Julie Duffy's Blog, page 91

[Write on Wednesday] Misheard

Today’s prompt is all about a misunderstanding, and comes to us from the writer Wayne Anthony Conaway.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/StoryADayVideos/Prompt+Tony+Misapprehension.mp4




The Prompt

Write A Story In Which One Character Misunderstands Another, With Far-Reaching Consequences

Tips

Today’s prompt focuses on misapprehension – that is, interpreting something incorrectly. Too often, in fiction, every character communicates perfectly. That’s not the way it happens in real life.

Example: award-winning author Harlan Ellison once misheard a conversation at a party. He overheard a woman say, “”Jeffy is fine. He’s always fine.”” What Ellison actually heard was “”He’s always FIVE.”” That inspired the story “”Jefty Is Five,”” about a boy who never grows up.

Alternately, the misapprehension could be visual.

True story: when I graduated college, I moved to a southern town – one of those places where anti-intellectualism seemed to be the prevailing attitude. I met lots of girls there, but I was looking for an intellectual girlfriend. One day, while sitting in dingy waiting room, I saw a pretty girl outside. To my amazement, she wore a tee-shirt with the letters “”SPQR”” on it. SPQR stood for – in Latin – “”The Senate and the People of Rome.”” What kind of woman wore a tee-shirt that referenced Ancient Rome? I had to meet her! I rushed outside, saw the girl…and discovered that her shirt didn’t say “”SPQR.”” It said “”SPORT.”” The final letter was hadn’t been visible from where I sat! (I was so disappointed, I didn’t even speak to her.)

So that’s your prompt: misapprehension, either verbal or visual.

About Wayne Anthony Conaway

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Tony Conaway has written and ghostwritten everything from blogs to books. He has cowritten non-fiction books published by McGraw-Hill, Macmillan and Prentice Hall. His fiction has been published in eight anthologies and numerous publications, including Blue Lake Review, Danse Macabre, Rind Literary Magazine, qarrtsiluni, The Rusty Nail and Typehouse Literary Magazine.

His odder work includes co-writing the script for a planetarium production, and jokes performed by Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. He blogs at http://wayneaconaway.blogspot.com/ He was recently a guest on the Indy Writer Podcast, talking about writing short fiction.

[Note from Julie: if you want to know how to wow an audience at a reading, check out Tony’s advice here. I’ve never seen an author do better than Tony!]

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[Write On Wednesday] Got the Patter?

Last night my local writing group held a Reading Night. It was a wonderful thing.

For one thing the participants got to read their stories to an appreciative audience who simply wanted to have fun (as opposed to sending their story to an editor or a critique partner who is looking for things to reject).

And for another, there were some experienced performers in the group, who gave feedback and tips on the actual performance part of the reading. Invaluable stuff.

Reading your work is something you’ll be called upon to do as published author, so practice the skill (very different from writing!) as often as you can!

Last night’s reading prompted this, er prompt, because so many of the characters came alive when they had a distinctive voice, a distinctive patois. One story featured a rising politician, who used all the kinds of phrases you might expect of a rising sleazebag politician.

Another story featured a 1968 California Happening dude, who talked just like you would expect (expertly performed by a man who looked the right age to have been there.)

These stories, more than all the others, stuck with me because of the authenticity of the character’s voice. And that’s what I want you to practice this week.

The Prompt

Give Your Character A Distinctive Voice

Tips



Make your character have a job or a background with a specific set of jargon (for example: a stock broker would sound very different from a tuned-in, turned-on dude from 1968 Haight-Ashbury)Get them into conversation with another character as soon as possible and see if you can keep their voices so distinct that you rarely have to write ‘he said’.Concentrate on the rhythms of speech and the special phrases or jargon your character might use. How would your character deliver their lines? Tentatively? With lots of preamble? Stridently? Rather than using these adverbs, let your characters use words that capture the content of their characterIf you need more inspiration watch a supercut of Robin Williams as the genie in Aladdin and try to capture that kind of vigor in the words you put in the characters’ mouths! (But set a timer, so you don’t end up disappearing down a YouTube rabbit hole…)

If you share you story somewhere (and here’s why you might not want to) post a link here so we can come and read it.

Leave a comment to let us know what you wrote about today, and how it went!

The post [Write On Wednesday] Got the Patter? appeared first on StoryADay.

134 – Dialogue and Distractions

Talking about dialogue, I discovered a rule that can sometimes be broken. Also: procrastination!!

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

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[Write On Wednesday] A Rewrite Game from Marta Pelrine-Bacon

Today’s prompt is a guest post from StoryADay founding participant, Marta Pelrine-Bacon. I’m thrilled to share this complex and fruitful exercise for you this week. And do yourself a favor and check out Marta’s writing and art in the links at the bottom of the page.

The Rewrite Game



art by marta pelrine-bacon

Write a scene or a short story. Flash fiction
might be ideal. Write the scene or story in a particular style. Write something
noir, comedic, tragic, or erotica. Write it to be literary or fairytale. Do you
want it to be gritty or appropriate for children? Think about where this story
would be on the bookstore shelves and write it in that style. Go!

Finished? Finish before you continue with this
prompt. Think of this as a game. If you want to instead, take a scene from
someone else’s story you love.

Okay. Good. Now rewrite this scene or story
from the beginning but in a completely different style. Did you write something
noir? Write the same scene as a fairytale or a piece of erotica. Whatever it
is, rewrite it in a different style.

Tried it? Do it again. What can you do this
time? Rewrite it as a farce?

How many ways can you rewrite this scene?

Here’s an example. This flash fiction piece, Devotion, I wrote and Flash
Fiction Magazine published in 2014. It is meant to sound like a
fairytale.

            Ella Mariah Kane lived by the sea and waited
for her husband to return. At first the people in town understood and counted
along with her how many days, weeks, passed. Later, they offered condolences
and brought her food.

            “But he returns every day,” she told
them, smiling.

            People looked around but saw no
boots by the door nor smelled the sweat and fire of a man at home. But they
didn’t ask because this was one of those places where asking felt like staying
too long after dinner.

            Ella would’ve told them if they’d
really wanted to know. He was in the sand the sea rolled to shore that crunched
with the broken shells under her feet. He kissed her everyday with the spray of
water hitting the rocks. He whispered to her under the sound of the waves
coming in and drifting out.

            No one asked about the father of the
child that appeared too many months later. She was her own woman, after all,
and this wasn’t a place where people pried. But Ella would’ve liked to tell
them about her husband’s undying devotion even from the depths of the sea.
Didn’t they know that’s why she slept on the beach in the dark?

I’m going to try something silly. Note, I’m
going to try. This is a game. You might “win,” you might not.

            You know Ella Mariah Kane? She lives on the
beach and waits for her husband. We were nice at first. My mama took her food.
Sent her cards. So many cards. The letter carrier complained.

            You won’t believe this, but my mama
and I went by and asked her how things were going. “But he returns every day,”
Ella told us, smiling like a mad lady.

            Can you believe it? No boots by the
door. No sweaty man smell. But what were we gonna say? We just nodded and got
out of there.

            I watched Ella one night. Yeah,
yeah. I know. But you won’t believe what I saw. I saw her rolling in the sand.
I don’t even wanna say what it was like. She tried to hug the waves. I thought
she was going to drown she stayed down there so long and came up coughing and
spitting up.

            Nobody’s gonna ask about the baby.
She’s her own woman, and we don’t pry. We mind our own business most of the
time. Yeah, we watch her sleeping on the beach but we see nothing. We’re taking
bets on what that baby’s gonna be: whale or mermaid? I think it’s going to be a
bucket of salt water. Mama says I don’t know anything. She says it’s going to
look like the letter carrier. She hits me sometimes and says it better not look
like me.

  Maybe
I could start it like a noir.

            Ella Mariah Kane lived in the
shadows by the sea and waited for her missing husband to return. The people in
town stayed out of her way. Later, someone offered her cigarettes and brought
her the card of a detective.

            Or
erotica?

            Lithe and lovely Ella Mariah Kane
lived by the deep and pulsing sea and waited for her husband to return. The
people in town wondered how long she could wait. Soon, local man stopped by to
offer condolences and see what she needed.

            Or
rhyme?

            Everyone knows Miss Ella Kane.

            She lives on the beach without a
name.

            She misses her husband and everyone
knows.

            But she never tells them where she
goes.    

Hahahaha! Change the story as you need to. The
only rule is to keep the essence of the story and the characters the same. It’s
fun to try on different styles and see how different a piece can be and what
you’re capable of.

This was inspired by the podcast Start
with This and their episode on playing games. It’s a new podcast by
the fellows who created Welcome to
Night Vale, and it is meant to inspire your creativity.

I write and make art. I’ve had several short
stories published and a novel. You can keep up with me here or see my art here.
My debut novel, The Blue Jar, about
girls in trouble and trying magic is here!

The post [Write On Wednesday] A Rewrite Game from Marta Pelrine-Bacon appeared first on StoryADay.

133 – Stepping Onto A Larger Stage

Are you holding yourself back? In this episode, I look at three events that have me thinking about what we all have to gain from doing our creative work with integrity, tenacity and bravery. 

It’s another new episode of the StoryADay Podcast

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[Write On Wednesday] Talk Talk Talk

This month at StoryADay we’re going to focus on dialogue.

Gripping, realistic dialogue can bring a story and its characters to life. Writing great dialogue, however, takes practice.

THE PROMPT

Write A Story Told Almost Completely In Dialogue

TIPS







Remember that how we speak (what we say and what we don’t say) is heavily influenced by how we’re feeling — what kind of day we’re having; how we feel about what we’re saying; how we feel about who we’re saying it to.Use emotions to dictate word choice, length of sentence (if you’re breathless because the object of your affection is actually talking to you, your sentences are going to be fragmentary. If you’re talking about a your life’s work, you’re going to use big words and jargon and hardly pause for breath).Remember that no-one really talks like they do in plays: no-one listens carefully and answers appropriately, and no-one tells the whole truth.You can use play format to write this (JACK: I can’t believe you said that! / DAVE [walking away]: Believe it, bub.”).You can write this is a more traditionally narrative way (“I can’t believe you said that!” / “Believe it, bub” / “Come back, please! Honey?”)You can include dialogue tags and ‘stage directions’ if you feel you need them. This can be helpful if more than two people are talking. (“‘I can’t believe you said that!’ / ‘Believe it, bub,’ Molly said. / ‘You are so screwed, bro.’ Dan shook his head as he watched his friend’s wife walk away, her head held high. ‘I think she means it this time.’ “)Don’t go crazy with the dialogue tags (…she cheered; she exulted… “She said” is usually fine). And watch your adjectives, unless you’re writing a Tom Swift parody!People rarely use each other’s names in everyday speech. Resist the temptation to have your characters do it. Instead, focus on making each character’s way of expressing themselves distinctive. (How often have you heard a story your friend told you, laughed, and said ‘yup, that sounds like something he’d say’? People DO sound different from each other. Use that.)It might be easiest to limit this story to two characters so you can really focus on each of their voices — with maybe a walk-on part from a waiter or a cop or the person they’ve been waiting for, just to mix things up.

If you share you story somewhere (and here’s why you might not want to) post a link here so we can come and read it.

Leave a comment to let us know what you wrote about today, and how it went!

The post [Write On Wednesday] Talk Talk Talk appeared first on StoryADay.

SWAGr for July 2019

Post your goals for this month and let us know how you got on with last month’s goals.

Leave a comment below telling us how you got on last month, and what you plan to do next month, then check back in on the first of each month, to see how everyone’s doing.

(It doesn’t have to be fiction. Feel free to use this group to push you in whatever creative direction you need.)

Did you live up to your commitment from last month? Don’t remember what you promised to do? Check out the comments from last month.

And don’t forget to celebrate with/encourage your fellow SWAGr-ers on their progress!

Download your SWAGr Tracking Sheet now, to keep track of your commitments this month

****

Examples of Goals Set By SWAGr-ers in previous months

Write a story a day in May – everyone!Revise at least 10 short stories – IraideWrite two short stories. – JamiAttend one writers’ conference – JulieWrite fable for WordFactory competition – SonyaRe-read the backstory pieces I wrote in May and see if I can use them within my novel – MoniqueResearch the market – JamiFocus on my serial – Maureen

 So, what will you accomplish this month? Leave your comment below (use the drop-down option to subscribe to the comments and receive lovely, encouraging notifications from fellow StADa SWAGr-ers!)

(Next check-in, 1st of the month. Tell your friends!)

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[Write On Wednesday] The Anti-You

Completing our month of character-focused prompts, I have a doozy for you this week

StoryFest 2019 Is Coming!

This is for everyone – whether you wrote or you didn’t. If you wrote in a previous year; if you wanted to write but couldn’t make it; if you wrote one story; if you simply read and enjoyed someone else’s.

This is our chance to celebrate, and boost both the short story and our friends in StoryADay.

StoryFest 2019
June 29-30
storyaday.org

What is StoryFest?

StoryFest is a weekend when the stories take over StoryADay.org.

On Jun 29, the front page of StoryADay.org will change to one dedicated to you and your stories. It will be full of links to your stories, online, until June 30

It’s our end-of-year party, our recital, our chance to share our work with readers.

(It’s also my birthday month, so consider your participation as your birthday gift to me!)

How To Celebrate StoryFest

If you wrote even one story in this (or any previous) StoryADay, submit one to be featured on the site’s front page June 29-30.
Nominate someone else’s story to be featured.
Spread the word: from now until StoryFest, tell everyone you know on every social network (especially the ones with readers in them) about StoryFest. Tell them to come to the site June 29-30 to read new and exciting work by up-and-coming future stars of the literary world!
Post the graphic on your blog, your Facebook timeline, tattoo it on your leg, whatever! (Get your graphics here)
Come to the site June 29-30, follow a link to a story, read it and comment on it.

How To Submit/Nominate A Story

Simple.

Fill Out This Form.

Be ready to supply your storyaday username, your real name or psuedonym, a link to the story you’re nominating, its title and a summary, a link to a story by someone else (optional but karmically recommended).

Deadline: Thursday, June 27.

This gives you a few days to pick your story and possibly polish it a bit. If you can get it to me before the deadline I’ll love you forever, though, as it’s going to take me a while to organize all the submissions.

StoryFest FAQ

Does my story have to be online?

Yes. We want to create a reader fanbase for you. Stories must be posted somewhere online, in full.

Is it OK if my story is on my personal blog (or other site).

Absolutely. Just supply the link.

Will it be considered published?

Your story is not being published by StoryADay, but you should be aware that some editors still consider a story that has been posted online, as having been previously published. If you think this is your last good story ever, by all means guard it with your life. Or, if you plan to submit it to a publication in its current form, you may not want it posted online. Otherwise, I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about this.

Does It Have To Be A Story I Wrote During StoryADay?

Yes. I’ll have to trust you on this. But it can be a story you wrote in a previous year.

Why Do I Have To Select A Genre Label?

Try not to agonize over this. I know most fiction is really cross-genre. It’s just short-hand for readers. I know I’m more likely to plump for a Speculative/Sci-Fi story or a mystery before I will read a fantasy story. As a reader, you don’t want to scroll through a long list of stories with no clues as to which you might prefer. Genre labels simply help readers make a quick decision, rather than being paralyzed or overwhelmed and not clicking on anything. Just think like a reader, grit your teeth and pick a genre.

Can I Submit Erotica/Horror/TheWierdStuff?

Um, okay. But I’d appreciate it if you’d label it as such, so as not to scare the grownups.

Can I Revise My Story?

Absolutely. Polish it up, shine its little shoes, put a bow in its hair and send it into the world looking its best. But don’t take too long! And remember, you’re unlikely to ever be 100% satisfied. Polish it a bit, then let it go.

Deadline is Thursday, June 27.

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[Write On Wednesday] Your Character’s Voice

Today we’re going to play with making your characters sound distinctive.

The Prompt

Write A Story With Lots Of Dialogue That Teachers Us About Your Characters

Tips

We can tighten up a story and cut out a lot of words, by cutting out all the dialogue tags (“Mary said”, “Frank sighed.”)

Imagine two of your friends, who are from different places, or are different ages. If one of them was talking to you, would they use the same rhythms, the same length of sentences, the same analogies, as the other? Of course not.

You can differentiate your characters by allowing them to talk differently from each other.

You can clue the reader in to your character’s sudden change in mood, by changing the number and types of words they use in a sentence.

Is your character funny? Sardonic? Serious? Nervous? How could you portray that in language?

Can you use a secondary character who is very, very different, to play up those features in your protagonist? Can you do it solely in their dialogue?

If you can make your characters sound like real people (like your friends!) you will entertain your reader. And when you’re entertaining your reader you can get away with a lot. Have some exposition you need to drop in? The reader will keep reading for a lot longer as long as there is something in your story that they don’t want to put dow.

Create irresistible banter between your characters, or have a romantic hero who is just so smooooooth, and your readers will be unable to look away.

Practice giving your characters the words that illustrate their souls, today!

Further Reading



Give Your Characters A Voice Character Counts (podcast) Creating Compelling Characters – StoryADay Essentials

Leave a comment to let us know what you wrote about today, and how it went!

If you share you story somewhere (and here’s why you might not want to) post a link here so we can come and read it.

The post [Write On Wednesday] Your Character’s Voice appeared first on StoryADay.