unsplash

Every writer wants readers to connect with their work. After all, it’s not easy to craft a novel, short story, novella, or memoir. Today I’ll share a key to unlock that mystery.

People want to understand your characters and go on a journey with them. To provide a mental escape, make the reader feel what your characters feel.

There are three ways a writer describes a character’s emotion.

1. Tell how the character feels.

Example: Tom was scared.

By saying it outright as a fact, the reader can’t feel anything. You could say it’s September and evoke the same level of indifference from the person. If you dump statements in the entire story, filter words, such as angry, anxious, afraid, happy, etc., the reader will lose interest. 

2. Show the character’s reaction.

Example: Tom crouched behind the building and trembled.

This is better than the first illustration, but too many actions without Tom’s thoughts fail to engage the reader. If several scenes require him to be scared, each version of showing him that way becomes harder. After a while, it’s difficult to top the last description.

3. Introspection. It means the character’s thoughts are open to the reader. This helps the reader understand the stakes.

Example: It was Tom’s second glimpse at the monster—two heads and four eyes that rolled in opposite directions. It's searching for me, and there's only one building between us. If I can make it to the hills I might have a sporting chance. If not, I'll die like Jase and Melissa, ripped apart by two mouths in a tug of war while the creature fights itself for the bigger share. Why did I ever come here?

I could have said Tom was afraid of the monster, but that alone doesn’t give the reader much. By letting the reader know what Tom thinks about when he sees it, I raise the stakes. The reader will empathize with the character and hopefully tap into his fear.

This was a quick example I made up off the top of my head. Some authors use a combination of the three together to make sure readers get the connection. Look at the passages in your favorite books for better examples. I find introspection is the best way to make the book relatable.

REVISE YOUR STORIES

Revise to strengthen writing

What happens when you finish a favorite story, and no one seems to appreciate the effort? If the short story didn’t get picked up by the literary magazine or win the big cash prize in a contest, the piece might need tweaking. If your novel receives more than thirty rejections, there could be something wrong. 

Writing is a lot like cooking a gourmet meal. Some folks hate the duck confit with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. Agents and publishers have a huge menu to choose from. Make sure the people you are serving have a taste and preference for the type of story you cooked up. You can’t force steak on a vegetarian any easier than humor on an agent who wants horror.

Maybe you had the above figured out and sent your manuscript to the right agency, and they didn’t bite. Read the first page and pretend someone else wrote it. If a stranger picked it up at Barnes and Noble, could they keep their eyes on the paper? Remember, they’re surrounded by fascinating books the same way an agent has hundreds of manuscripts to choose from. If not, rewrite any paragraph that conjures daydreams. Boring scenes are not allowed. Write that on an index card in big red letters and keep it next to you as a reminder.

If you can’t figure out what’s amiss, other eyes can help; not your mom’s or best friends. Find someone who isn’t afraid of offending you. Writers’ groups are useful. If there isn’t one, start one. If no one is interested, consider going online.

I want to keep this post brief, but here’s another tip to make sure the revisions are saved properly. Back up your drafts twice. Do it every time you write. I don’t carve my story into a stone tablet, and neither do you. I’ve heard nightmares about lost manuscripts after a cat knocked a glass of water on the laptop. Keep that in mind next time you shut down the computer even if you don’t have a four-legged menace in your home.

Revisions are part of the process that makes writing better. I wish everyone one the best and happy writing.