Scriveners' Trappings

We hear lots about point of view, plot and climax, but what about foreshadowing? This very important element of a story seems to have been relegated to a back room and stuffed in the closet.

In its simplest form? It prepares readers for what will happen in the story. I'm sure you've read books where at the point of a major plot twist, you shake your head and say, huh? We all have. You feel cheated and want to snap that book shut!

There are two parts:

Part 1: The Plant    (Blantant or Subtle Hints)

Part 2: The Payoff (Important Scenes Play Out)

Foreshadowing can ease readers into what is going to happen. Sneak it in like pureed veggies, but don't hit readers over the head with it. This way, when you execute your plot twist, your readers will be delighted--not disgusted.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/04/how-to-use-foreshadowing.html

Writing endings for our stories could be the easiest thing in the world or the hardest. The best way to begin is to ponder on what kind of ending is expected for the genre in which you are writing. If you are writing a category romance, readers are going to expect the love interests to finally get together and have a happy ending. There have been exceptions (Romeo and Juliet or Love Story). If you are a reader anticipating a romantic story and happy ending, do you want to read a tragic ending? I don't.

The 10 tips presented should give you a great beginning to write your own ending. Check out the article for all the details.

1. Always keep in mind what is EXPECTED in the genre.

2. Avoid the dreaded DEUX EX MACHINE (gods taking care of it).

3. Think APPROPRIATE ending rather than satisfying ending.
4. NO MISERABLE ENDINGS for characters to no real purpose
5. Struggling? Compose an EVENT. Bring most characters together
6. REALLY struggling—go back to the BEGINNING.
7. When the story is over—STOP.
8. BEWARE of TOO MUCH BUILD UP with too quick a resolution.
9. No need to tie up every little plot string, but TIE UP MOST of them
10. EPILOGS: I kind of like them (peek into the future)

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://debravega.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/10-tips-for-writing-endings-to-your-story/

Like a strong beginning, you ought to have a good ending ~ in any story!  Give it a try...!

This post is very timely, as I have been considering making the switch from Word to Scrivener, and from typing to dictating.

This author is finding her voice with the software, "Dragon Naturally Speaking", and she gives us some very compelling reasons to try it out. Number 1? INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.

She started out small with dictating e-mails and blog posts, and then gave it a shot for dictating the first draft of a novel. Her article gives us a peek into her process. Fascinating.

You can find this software on Amazon, and can get started with the home version to try it out.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://writing4success.com/blog/using-dragon-naturally-speaking-to-increase-productivity/

Very good advice from bestselling authors.

Anything to help get your career rolling in writing. 

Great resource for writers--beginners and pros alike!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-writers-2016/

Dialogue can trip up even the most seasoned of writers. You can read about it all day long, but until you're actually writing and needing to use dialogue tags (or speech tags), you'll probably skip over this stuff.

Think of these tags as signposts, pointing to who is actually doing the talking. Each tag contains at least one noun or pronoun. (said, asked, whispered, remarked).

Susannah said

the clerk asked

she said and took off her coat

he said, looking sad

As I am writing my current novel, I sail merrily along, adding in some dialogue tags with ease, and getting myself mired in the mud at others.

Do I use he said or she said? Where does that comma go? Should I use a more expressive tag?

One thing to keep in mind: the "he/she said," or "he/she asked" will disappear in the reader's mind, while adding in an expressive tag will make it stick out like a sore thumb.

Read on if you, too, need a college lesson in drumming up the proper speech tag.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.scribophile.com/academy/he-said-she-said-dialog-tags-and-using-them-effectively

Dialogue is one of those tricky areas that trip up many authors--myself included. As I am writing my first romance novel, I run into areas such as:

How much dialogue is enough?

When and where should you insert dialogue?

When should you move from narrator consciousness to talking?

How long should you make the responses?

Author Roz Morris gives us seven simple steps to writing great dialogue. You would think most would seem obvious, but some of them are real ah ha! moments. I really appreciate these tips:

VISUALS - People move as they talk. They shrug, make faces, cook, clean, etc. Create a picture in your reader's mind. This will create a richer, more dramatic scene.

REACTIONS - Are the characters reacting and talking or does their internal dialogue evaporate when they start being vocal?

DECLUTTER - Think of your reader when you write dialogue. Readers scan through these scenes quickly, and don't need to be told of every breath and blink. Let your scene sit for a few days, and go back at it with fresh eyes to take out the fat.

Header on over to the article to read four more great tips!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/write-great-dialogue-scenes-in-7-steps

What on earth are they saying? With this excellent advice, you can bet it it's worth listening to.

Yackety Yak. Blah Blah Blah. We talk every day and in every way. Is it always effective talking? Not really. But when it comes to our writing of dialogue inside of our stories, it better be.

When a writer goes on for a page or two or three describing what kind of coffee a character is going to order at the cafe, my eyes start to roll back in my head, and I am more than likely to slam the door on that story.

Dialogue is war! If you write dialogue--make it tight--and make it right! Make sure it is going to advance your story. I am still basking in the "afterglow" of all of the wonderful dialogue and storytelling from the remake of the "Great Gatsby" movie. Ah, but that is a post for another day.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2010/08/tips-for-writing-effective-dialogue.html

very instructive advice. De bons conseils pour écrire des dialogues réalistes.