There's not too much to write about today...I hope. My blue and gold Macaw, Bruin, is in the hospital. Last night he started coughing and could barely breathe. Our local vet hospital is open 24/7, but they don't have avian vets, and the only two in this whole county don't do weekend/emergency work. So we took Bruin in, and they gave him a shot of antibiotic and put him in an incubator where they could run oxygen in all night. We called this morning, and he made it through the night, but they still don't know what's wrong. We have to find an avian vet today, somewhere.
On top of that, I have a dental appointment today, and need to get my first query letters out to editors for my novel. I've been procrasting on that, and don't really know why. Fear of rejection, maybe?
One of the reasons I've been procrastinating is because I keep rewriting my query. My ICL instructor told me the first version was great, so why do I keep editing it? I don't know...every time I read something about queries, or a sample, I think...hmm, I don't have that, maybe I should include it. But then, I have to leave something else out, because the letter is only supposed to be one page. I absolutely have to be satisfied with some version this week, because I've got to send it out before NaNo begins.
Speaking of which... so far, I have the names of my characters, who they are, what part they play in Lily Leticia's life, and that's it. I did issue a challenge to my fellow Writer's Retreat members, though. I asked them how many were willing to begin their novels at 12:01 am on November 1st. That's when I'm going to start, but then, I'm a night owl. What about you? Are you up to beginning at 12:01 am on November 1st?
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Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Schedule for Making Nano Much Easier
For all you NaNo writers, here is a schedule for the amount of words that you should be writing on a day by day basis:
Day 1: 1, 667 words Day 15:25,005 words
Day 2: 2, 334 words Day 16: 26,672 words
Day 3: 5,001 words Day 17: 28, 338 words
Day 4: 6, 668 words Day 18: 30,006 words
Day 5: 8, 335 words Day 19: 31,673 words
Day 6: 10,002 words Day 20: 33,370 words
Day 7: 11,669 words Day 21: 35,007 words
End of Week One! End of Week Three !!!
Day 8: 13,336 words Day 22: 36,674 words
Day 9: 15,003 words Day 23: 38, 341 words
Day 10: 16,670 words Day 24: 40,008 words
Day 11: 18,337 words Day 25: 41,675 words
Day 12: 20,004 words Day 26: 43,342 words
Day 13: 21,671 words Day 27: 45,009 words
Day 14: 23,338 words Day 28: 46,676 words
End of Week Two!! Day 29: 48,343 words
Day 30: 50,000 words
End of Week Four !!!!
WE DID IT!!! 50,000 WORDS IN ONE MONTH! WOO HOO!!!!!!
All right, gang, see how easy it is? Well, okay, so I'm kidding. No one ever said it would be easy. But how about some more tips for making it as easy as possible?
1. Have plenty of caffeine on hand. French Vanilla is wonderful, it tastes great, has a touch of sweetness, and doesn't need cream or sugar to dilute its ability to keep you awake.
a. Don't drink coffee? Okay, no problem, high caffeinated tea will do just fine. Try Madagascar Cherry/Cinnamon... great flavor and your eyes will be wide open...a little dry, but wide open.
2. At least as important as caffeine is CHOCOLATE! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with caramel, mint chocolate, chocolate with almonds...it really doesn't matter what kind of chocolate it is, it only matters that you have enough on hand to last for 30 days. But it's fattening, you say? Forget about that. Diets and healthy food must go out the window for the month of November. Only high caloric, high energy foods will suffice. You have all the rest of the year to think about healthy eating.
3. Peanut butter and Jelly/jam/preserves...or almond butter, or cashew butter...any will be okay, as long as it's paired with high sugar jam of some kind. Of course, for those of you who are absolutely NOT going to go off your diet the way you're supposed to, you are allowed to use Seven Grain or Whole Grain bread.
4. Pizza: the 'kitchen sink' kind with everything on it except for anchovies. After all, you're going to need sustenance other than the above mentioned snacks, and the wonderful thing about pizza is that it is as good cold and a day old as it is hot and fresh. So as long as you can keep the cat, the dog, the spouse and those pesky kids out of it, one extra large pizza should last for a couple of days.
So the above tips should be taken seriously, and will make a good start come November 1st. If I can think of some more in the next few days, I'll post them, too.
Speaking of meals...lightly tho' we were: Remember that your fairy godmother did not put you on this earth to write a novel in 30 days AND cook...or clean...or do laundry. For this month, frozen meals are in, as are McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's. If worse comes to worst, tell hubby to buy a roasted chicken at the supermarket, get a couple of salads at the deli, and he and the kids can have a feast.
As for 'clean anything,' the dust bunnies have always wanted a place to play, now's the time for them to get out and romp, and if the kids want clean clothes, they know where the washer is.
Well, that was easy! Now are we all set for NaNoWriMo??
Day 1: 1, 667 words Day 15:25,005 words
Day 2: 2, 334 words Day 16: 26,672 words
Day 3: 5,001 words Day 17: 28, 338 words
Day 4: 6, 668 words Day 18: 30,006 words
Day 5: 8, 335 words Day 19: 31,673 words
Day 6: 10,002 words Day 20: 33,370 words
Day 7: 11,669 words Day 21: 35,007 words
End of Week One! End of Week Three !!!
Day 8: 13,336 words Day 22: 36,674 words
Day 9: 15,003 words Day 23: 38, 341 words
Day 10: 16,670 words Day 24: 40,008 words
Day 11: 18,337 words Day 25: 41,675 words
Day 12: 20,004 words Day 26: 43,342 words
Day 13: 21,671 words Day 27: 45,009 words
Day 14: 23,338 words Day 28: 46,676 words
End of Week Two!! Day 29: 48,343 words
Day 30: 50,000 words
End of Week Four !!!!
WE DID IT!!! 50,000 WORDS IN ONE MONTH! WOO HOO!!!!!!
All right, gang, see how easy it is? Well, okay, so I'm kidding. No one ever said it would be easy. But how about some more tips for making it as easy as possible?
1. Have plenty of caffeine on hand. French Vanilla is wonderful, it tastes great, has a touch of sweetness, and doesn't need cream or sugar to dilute its ability to keep you awake.
a. Don't drink coffee? Okay, no problem, high caffeinated tea will do just fine. Try Madagascar Cherry/Cinnamon... great flavor and your eyes will be wide open...a little dry, but wide open.
2. At least as important as caffeine is CHOCOLATE! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with caramel, mint chocolate, chocolate with almonds...it really doesn't matter what kind of chocolate it is, it only matters that you have enough on hand to last for 30 days. But it's fattening, you say? Forget about that. Diets and healthy food must go out the window for the month of November. Only high caloric, high energy foods will suffice. You have all the rest of the year to think about healthy eating.
3. Peanut butter and Jelly/jam/preserves...or almond butter, or cashew butter...any will be okay, as long as it's paired with high sugar jam of some kind. Of course, for those of you who are absolutely NOT going to go off your diet the way you're supposed to, you are allowed to use Seven Grain or Whole Grain bread.
4. Pizza: the 'kitchen sink' kind with everything on it except for anchovies. After all, you're going to need sustenance other than the above mentioned snacks, and the wonderful thing about pizza is that it is as good cold and a day old as it is hot and fresh. So as long as you can keep the cat, the dog, the spouse and those pesky kids out of it, one extra large pizza should last for a couple of days.
So the above tips should be taken seriously, and will make a good start come November 1st. If I can think of some more in the next few days, I'll post them, too.
Speaking of meals...lightly tho' we were: Remember that your fairy godmother did not put you on this earth to write a novel in 30 days AND cook...or clean...or do laundry. For this month, frozen meals are in, as are McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's. If worse comes to worst, tell hubby to buy a roasted chicken at the supermarket, get a couple of salads at the deli, and he and the kids can have a feast.
As for 'clean anything,' the dust bunnies have always wanted a place to play, now's the time for them to get out and romp, and if the kids want clean clothes, they know where the washer is.
Well, that was easy! Now are we all set for NaNoWriMo??
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
NaNoWriMo
Panic is setting in! What have I done? I have signed up for NaNoWriMo for the very first time. Now why would I do that? I have queries to write, chapters and synopses to get printed, all of these to get out to publishers, my second novel which is historical fiction already begun and 5 chapters written, and I've signed up to write 50,000 words on a brand new novel in one month's time??? And that month includes Thanksgiving, which means at least 2-3 days of no writing at all. I seriously think I've lost my mind.
If I've lost my mind, perhaps some of you have, also. I can't be the only crazy writer around here, can I?? So let's talk about some ways we might be able to lessen the panic, and still get some productive work done.
For those of you who outline...I'm not one of you...doing your outline during the rest of October is a great idea. For those of you who are like me and don't outline, here are some other suggestions.
1. Get Organized!
I put this in red because I am NOT organized when it comes to writing...or anything else, my DH would say. Do you have a specific place to write? A study, a den, your bedroom, the kitchen table? Try to get ONE place for your computer and make it off limits for the entire month of November for anyone else in the family! And if that means eating in the formal dining room, or on TV trays in the living room, , or making hubby and kids watch TV or do homework someplace else, so be it. After all, it's only for a month, anyone can live with that, right?
1a. Outline? sticky notes?:
So okay, it's all going to be in red. Have you outlined your novel? I won't talk about outlines because I hate them, and those of you who do decent outlines already know more about them than I do. And you can outline your novel this month, too.
But I love sticky notes! I have them on my computer, the window, my bookcase, three different places on my desk, one on my printer, two on the lamp shade, and I even tried to put one on Dylan last night, but he ate it.
The sticky notes are ideas that come to mind in the middle of watching TV or doing dishes or cleaning the parrot cages. I run in here, grab a sticky note pad, jot the idea down and stick it...well, any place. I'm hoping this works for the Nano novel as well as it has for my other novel.
2. The Little Devil Who Sits on Our Shoulder and Whispers in Our Ear...You Know, The One Known as Our Inner Critic?
Okay, we've got to get rid of her immediately if not sooner. We are not supposed to critique, edit, or revise during this month. This novel is going to be a rough...very rough...draft. So tell your inner critic to BUG OFF! I don't know...put her in a shoebox and stick her under the bed; stuff a nasty rag in her mouth; put ear plugs in; borrow Pongo's trident and pin her butt to the wall ( and if you aren't acquainted with Pongo, you're missing someone extraordinary!). Do whatever you have to do to shut that critic's mouth for 30 days! Ignore her nasty comments about wrong spelling here, convoluted punctuation there...it just doesn't matter! For now, anyway.
3. Put Some Soft Lovely Music On:
No matter what your musical tastes are, this is the time for soft, lyrical, quiet music. It helps you think without becoming involved in what the music is all about. Try something by Ferante and Teichner, or John Tesh, or some of the "mood" music you find in stores like Target or K-Mart. No rock n' roll ( too loud), no opera ( too dramatic), no country( too sorrowful), just something quiet and peaceful even if it's not what you normally listen to.
4. Planning Our Time to Write:
None of any of these suggestions, or those on any other sites, are going to make any difference if we don't plan time to write. I'm retired, so it is easier for me to plan out time than for most writers, who also juggle outside jobs and family ( kids) responsibilities. So how are we going to do this? We've got to set aside a specific amount of time each day ( or night) to do nothing but write. If that means getting up an hour or two earlier than usual, set your alarm. If it means writing after the kids go to bed, tell your husband it's only for a month, so quit pouting about "no me" time. If it means not watching TV after dinner, either record the programs or just do without...you already know how the majority of them are going to turn out, anyway !
The point of all this is, that for this particular event, we all have to be a heck of a lot more serious, concentrated, focused and determined than usual if we are going to meet that 50,000 word required in 30 days time. And for most of us, because of Thanksgiving, relatives coming, cooking and baking, it's not even a full 30 days. I've never done this before, but people who have tell me that when you finish that 50,000 words you have a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Even though the novel is a rough, rough draft, and even though you will have to go back and edit and revise until you are blue in the face, the fact is...you have written a full novel ( or more than half of one that you can add to) in a very short period of time.
Yes...I can definitely understand that feeling of accomplishment when November 30 rolls around, and we can add our names to the list of those who strived and succeeded.
Are you with me?
If I've lost my mind, perhaps some of you have, also. I can't be the only crazy writer around here, can I?? So let's talk about some ways we might be able to lessen the panic, and still get some productive work done.
For those of you who outline...I'm not one of you...doing your outline during the rest of October is a great idea. For those of you who are like me and don't outline, here are some other suggestions.
1. Get Organized!
I put this in red because I am NOT organized when it comes to writing...or anything else, my DH would say. Do you have a specific place to write? A study, a den, your bedroom, the kitchen table? Try to get ONE place for your computer and make it off limits for the entire month of November for anyone else in the family! And if that means eating in the formal dining room, or on TV trays in the living room, , or making hubby and kids watch TV or do homework someplace else, so be it. After all, it's only for a month, anyone can live with that, right?
1a. Outline? sticky notes?:
So okay, it's all going to be in red. Have you outlined your novel? I won't talk about outlines because I hate them, and those of you who do decent outlines already know more about them than I do. And you can outline your novel this month, too.
But I love sticky notes! I have them on my computer, the window, my bookcase, three different places on my desk, one on my printer, two on the lamp shade, and I even tried to put one on Dylan last night, but he ate it.
The sticky notes are ideas that come to mind in the middle of watching TV or doing dishes or cleaning the parrot cages. I run in here, grab a sticky note pad, jot the idea down and stick it...well, any place. I'm hoping this works for the Nano novel as well as it has for my other novel.
2. The Little Devil Who Sits on Our Shoulder and Whispers in Our Ear...You Know, The One Known as Our Inner Critic?
Okay, we've got to get rid of her immediately if not sooner. We are not supposed to critique, edit, or revise during this month. This novel is going to be a rough...very rough...draft. So tell your inner critic to BUG OFF! I don't know...put her in a shoebox and stick her under the bed; stuff a nasty rag in her mouth; put ear plugs in; borrow Pongo's trident and pin her butt to the wall ( and if you aren't acquainted with Pongo, you're missing someone extraordinary!). Do whatever you have to do to shut that critic's mouth for 30 days! Ignore her nasty comments about wrong spelling here, convoluted punctuation there...it just doesn't matter! For now, anyway.
3. Put Some Soft Lovely Music On:
No matter what your musical tastes are, this is the time for soft, lyrical, quiet music. It helps you think without becoming involved in what the music is all about. Try something by Ferante and Teichner, or John Tesh, or some of the "mood" music you find in stores like Target or K-Mart. No rock n' roll ( too loud), no opera ( too dramatic), no country( too sorrowful), just something quiet and peaceful even if it's not what you normally listen to.
4. Planning Our Time to Write:
None of any of these suggestions, or those on any other sites, are going to make any difference if we don't plan time to write. I'm retired, so it is easier for me to plan out time than for most writers, who also juggle outside jobs and family ( kids) responsibilities. So how are we going to do this? We've got to set aside a specific amount of time each day ( or night) to do nothing but write. If that means getting up an hour or two earlier than usual, set your alarm. If it means writing after the kids go to bed, tell your husband it's only for a month, so quit pouting about "no me" time. If it means not watching TV after dinner, either record the programs or just do without...you already know how the majority of them are going to turn out, anyway !
The point of all this is, that for this particular event, we all have to be a heck of a lot more serious, concentrated, focused and determined than usual if we are going to meet that 50,000 word required in 30 days time. And for most of us, because of Thanksgiving, relatives coming, cooking and baking, it's not even a full 30 days. I've never done this before, but people who have tell me that when you finish that 50,000 words you have a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Even though the novel is a rough, rough draft, and even though you will have to go back and edit and revise until you are blue in the face, the fact is...you have written a full novel ( or more than half of one that you can add to) in a very short period of time.
Yes...I can definitely understand that feeling of accomplishment when November 30 rolls around, and we can add our names to the list of those who strived and succeeded.
Are you with me?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
This and That
I'm back! The storms are gone...for awhile...so I'm able to get back on the Internet. The Central Coast of California is a beautiful place to live, with the aquamarine ocean sparkling in the sun, and the rolling hills that turn from pastoral green in the spring to brown velvet in the summer and back to green/gold in the fall. It is wonderful to watch the countryside complete its yearly fashion show, as it shows a different face each year, much like the runway models we see on television.
There are just a few things on my mind today, as I get back into the realm of writing. A little bit of 'this' and a little of 'that.'
First, let's talk about "first lines." This seems to be a big deal in publishing. Remember what you mothers used to tell you when you were little...you only get one chance to make a first impression? That holds very true for things like query letters and fiction, when we're either trying to get the attention of agents, editors, or our kid readers...or all three.
Here are some of the classic first lines in children's literature:
1. "Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. ( Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White)
2. All children, except one, grow up. ( Peter and Wendy, by J.M Barrie)
3. It was a dark and storm night. ( A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle)
4. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. ( Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling)
We are told we need a 'hook' to grab the reader's attention and draw them into the story. This hook should give an indication of what is to come, and make them want to keep reading. And this is true of both the first lines of a query letter and of fiction We want our first lines to make the reader ask questions about the story: Who is this character? What is happening here? How is this going to turn out? If the reader is an agent or an editor, we also want them to say: I need to find out more about this story; I am interested in who this person might be or what her story is all about.
How can we be sure that we have intriguing first lines? That's easier said than done, right? One way is to start with something happening that makes the day different from the rest; something that arises from action on the part of the MC, from dialogue between the MC and the secondary character/s, or from some narrative that immediately brings the reader into the story and makes her/him want to ask questions and get answers.
In the novel I just finished, my opening line is: "AJ, why isn't your father ever around any more?" Jaime asked as she applied bright red polish to her toes. What questions does this arouse in your mind? Who is AJ? Why is Jaime asking such a personal question? How is AJ going to answer it? What is happening with AJ's father that he isn't 'around' any more? Hopefully, these and more would be questions my reader would ask, and want to read further to get the answers to.
In my WIP, an historical novel of the Civil War, the first line reads: Whup! Whup! Whup! Screams shattered the morning quiet as the sickening thud of a whip lacerating bare skin snaked through the mist. This first sentence doesn't tell you anything about the MC, but it does make you ask questions, right? Who is this happening to? Why is it happening? Where is it happening? Is there anyone around who is going to stop it from happening? At least, these are some of the questions that I hope my readers will ask.
The point is, opening lines must make the reader either ask questions about that line and where it is going to lead, or it must make her/him feel drawn into the story immediately and want to know what is going to happen from that point on. First lines don't come easily to anyone, but they are possibly the most important line in every storyline we write.
I guess the above was the 'this' and now I'm going to talk about the 'that.' In my last post ( I think it was the last), I said I would talk about how to keep track of non-fiction notes and information.
The Note Card System:
This is probably the system most people use ( I don't, but I'm not as organized as I should be !) Here are the steps that you can use:
The Saber Toothed Tiger: First packet of 5 x 7 cards:
1. Upper left hand corner, put in a code for your subject and the type of source your using, e.g book, internet site, journal article, etc.: let's say for this one its STT: jnl art. ( Saber tooth tiger, journal article.)
2. Upper right hand corner: author of journal article, date of publication, name of article, name of journal article is in, page number/numbers you are using information from.
3. Body of card: put the quote, thought, or text of information used.
You need to use separate cards for each bit of information you gather, and from each source: (a) book; (b) journal article; (c) internet site; (d) magazine/newspaper; (e) historical societies; (f) personal diaries, quotations from historical figures; (g) information from libraries, archives and museums.
Arrange your cards in a card file, with dividers indicating each source, e.g., book, journals, etc. Some people...who are WAY more organized than I am...can actually arrange their cards according to where they think the information will go in the NF they are writing: e.g., 1st page, 2nd paragraph; middle of article; last page, 1st paragraph, and so on. Sorry, that's way too efficient for me !
This card method is probably the most popular, and it is very efficient. I, on the other hand, do something very different. First, I make out my bibliography...and I use EasyBib ( www.easybib.com) for this, it is easy, it is accurate and it is free. Then I go back to each of my sources and take handwritten notes in a notebook. Then I transfer those notes to the computer, print them out, and write my NF article. Not the most efficient way, I admit, but it's just the way I do it. I'm not suggesting anyone else do it, although I do suggest you use Easy Bib for your bibliography. It sure saves a lot of work on your part.
Hope this has been of some help...see you later!
There are just a few things on my mind today, as I get back into the realm of writing. A little bit of 'this' and a little of 'that.'
First, let's talk about "first lines." This seems to be a big deal in publishing. Remember what you mothers used to tell you when you were little...you only get one chance to make a first impression? That holds very true for things like query letters and fiction, when we're either trying to get the attention of agents, editors, or our kid readers...or all three.
Here are some of the classic first lines in children's literature:
1. "Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. ( Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White)
2. All children, except one, grow up. ( Peter and Wendy, by J.M Barrie)
3. It was a dark and storm night. ( A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle)
4. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. ( Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling)
We are told we need a 'hook' to grab the reader's attention and draw them into the story. This hook should give an indication of what is to come, and make them want to keep reading. And this is true of both the first lines of a query letter and of fiction We want our first lines to make the reader ask questions about the story: Who is this character? What is happening here? How is this going to turn out? If the reader is an agent or an editor, we also want them to say: I need to find out more about this story; I am interested in who this person might be or what her story is all about.
How can we be sure that we have intriguing first lines? That's easier said than done, right? One way is to start with something happening that makes the day different from the rest; something that arises from action on the part of the MC, from dialogue between the MC and the secondary character/s, or from some narrative that immediately brings the reader into the story and makes her/him want to ask questions and get answers.
In the novel I just finished, my opening line is: "AJ, why isn't your father ever around any more?" Jaime asked as she applied bright red polish to her toes. What questions does this arouse in your mind? Who is AJ? Why is Jaime asking such a personal question? How is AJ going to answer it? What is happening with AJ's father that he isn't 'around' any more? Hopefully, these and more would be questions my reader would ask, and want to read further to get the answers to.
In my WIP, an historical novel of the Civil War, the first line reads: Whup! Whup! Whup! Screams shattered the morning quiet as the sickening thud of a whip lacerating bare skin snaked through the mist. This first sentence doesn't tell you anything about the MC, but it does make you ask questions, right? Who is this happening to? Why is it happening? Where is it happening? Is there anyone around who is going to stop it from happening? At least, these are some of the questions that I hope my readers will ask.
The point is, opening lines must make the reader either ask questions about that line and where it is going to lead, or it must make her/him feel drawn into the story immediately and want to know what is going to happen from that point on. First lines don't come easily to anyone, but they are possibly the most important line in every storyline we write.
I guess the above was the 'this' and now I'm going to talk about the 'that.' In my last post ( I think it was the last), I said I would talk about how to keep track of non-fiction notes and information.
The Note Card System:
This is probably the system most people use ( I don't, but I'm not as organized as I should be !) Here are the steps that you can use:
The Saber Toothed Tiger: First packet of 5 x 7 cards:
1. Upper left hand corner, put in a code for your subject and the type of source your using, e.g book, internet site, journal article, etc.: let's say for this one its STT: jnl art. ( Saber tooth tiger, journal article.)
2. Upper right hand corner: author of journal article, date of publication, name of article, name of journal article is in, page number/numbers you are using information from.
3. Body of card: put the quote, thought, or text of information used.
You need to use separate cards for each bit of information you gather, and from each source: (a) book; (b) journal article; (c) internet site; (d) magazine/newspaper; (e) historical societies; (f) personal diaries, quotations from historical figures; (g) information from libraries, archives and museums.
Arrange your cards in a card file, with dividers indicating each source, e.g., book, journals, etc. Some people...who are WAY more organized than I am...can actually arrange their cards according to where they think the information will go in the NF they are writing: e.g., 1st page, 2nd paragraph; middle of article; last page, 1st paragraph, and so on. Sorry, that's way too efficient for me !
This card method is probably the most popular, and it is very efficient. I, on the other hand, do something very different. First, I make out my bibliography...and I use EasyBib ( www.easybib.com) for this, it is easy, it is accurate and it is free. Then I go back to each of my sources and take handwritten notes in a notebook. Then I transfer those notes to the computer, print them out, and write my NF article. Not the most efficient way, I admit, but it's just the way I do it. I'm not suggesting anyone else do it, although I do suggest you use Easy Bib for your bibliography. It sure saves a lot of work on your part.
Hope this has been of some help...see you later!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Research and Non-Fiction
Writing non-fiction seems to strike terror in the hearts of some writers! Often it is not so much the subject of the non-fiction as it is the search for reliable, up-to-date and relevant sources that eagle-eyed editorial assistants can check out and find that they actually are reliable, up-to-date and relevant.
The thing is, even when you are writing fiction, anything that you put into your story that is real must be accurate. You can't have the location of your story be smack dab in the middle of Kansas farmland and talk about your MC living in a high-rise condominium . You need accurate descriptions of your settings and locations, characters that dress and speak appropriately for the time and place, and even dialogue that is reflective of the era and circumstances. So the bottom line is that you need to know how to do research for just about everything you write... non-fiction and fiction alike.
We all know that a good library is probably the best research source around...or is it? Today there are sources on the Internet that you can't get in a normal city public library. But you have to be careful of what you are reading and citing. Wikipedia is an interesting site, but definitely one you do not want to use as a resouce. Editors will run screaming out of the room if they see that as one of your sources. Why? Because a lot of what is on Wikipedia is not totally accurate, factual or up-to-date, and that is because anyone can write an article about something or someone and place it there. So the first big NO NO in research is to NOT use Wikipedia as part of your bibliography. It can be a good place to start, to see if your interest in a certain subject is justified, but let it go at that, and then start doing some real research.
The Internet is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you can Google a word or a phrase and bring up literally thousands of sites that you can go to. But it is also a curse, because you are not always sure that your information is factual and current. What may have been accurate last year could be totally erroneous today, so it is not always wise to trust every site that has interesting information. The best way to get around this is to check out the source's sources. If it is a legitimate article it will probably have its own sources, either on other websites or in print as books or journal or scientific articles.
So let's talk about some valuable and trustworthy Internet sites. I'm not going to list them in any particular order, just as I think of them while writing. First, let's talk about Non-Fiction sites. Some of the best ones I have used are the Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress and National Geographic. These sites are already listed under "Research" in the right side of my blog.
Have you ever wanted to use a phrase but can't remember just where it came from? I'm bad about this, because my memory sometimes is like a sieve. So this is a great site: Wisdomquest ( http://www.websonar.com/). If you enter "to be or not to be", for example, Hamlet, Act III comes up and there's your quote, who said it, where and when. Two others that are similar are Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (http://www.bartleby.com/), and The Quotations Page (www.starlingtech.com/quotes.) I haven't used these for awhile, but I assume they are still on the Internet.
Another one I've used is Pathfinder ( http://www.pathfinder.com/), which is the home page for all of the Time Warner magazines, like Time, People, Sports Illustrated, etc. I wouldn't rely much on the People magazine, but I have used both Time and Sports Illustrated.
Here are some that I've got bookmarked but haven't actually used yet. Mysteries of History (www.usnews.com/doubleissue/mysteries/index.htlm) is about all kind of interesting yet "mysterious" happenings in history. An example is an article about Stonehenge and how, supposedly, the stones got there and were arranged in the order that they now stand.
Secrets of the Spies( www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/spies/framesource.html) tells about espionage terminology, famous ( or infamous) double agents and other spy "stuff." I always thought I would write a spy story for a boy's magazine, but I haven't so far. Hoax Museum Blog ( http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/) has an archive of articles about all kind of hoaxes and notorious historical deceptions. Then there is the Guinness World Records ( http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/), if you're interested in world records of just about every kind, you can find it here.
For fiction sources, these are some of my favorites: Encyclopedia Mythica (http://www.pantheon.org/) is an absolutely terrific site for mythology of any and every kind, folklore and religion. I keep thinking my next novel will be fantasy and I can use this site, but I just don't seem to be able to get into fantasy like so many writers can. I envy them. Along that same line is KidsClick(http://www.kidsclick.org/), which has all kinds of categories for weird and mysterious, mythology, religion, machines and transportation, and more. KidSpace( www.ipl.org/div/kidspace) and TeenSpace( www.ipl.org/div/teen) are sites that have a lot of links to subjects like math, science, sports, and other kid/teen interests.
Some others:
Slang Site( http://www.slangsite.com/) to find out what slang is in and what is out...although, what's in today can be out tomorrow, so you still need to be cautious about using it. Rhyme Zone ( http://www.rhymezone.com/) for those who write PBs or poetry. Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/) is a great site. When you first open it, it is all about geneology, but you can put whatever you want into the "search" space and you will find a world of information. When I wrote my article for Dig on Pirates' Safe Havens, I got a lot of info on this site. For those who want to rewrite fairy tales and folk tales, or read them to get ideas, here are two good links:
Surla Lune Fairy Tales(www.surlafairytales.com/authors) is a site with some rather obscure fairy tale authors ( at least, most of them were unknown to me) but the stories are great, and would make great ideas for rewrites. Another is LowChens Australia( www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/fantasylinks.html). For those who need ideas about character names, from all over the world, here are two: Behind The Name (http://www.behindthename.com/) and 2000 Names ( www.2000-names.com/index). I have used both, and they give the meaning and etimology of the names, both boys and girls.
Research is time consuming and at times, frustrating. But if you approach it without fear it really doesn't have to be a big monster ready to gulp you down! Know before hand exactly what it is you are going to research: for example, do you want to know what weather conditions are like in January in Montana? Into Google you would put...January weather Montana. How about needing to know what boys wore to school in 1860? Into Google would go Boys school clothing 1860 or even 1800s. Don't let it become an issue for you or something you are afraid of, and you will be surprised at how easy it really is.
The thing is, even when you are writing fiction, anything that you put into your story that is real must be accurate. You can't have the location of your story be smack dab in the middle of Kansas farmland and talk about your MC living in a high-rise condominium . You need accurate descriptions of your settings and locations, characters that dress and speak appropriately for the time and place, and even dialogue that is reflective of the era and circumstances. So the bottom line is that you need to know how to do research for just about everything you write... non-fiction and fiction alike.
We all know that a good library is probably the best research source around...or is it? Today there are sources on the Internet that you can't get in a normal city public library. But you have to be careful of what you are reading and citing. Wikipedia is an interesting site, but definitely one you do not want to use as a resouce. Editors will run screaming out of the room if they see that as one of your sources. Why? Because a lot of what is on Wikipedia is not totally accurate, factual or up-to-date, and that is because anyone can write an article about something or someone and place it there. So the first big NO NO in research is to NOT use Wikipedia as part of your bibliography. It can be a good place to start, to see if your interest in a certain subject is justified, but let it go at that, and then start doing some real research.
The Internet is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you can Google a word or a phrase and bring up literally thousands of sites that you can go to. But it is also a curse, because you are not always sure that your information is factual and current. What may have been accurate last year could be totally erroneous today, so it is not always wise to trust every site that has interesting information. The best way to get around this is to check out the source's sources. If it is a legitimate article it will probably have its own sources, either on other websites or in print as books or journal or scientific articles.
So let's talk about some valuable and trustworthy Internet sites. I'm not going to list them in any particular order, just as I think of them while writing. First, let's talk about Non-Fiction sites. Some of the best ones I have used are the Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress and National Geographic. These sites are already listed under "Research" in the right side of my blog.
Have you ever wanted to use a phrase but can't remember just where it came from? I'm bad about this, because my memory sometimes is like a sieve. So this is a great site: Wisdomquest ( http://www.websonar.com/). If you enter "to be or not to be", for example, Hamlet, Act III comes up and there's your quote, who said it, where and when. Two others that are similar are Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (http://www.bartleby.com/), and The Quotations Page (www.starlingtech.com/quotes.) I haven't used these for awhile, but I assume they are still on the Internet.
Another one I've used is Pathfinder ( http://www.pathfinder.com/), which is the home page for all of the Time Warner magazines, like Time, People, Sports Illustrated, etc. I wouldn't rely much on the People magazine, but I have used both Time and Sports Illustrated.
Here are some that I've got bookmarked but haven't actually used yet. Mysteries of History (www.usnews.com/doubleissue/mysteries/index.htlm) is about all kind of interesting yet "mysterious" happenings in history. An example is an article about Stonehenge and how, supposedly, the stones got there and were arranged in the order that they now stand.
Secrets of the Spies( www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/spies/framesource.html) tells about espionage terminology, famous ( or infamous) double agents and other spy "stuff." I always thought I would write a spy story for a boy's magazine, but I haven't so far. Hoax Museum Blog ( http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/) has an archive of articles about all kind of hoaxes and notorious historical deceptions. Then there is the Guinness World Records ( http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/), if you're interested in world records of just about every kind, you can find it here.
For fiction sources, these are some of my favorites: Encyclopedia Mythica (http://www.pantheon.org/) is an absolutely terrific site for mythology of any and every kind, folklore and religion. I keep thinking my next novel will be fantasy and I can use this site, but I just don't seem to be able to get into fantasy like so many writers can. I envy them. Along that same line is KidsClick(http://www.kidsclick.org/), which has all kinds of categories for weird and mysterious, mythology, religion, machines and transportation, and more. KidSpace( www.ipl.org/div/kidspace) and TeenSpace( www.ipl.org/div/teen) are sites that have a lot of links to subjects like math, science, sports, and other kid/teen interests.
Some others:
Slang Site( http://www.slangsite.com/) to find out what slang is in and what is out...although, what's in today can be out tomorrow, so you still need to be cautious about using it. Rhyme Zone ( http://www.rhymezone.com/) for those who write PBs or poetry. Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/) is a great site. When you first open it, it is all about geneology, but you can put whatever you want into the "search" space and you will find a world of information. When I wrote my article for Dig on Pirates' Safe Havens, I got a lot of info on this site. For those who want to rewrite fairy tales and folk tales, or read them to get ideas, here are two good links:
Surla Lune Fairy Tales(www.surlafairytales.com/authors) is a site with some rather obscure fairy tale authors ( at least, most of them were unknown to me) but the stories are great, and would make great ideas for rewrites. Another is LowChens Australia( www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/fantasylinks.html). For those who need ideas about character names, from all over the world, here are two: Behind The Name (http://www.behindthename.com/) and 2000 Names ( www.2000-names.com/index). I have used both, and they give the meaning and etimology of the names, both boys and girls.
Research is time consuming and at times, frustrating. But if you approach it without fear it really doesn't have to be a big monster ready to gulp you down! Know before hand exactly what it is you are going to research: for example, do you want to know what weather conditions are like in January in Montana? Into Google you would put...January weather Montana. How about needing to know what boys wore to school in 1860? Into Google would go Boys school clothing 1860 or even 1800s. Don't let it become an issue for you or something you are afraid of, and you will be surprised at how easy it really is.
The next post I will talk about how to organize your research.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Characters and Morals
When I was writing The Year of the Scream, I had a lot of decisions to make about my main character, AJ. Some of those decisions dealt with morals and ethics, yet I knew that I had to be very careful here, so that it wouldn't seem as though I were trying to "teach" a moral lesson. I thought it might be beneficial to others if I told a little about what I ( and AJ ) went through.
AJ is a wonderful, smart, sometimes funny ( humor is not my best subject) young teen whose self-image is mostly dependent upon what others, specifically her best friends, think of her. Now this is somewhat a common problem with kids, especially those just entering their teens. They want to be popular, to "fit in," so often they try to be something they are not. So one lesson AJ has to learn is that she can only be who she is, no matter what others think or say. She can pretend to be something she is not, but it's only pretending. Eventually, she must learn that the only thing that really matters is what she thinks of herself, not what her friends think of her. And even though fictional, that is not easy to do.
As her story goes along, she finds that she must make choices, right or wrong. We do that in real life, and we can't always be right, so AJ can't always be right, either. Sometimes this is harder to write than it is to live! Since this is fiction, somewhere along the way she must find herself facing a moral dilemma, and she must show some kind of growth from the decision she makes, regardless of whether it is right or wrong.
As writers, we usually learn that we must ask ourselves certain questions about our characters, and why they give us the answers they do. For me, those questions are: what does AJ love and why? What does she hate and why? What does she want and why? What does she need and why? And, what does she fear and why? If I can answer those questions for her, then I will also know exactly what she wants out of life and what she will do ( or not do) to meet her needs. I should also be able to know what could make her do something out of fear or perhaps temptation that she wouldn't ordinarily do. Believe me, that part was tricky!
Another good question to ask about your characters is...what if? AJ's friendship with her two BBFs is ruined by the antagonist, Celine. But later on, one of those friends wants to make up with AJ. So...what if AJ becomes friends again with her? What if AJ doesn't want to make up? Does this also become a moral dilemma for AJ? Is she so "good" that she can forgive and forget? AJ is not perfect, she must show somewhere that she is as much a flawed individual as all of us humans are, so is this where she shows that she is not some kind of heroine? Hmmm...well, we'll see!
In the end of the novel, AJ learns something about Celine that could destroy her life. She finds that she has the option of telling everyone at school about Celine's secret life, or she can protect her by not saying anything, in which case not even Celine will even know what AJ had found out. This is a very big moral... and probably ethical, also... choice for her. What choice does she make? And in the end, is it the right one or the wrong one for where she is in her life?
I answered this question one way. And AJ promptly woke me up in the middle of the night, saying she was not satisfied with what she was doing. It didn't seem like the right or logical choice for her. You know, I usually listen to my characters...especially when they wake me up at night! So I changed the end result, and everyone, including AJ, was much more satisfied.
I don't think you can write a long story ( or maybe even a short one), and certainly not a novel, and not have your characters, especially the main characters, face one or more moral dilemmas. Think about it...how do you give your characters the answers to the questions that you often have to ask yourself, and then have them make choices? Are they always the right choices? If so, does that make them some kind of "super hero" which you wouldn't find in real life? Or do you allow them to feel their way, to be vulnerable and open to making mistakes and wrong choices, even when it comes to morals and ethics? No matter which path you...er, your characters...take, do they grow from their decisions? Sometimes, this is the most difficult part of your novel.
AJ is a wonderful, smart, sometimes funny ( humor is not my best subject) young teen whose self-image is mostly dependent upon what others, specifically her best friends, think of her. Now this is somewhat a common problem with kids, especially those just entering their teens. They want to be popular, to "fit in," so often they try to be something they are not. So one lesson AJ has to learn is that she can only be who she is, no matter what others think or say. She can pretend to be something she is not, but it's only pretending. Eventually, she must learn that the only thing that really matters is what she thinks of herself, not what her friends think of her. And even though fictional, that is not easy to do.
As her story goes along, she finds that she must make choices, right or wrong. We do that in real life, and we can't always be right, so AJ can't always be right, either. Sometimes this is harder to write than it is to live! Since this is fiction, somewhere along the way she must find herself facing a moral dilemma, and she must show some kind of growth from the decision she makes, regardless of whether it is right or wrong.
As writers, we usually learn that we must ask ourselves certain questions about our characters, and why they give us the answers they do. For me, those questions are: what does AJ love and why? What does she hate and why? What does she want and why? What does she need and why? And, what does she fear and why? If I can answer those questions for her, then I will also know exactly what she wants out of life and what she will do ( or not do) to meet her needs. I should also be able to know what could make her do something out of fear or perhaps temptation that she wouldn't ordinarily do. Believe me, that part was tricky!
Another good question to ask about your characters is...what if? AJ's friendship with her two BBFs is ruined by the antagonist, Celine. But later on, one of those friends wants to make up with AJ. So...what if AJ becomes friends again with her? What if AJ doesn't want to make up? Does this also become a moral dilemma for AJ? Is she so "good" that she can forgive and forget? AJ is not perfect, she must show somewhere that she is as much a flawed individual as all of us humans are, so is this where she shows that she is not some kind of heroine? Hmmm...well, we'll see!
In the end of the novel, AJ learns something about Celine that could destroy her life. She finds that she has the option of telling everyone at school about Celine's secret life, or she can protect her by not saying anything, in which case not even Celine will even know what AJ had found out. This is a very big moral... and probably ethical, also... choice for her. What choice does she make? And in the end, is it the right one or the wrong one for where she is in her life?
I answered this question one way. And AJ promptly woke me up in the middle of the night, saying she was not satisfied with what she was doing. It didn't seem like the right or logical choice for her. You know, I usually listen to my characters...especially when they wake me up at night! So I changed the end result, and everyone, including AJ, was much more satisfied.
I don't think you can write a long story ( or maybe even a short one), and certainly not a novel, and not have your characters, especially the main characters, face one or more moral dilemmas. Think about it...how do you give your characters the answers to the questions that you often have to ask yourself, and then have them make choices? Are they always the right choices? If so, does that make them some kind of "super hero" which you wouldn't find in real life? Or do you allow them to feel their way, to be vulnerable and open to making mistakes and wrong choices, even when it comes to morals and ethics? No matter which path you...er, your characters...take, do they grow from their decisions? Sometimes, this is the most difficult part of your novel.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Dialogue, Part Two: Vocabulary
You have probably already realized that writing dialogue is really a challenge. We've talked about how it has to be indicative of the age and life experience of the character, how it should move the story along, and how to avoid certain regional dialects and most slang. So...what else is there?
Let's talk today about vocabulary. You always need to use the kind of vocabulary that your readers will understand. If you are writing for young children, picture books or easy readers, your vocabulary needs to be very simple, basic, and even repetitious. Children who are read to like to hear the same words over and over again, and they like to hear words that rhyme. The kids who are just learning to read by themselves need to see the same words repeated so they become accustomed to them, and to comprehending their meaning.
For middle grade and young adults, vocabulary is still important. I think it is this age that is the most difficult to write dialogue for. Kids in middle school don't want to be "talked down" to, so you certainly don't want to use vocabulary that you just used in writing an easy reader. On the other hand, you don't want to make the dialogue sound like they are in college. It's particularly difficult if you don't have kids around you that are 10, 11 and 12 years old, or are just getting into their teens. So what do you do? Ask if you can volunteer in a middle school, or go to the mall where kids this age hang out and listen to the way they talk. But the best thing to do is to read, read, read.
One of the things I did when I first started to write for this age was to check out books from the library. I took them home and sat down to read the dialogue. I really didn't care much what the story was about, I simply wanted to take note of the way the authors put words, phrases and expressions into the mouths of their characters. I learned a lot from that.
The same thing goes for YA writing. If you don't know how teens talk today, you can read books. But...one thing you have to remember is that "teen talk" changes from day to day. Thus, the vocabulary that is present in books published 5 years ago, or even 2 years ago, may not be exactly the same as teens use today. Because of this, and because so much of their conversation is slang or their own versions of common words and expressions, teens are the hardest of all to write for. At least, I think so. So, how do you get around this?
First of all, you have to know your characters. You have to know what their attitudes are, what little quirks they might have, if they use gestures such as rolling their eyes or 'talking with their hands,' and what emotions they might be expressing at any given time. These characteristics all play a part in how someone speaks, both in real life and on paper. Each of us has a distinct speech pattern, so you want to reflect that in both your vocabulary and in how the character uses that vocabulary. For example: almost all people speak in contractions: can't, don't, aren't, etc. But in my last novel, one of the main characters had lived in Europe for several years, and she had learned a very formal way of speaking so she never used contractions. She always said...do not, will not, should not, and so on. This was a distinct speech pattern which also resulted in a more formal vocabulary for her.
Second, dialogue also has a rhythm to it. If your vocabulary is stiff and formal, your dialogue is going to be the same, and the pacing of the words may seem stilted and unnatural. If this is the way your character is, that's fine, because this kind of dialogue with its more formal vocabulary will be indicative of her life experience and attitude. An example: Lisa is the girl with the European background, and although she is American, she has learned to be very stiff and formal in her speech, so her vocabulary must reflect that. When asked if she could do a particular cheerleading stunt, she replied, "Certainly I can do it. I do not understand why you would question my ability at all. After all, I have learned many complex moves in my European education." This from a 13 year old!
If your character is upbeat, active and enthusiastic about life, then the vocabulary needs to reflect that. For example: my MC asked her new best friend, Amberley, if she wanted to learn to ride. Amberley grins, and says, "Oh yeah! If you don't mind watching my backside bumping up and down in the saddle!" Not only is the vocabulary different, so is the rhythm of speech.
Vocabulary also reflects the emotions a character is feeling. A character can lie, get angry, scheme, feel sad or apathetic...in other words, have the same emotions we have. Dialogue needs to reflect these emotions through the choice of vocabulary and also actions or gestures of the character. As an example, read this paragraph and see if both vocabulary and actions set the dialogue up to reflect the emotions each person is feeling.
"Hey, Alison, how about going to a movie tonight?"Brad put his arm across Alison's shoulders.
"Uh, no, I'm...uh...I've got homework to do." She slipped out from under his arm.
"What's wrong with you, anyway? Now that you've got that inheritance, I'm not good enough for you?" He slammed his hand down on the table.
"It's not that, honestly. Umm...it's just...well, I just have to stay home. Please don't...don't get mad!" She blinked rapidly, her pulse racing.
Can you identify the emotions here? If I took away the actions, could you still tell by the dialogue/vocabulary that one person is angry and the other is frightened? Remember, too, that when a character is expressing an intense emotion, their speech pattern changes and so does their vocabulary.
So the bottom line concerning dialogue and vocabulary is this: Know your character! This is so important. Know how she or he will act or react in a given situation. Know that men and women don't have the same speech patterns, nor do teens sound like adults. When your characters are displaying a sense of humor, or becoming angry...whatever the emotion...keep your dialogue consistent with the kind of vocabulary that most easily and clearly defines that emotion. Most of all, keep your vocabulary consistent with the age and life experience of your characters.
Let's talk today about vocabulary. You always need to use the kind of vocabulary that your readers will understand. If you are writing for young children, picture books or easy readers, your vocabulary needs to be very simple, basic, and even repetitious. Children who are read to like to hear the same words over and over again, and they like to hear words that rhyme. The kids who are just learning to read by themselves need to see the same words repeated so they become accustomed to them, and to comprehending their meaning.
For middle grade and young adults, vocabulary is still important. I think it is this age that is the most difficult to write dialogue for. Kids in middle school don't want to be "talked down" to, so you certainly don't want to use vocabulary that you just used in writing an easy reader. On the other hand, you don't want to make the dialogue sound like they are in college. It's particularly difficult if you don't have kids around you that are 10, 11 and 12 years old, or are just getting into their teens. So what do you do? Ask if you can volunteer in a middle school, or go to the mall where kids this age hang out and listen to the way they talk. But the best thing to do is to read, read, read.
One of the things I did when I first started to write for this age was to check out books from the library. I took them home and sat down to read the dialogue. I really didn't care much what the story was about, I simply wanted to take note of the way the authors put words, phrases and expressions into the mouths of their characters. I learned a lot from that.
The same thing goes for YA writing. If you don't know how teens talk today, you can read books. But...one thing you have to remember is that "teen talk" changes from day to day. Thus, the vocabulary that is present in books published 5 years ago, or even 2 years ago, may not be exactly the same as teens use today. Because of this, and because so much of their conversation is slang or their own versions of common words and expressions, teens are the hardest of all to write for. At least, I think so. So, how do you get around this?
First of all, you have to know your characters. You have to know what their attitudes are, what little quirks they might have, if they use gestures such as rolling their eyes or 'talking with their hands,' and what emotions they might be expressing at any given time. These characteristics all play a part in how someone speaks, both in real life and on paper. Each of us has a distinct speech pattern, so you want to reflect that in both your vocabulary and in how the character uses that vocabulary. For example: almost all people speak in contractions: can't, don't, aren't, etc. But in my last novel, one of the main characters had lived in Europe for several years, and she had learned a very formal way of speaking so she never used contractions. She always said...do not, will not, should not, and so on. This was a distinct speech pattern which also resulted in a more formal vocabulary for her.
Second, dialogue also has a rhythm to it. If your vocabulary is stiff and formal, your dialogue is going to be the same, and the pacing of the words may seem stilted and unnatural. If this is the way your character is, that's fine, because this kind of dialogue with its more formal vocabulary will be indicative of her life experience and attitude. An example: Lisa is the girl with the European background, and although she is American, she has learned to be very stiff and formal in her speech, so her vocabulary must reflect that. When asked if she could do a particular cheerleading stunt, she replied, "Certainly I can do it. I do not understand why you would question my ability at all. After all, I have learned many complex moves in my European education." This from a 13 year old!
If your character is upbeat, active and enthusiastic about life, then the vocabulary needs to reflect that. For example: my MC asked her new best friend, Amberley, if she wanted to learn to ride. Amberley grins, and says, "Oh yeah! If you don't mind watching my backside bumping up and down in the saddle!" Not only is the vocabulary different, so is the rhythm of speech.
Vocabulary also reflects the emotions a character is feeling. A character can lie, get angry, scheme, feel sad or apathetic...in other words, have the same emotions we have. Dialogue needs to reflect these emotions through the choice of vocabulary and also actions or gestures of the character. As an example, read this paragraph and see if both vocabulary and actions set the dialogue up to reflect the emotions each person is feeling.
"Hey, Alison, how about going to a movie tonight?"Brad put his arm across Alison's shoulders.
"Uh, no, I'm...uh...I've got homework to do." She slipped out from under his arm.
"What's wrong with you, anyway? Now that you've got that inheritance, I'm not good enough for you?" He slammed his hand down on the table.
"It's not that, honestly. Umm...it's just...well, I just have to stay home. Please don't...don't get mad!" She blinked rapidly, her pulse racing.
Can you identify the emotions here? If I took away the actions, could you still tell by the dialogue/vocabulary that one person is angry and the other is frightened? Remember, too, that when a character is expressing an intense emotion, their speech pattern changes and so does their vocabulary.
So the bottom line concerning dialogue and vocabulary is this: Know your character! This is so important. Know how she or he will act or react in a given situation. Know that men and women don't have the same speech patterns, nor do teens sound like adults. When your characters are displaying a sense of humor, or becoming angry...whatever the emotion...keep your dialogue consistent with the kind of vocabulary that most easily and clearly defines that emotion. Most of all, keep your vocabulary consistent with the age and life experience of your characters.
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