Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen / @jhansenwrites
(Part 2 in a series of Twitter blogs – click here for Part 1)

 To hashtag or not to hashtag…that is the question. If you are new to Twitter, you might not understand that question yet. Listen up, all you non-taggers, because the amazing hashtag is going to help you get more out of Twitter. The hashtag, also known as the pound sign or crosshatch (#), is a grouping or searching tool you can use in your Twitter posts. 

When you tweet, only your immediate followers see you…unless you put a subject specific hashtag in your tweet that describes your topic. This hashtag will include your tweet in the ongoing chat stream that people on Twitter follow. When I tweet this blog, I’ll probably add #writing and #amwriting on the end of the post since those are two searches that I’ve created columns for in TweetDeck (this app is discussed in the next Twitter blog).

Let’s put this hashtagging business into perspective:

If your followers see your tweet, that is a wonderful thing. These are your Followers, your Tweeties, your peeps who think you have something valuable to say. It’s like your local lemonade stand where everyone on your block walks by, chats and gives you a quarter for a cool beverage. It’s a groovy, fuzzy thing and you’ll probably pay off your lemonade ingredients.

By adding a hashtag (#LemonadeStand for example) to the post, you and your little stand will be on the Twitter equivalent of Google or Bing, searchable to all the world, or at least all of the world that is so interested in lemonade stands that they follow the chat stream for #LemonadeStand.

Your local little tweet becomes part of a global “scene” with the hashtag. If you write to share your thoughts with the world, this is heady indeed. It is also informative.

Last week, I had Twitter open during lunch, just eating and watching the feed from the people I follow. Out of the corner of my eye I saw @MargaretAtwood and tuned in. There on the screen was “Interview at 1 pm with @MargaretAtwood. Go to #followreader to tune in.” All I had to do was click the #followreader hyperlink and I was watching a live interview with, as one of the other followers said, “Margaret Freaking Atwood. OMG!”  She is a long-time favorite of mine and it was a shot of adrenaline to see her answer questions from her fans, live and in color. 

The experience was amazing and way better than a crowded conference hall where you have to leave your seat and walk over to an open mic to ask a question. For this Twitter chat, we could ask her any question we wanted and, as long as we put #followreader on the end, it showed up for everyone in the chat (including Margaret Freaking Atwood!). The same goes for the #AskEditor chat the second Friday of each month at 3 pm EST. Editors abound, waiting for YOUR question. (I expect to see all of you hanging with the editors the next #AskEditor Friday, OK?)

Isn’t one of the huge draws of Twitter the ability to interact with people all over the world who you’d never be able to meet or get near otherwise? Though I think there is some narcissism at play in Twitter’s astounding popularity, I think the real excitement is the sense of community and the depth of knowledge that’s available. The hashtag will help enhance the experience for you, I promise.

It is interesting to note that the hashtag was not originally built into Twitter. The workers, particularly Chris Messina, wanted it but the management didn’t. They thought it looked too geeky. Many of the program’s features come from IRC (Internet Relay Chat), which was almost twenty years old at the time, and the hash mark has its roots there too. It’s surprising that a technology group was worried about the nerd factor. Still, the users wanted the “channel” feature and just organically began to use it. Twitter has in many ways been driven and defined by its user community which is, in my humble opinion, part of its charm.

For a great resource on Twitter (and social media and branding), I recommend that you visit Kristen Lamb’s blog and read all of her Twitter Tuesdays posts – TT #2 deals with hashtags and delves a bit deeper on some of the topics here.

If you would like to see a list of popular hashtags, go to one of the following sites:

• Specific to writers: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/40-twitter-hashtags-for-writers/
• http://tagal.us/ is working hard to be the dictionary on hashtags. It is a cool site and worth looking at since a list of tags drops down as you type and the hashtag definition shows in the search results.

Please feel free to add any other hashtag references or sites into the comments section below. We’re interested to hear what your favorites are.

In the meantime, enjoy some new Twitter functionality. Happy writing!

by Sharla Rae

In Laura Drake’s recent blog My Editing Peeves, here at WITS, she points out dialogue tags. I have to agree that too many “saids” on a page or even in a chapter are annoying. Sure there are other tags like snarled, whispered, interjected, cried etc. But again, they stand out if overused. Included in this illustrious list are all the he and she thoughts.

After taking a hard look at tags, I realized something. Tags are tattletales! He said, he yelled, he whispered. It’s “telling." And one of the first lessons in writing is to “show” not “tell.” Don’t you love how writing is like knitting? One set of rules always weaves into another set. Okay, back to the subject of tags.

We can’t do without tags completely, but we can kill off some of the little buggers.

With only two characters on stage, tag extermination is easier. Using new paragraphs each time one of the two speaks eliminates the need for tags. Also, a character’s dialect, accent, or speech pattern may set them apart from other characters. Still, even with just two characters there are times it’s absolutely necessary to indicate who’s speaking to prevent confusion.

Now, place three or more characters on stage, and things get really complicated. Complicated, but not impossible. 

One of my favorite ways to kill a dialogue tag is through the use of body movement and/or body language. If a character is moving or has a certain facial expression, we don’t need the tag. Body language has the added benefit of expressing emotion. In other words, using this method “shows” a character is angry, happy, or depressed.  

Examples:

•  Instead of:  “Stop it!” James said. [He could be angry but then again he could be laughing hard and telling someone to stop it. But if we say: James said, angrily, we’re telling.]
Try:  James sliced the air with his hand. “Stop it!”
Try:  “Stop it!” James held his sides, laughing.

 • Instead of:  “Is she serious?” Amber asked, rolling her eyes.
 Try:  “Is she serious?” Amber rolled her eyes and laughed.

• Instead of:  “Gosh, I love this song,” Jill said, dreamily. [Yikes it’s an "ly" word!]
Try:  “Gosh, I love this song.” Jill closed her eyes and swayed to the music.

• Instead Of:  “Try it, you little weasel,” Jake bellowed. “Just try it.”
Try:  “Jakes palms slapped the tabletop. “Try it, you little weasel. Just try it.”

• Instead of:  “You jerk!” Pam screamed, swinging her handbag at him.
Try:  “You jerk!” Pam lashed out at him with her handbag.

The same idea applies to the he or she thought tags.

Example:

• Instead of:  Can this day get any worse? Jane wondered.
 Try:  Jane slumped into the nearest easy chair and kicked off her shoes. Could this day get any worse?

•  Instead of: If he comes through that door, I’ll brain him, Jill silently vowed.
Try:  If he comes through that door, I’ll brain him. Jill’s fingernails bit into her palms. [Shows determination]

Punctuation can be used to negate tags that indicate strong feelings. To demonstrate what I mean, I’ll use one of my above examples.

“You jerk!” Pam screamed, swinging her handbag at him.

Given there is an exclamation mark after jerk, we know Pam said this with strong feelings. Unless we want her screaming to draw the attention of characters around her, we don’t need to “tell” the reader she screamed. Also, her actions indicate anger and that makes the tag an even bigger overkill. But what if Pam said it under her breath so as not to draw attention? Do we need to say, she whispered? It works. But we could also say: Pam sneered and leaned close, her lips a mere inch from his ear. “Jerk.”

Note: Don’t over use exclamation marks. Again, body language will work just as well.

It must be said, though, that having all the characters on stage constantly nodding, scratching, dancing and throwing things would be just as annoying, not to mention ridiculous, as too many tags. So a few tags are allowed and in some instances they work better for a tight, straight to the point sentence.

I know of no set rules on how many dialogue tags are allowed on a page. The best rule of thumb is to vary your dialogue and cut them when possible. And if you’re still unsure, read the page out loud. Too many tags make the writing sound choppy. They also distract. The right balance will result in tighter writing that “shows” more and “tells” less.

Related Websites:

Three Places Where You Should Tell: http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2011/02/three-places-where-you-should-tell.html

From An Editor’s POV: http://theeditorsblog.net/2010/12/25/use-and-misuse-of-dialogue-tags/ 

The Use and Abuse of Dialogue Tags: http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/said.shtml

Avoid Creative Dialogue Syndrome: http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/tip4.html

by Charlotte Carter

As a writer, we all want to write a satisfying ending that will leave the reader sighing with pleasure. So here are a couple of tips to help you get to The End.

The ending of a story starts at the beginning of the story.

1. A character’s weaknesses and fears are established in the opening chapter(s). During the book the character will grow emotionally. At the black moment he fails to demonstrate that he’s learned his lesson, his character arc is not yet complete. The climax follows when he does make the right choice, (makes a sacrifice, takes a risk) he makes a leap of faith that shows he has learned his lesson, and his arc is complete. The resolution is showing that he’s okay with this new decision.

2. Close the story circle by making the ending a reflection or a mirror image of the beginning; the characters have changed and grown but the framework of their existence remains the same. Their reactions/success change in part because of who they have become.

In my book,  Between Duty and Honor - the impetus for the story is a firefighter dying in a warehouse fire (prior to opening). The hero of the story was unable to save that firefighter and subsequently falls in love with the deceased's widow; the ending swirls to its conclusion when the hero is able to save the heroine's child from a fire in the same derelict building.

In my runaway bride story (everybody writes one of those), in the opening scene she's trying on a fancy wedding gown; in the closing scene she's marrying someone else in a modest dress and the gown is en route to Goodwill.

I had the pleasure of writing THE END this morning to my upcoming book from Love Inspired, Big Sky Family (11/2011) and sent it off to my editor. In this case Arnie, the hero, with the help of a 'mentor,' comes to realize that despite the fact that he is a paraplegic, he is worthy to marry Ellie, the heroine. (Yes, I know it's a romance; in a romance the guy and gal always get together. That's the promise we romance authors make to our readers. It's how they get there that is the creative part.)

Happy endings to you all!

Books that leave you smiling by Charlotte Carter
  from Love Inspired:
    Big Sky Reunion, 4/2011
    Big Sky Family, 11/2011