Edie Melson's Blog, page 59

Writing the Important First Chapter

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells
The first chapter of a book sells the reader on reading the rest of the book.Your first line prompts the reader to read the first paragraph.The first paragraph compels the reader to read the first chapter.The first chapter invites the reader to finish the book.The last chapter sells your next book.
With so much weight resting on the opening sentence, beginning paragraph, and first chapter, it can be easy for a writer to get high-centered at the onset of a project. In fact, it may be impossible to write the right first chapter at the beginning. 
One helpful technique is to put down a good version of chapter one as a start and a place holder. Write messy and get the work underway. After all, you will know more about your fiction for nonfiction when it is finished. Once the rest of the project is written, go back to chapter one and rework this important opening to tailor fit the rest of the manuscript. 
Whether fiction or nonfiction, each project develops deeper through the writing process. Fictional characters and plots become multi-layered. A writer often discovers fresh characteristics and motivations about characters that were unknown at the planning stage. In nonfiction, themes emerge and become laser focused. 
When the manuscript is complete, you have gained pertinent knowledge of what chapter one can look like. Go back, add foreshadowing, and polish. After Chasing Sunrise was complete, I returned to the early part of the story and added a dive knife to our hero’s scuba gear. Later, when he uses his dive knife, the action was natural because the reader already knew the tool was common to his preparation to travel underwater. 
Frequently, once the project is fully written, a writer realizes chapter one is actually not chapter one at all. However, the first writing served well as a launching pad and a place holder so the author could move forward. When Unnatural Causewas complete, it became clear to me and my writers group that my initial chapter one was really chapter two. The final chapter penned in that novel was chapter one. 
Writing chapter one as a beginning to the story is logical for the telling. Sometimes this is the right opening. Depending on the genre, a writer may choose to move a key action scene to serve as chapter one. With this format, chapter two takes the reader to the beginning of the tale. The following chapters continue the timeline to reach the pivotal action told in chapter one and carry the reader to the satisfying end.While chapter one is key to your audience reading the book, you don’t have to get it perfect right away. Relax and know revisiting the chapter one when the manuscript is complete will provide what you need to craft an inviting and compelling entry to your book.
TWEETABLEWriting the Important First Chapter from @PeggySueWells on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Tropical island votary and history buff, PeggySue Wells parasails, skydives, snorkels, scuba dives, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. Writing from the 100-Acre Wood in Indiana, Wells is the bestselling author of thirty books including The Slave Across the Street, Slavery in the Land of the Free, Bonding With Your Child Through Boundaries, Homeless for the Holidays, Chasing Sunrise, and The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make. Founder of SingleMomCircle.com, PeggySue is named for the Buddy Holly song with the great drumbeat. At school author visits, she teaches students the secrets to writing and speaks at events and conferences. Connect with her at www.PeggySueWells.com, on Facebook at PeggySue Wells, and LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/peggysuewells

Tips to Help Writers Avoid the Worst of the Drama on Facebook

by Edie Melson @EDIEMELSON

This year has been a trying year for everyone on Facebook. From the political comments to bogus news traps, and even Christmas, I’m hearing reasons people are taking a break from this social network. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater may not be the best solution to this dilemma.

It is possible to interact on Facebook and NOT be inundated with updates we don’t want to see.
Facebook works on their own Edgerank algorithm. This means that based on certain parameters, FB decides what you’ll see and what you want. But these parameters are influenced by our personal (or business) behavior, so we actually have a little more control than we may realize. Here are some habits you may want to develop to make your FB time a little less stressful.
How to Make Facebook Work for You
1. Be careful what you LIKE, COMMENT, and Share. As I said, our behavior weighs heavily into the algorithm. What that means is that FB is watching the things you LIKE (or dislike) Comment On and Share. For example, the more you engage on political updates, the more political updates you’ll see in your newsfeed. Refusing to engage won’t completely clear your newsfeed of a specific type of update, but it will greatly reduce the number you see. 

2. Be wary of which links you click on. Don’t get caught by ads like “Celebrity X is no longer with us,” or other click bate. Even the name game links can add to number of junk updates that show up in your newsfeed. 

3. Choose a list of FAVORITE accounts that are trustworthy. Most of us remember the good ole days when we saw every update from our friends—in order—in our newsfeed. Those days are long gone, but there is new work-around that FB has made available. It’s called FAVORITES. This works with people you are FRIENDS and with pages you LIKE.

To FAVORITE a friend, go to his/her profile and click the person icon next to MESSAGE (under the cover image). You’ll see the option to add to FAVORITES (see screenshot below). 

After you choose that box, a small check mark will appear beside the person icon. 
You’ll also notice that there’s another option under FAVORITES that lets you jump to a list of all your friends and you can choose which to see first from there. CAVEAT: you are only allowed to see 30 accounts first, so choose wisely. (see screenshot below)

To FAVORITE a professional page, go to that specific page and click the three small dots next to the search icon. Choose FOLLOW SETTINGS. (See screenshot below)

After you’ve clicked that, another menu pops up. From there you can choose FAVORITES. (see screenshot below)


TWO NOTES:  1) Facebook bounces back and forth from allowing on 30 FAVORITES total, to allowing more. There is a limit though, so you'll have to pick and choose wisely. 
2) on a PAGE, there's nothing to denote that you have added it as a favorite. You'll have to navigate the steps above to see that. (see screenshot below)


My Overall Facebook Strategy
My FB profile is set to public. This means anyone and everyone can see it. These aren’t my close personal friends who already know my heart and my intentions, these are strangers who only have my picture and some random updates with which to judge my meaning and intent.
My personal friends and I can debate and disagree privately because we already have a foundation for our relationship. We have a level of trust and even more importantly—context—that makes sharing difficult things in a loving way possible. I can share things with them that could be considered inflammatory unless we shared that context. When I share controversial things on FB—with strangers and people who don’t know me well—it’s like standing on a street corner and screaming that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus and without Him we’re all going to hell. It may be truth, but it just sounds like hate and judgement. When it comes to sharing difficult truth, I don’t hold back with the people I know personally.

Bottom LineThe way we choose to interact on FB that is very personal, and I know some of you will disagree with the approach I've chosen. I’m fine with that. We each have to do what we feel is right. But know that if you choose to engage with controversial posts, your newsfeed may light up like World War 3. 

I hope this post helps you engage on FB in a way that is less stressful. These are the things that I’ve found have a huge impact on what I see in my FB newsfeed. What have you found that helps you keep the rioters at bay on social media? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Don’t forget to join the conversation

Blessings,

Edie
TWEETABLETips to Help Writers Avoid the Worst of the Drama on Facebook @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.

Discover the Stones to Fight for Time to Write

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. I Samuel 17:40
I don’t know about you, but there was a time when I discovered I had a Goliath in my life. No, it wasn’t a person—it was an obstacle—and it was standing between me and God’s victory. 
My enemy was time, or more accurately, the lack of it. 
As you may have guessed, time wasn’t really the enemy. I discovered time is neutral. Instead the problem came from how I was using it. I had begun to let other things crowd out God’s priorities in my life. When that happened, everything spiraled out of control.
And just like David I had to tackle the problem head on.
But first I needed to pick up the weapons God had given me. Just like David chose five stones, I found five things I needed to re-orient my life. 
5 Stones Every Writer Needs
1. The very first stone I picked up was God’s truth. Without that as a basis, I knew I’d never have victory.
2. The next was faith. Without faith in God and His power working through me I’d never be able to enter the fight, much less win it.
3. The third stone was discipline. I had to be willing to put God’s truth into action in the fight against my Goliath.
4. The fourth was prayer. I had to keep the lines of communication open as I fought.
5. The fifth was perseverance. I realized I had to follow through and use the weapons God has given me.
So what are you fighting? God’s given you access to the tools you need for victory. All you have to do is reach down and pick them up.
TWEETABLEDiscover the Stones to Fight for Time to Write from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.

3 Transitions Every Writer Must Face

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth
Around my home in upper South Carolina, spring is beginning to show her face. Trees are budding and daffodils are blooming, hinting that a new season is on its way.
But I’ve traveled around the sun enough times to know what a tease spring can be. Just because the calendar page turns to March doesn’t mean the weather is going to cooperate. March always holds a surprise or two up her sleeve.
But spring will eventually come, and the seasons will change (In the areas of the country that have seasons). The bare trees will produce leaves and buds, the grass will turn green, and the birds will come back. My gray truck will turn yellow, and my hay fever will return.
Ah, welcome back, spring.
Like the seasons, a writer’s journey runs into a number of transitions. Some of them are universal to most writers. Others are more individual.
Three Areas Where Writers Face Transitions
1. Type of media
I’ve written many times about the dilemma I encountered when I decided to become a writer. They say the devil is in the details. I knew I wanted to write but write what? Blog posts, devotions, books, novels, board books, articles, YA, scripts, podcasts, screenplays. Yowzer. And the list goes on. Where should I start?
Having so many options is wonderful, if it doesn’t scare you into racing from the room screaming. I’ve often said that a writer doesn’t have to feel like they are stuck in just one genre. While that’s true, what I didn’t say is that each genre has its own learning curve. Each time you take on a different form or genre, you’ll run into new rules and advice you’ll need to learn.
I think I was like many new writers and expected myself to know it all at the start. Obviously, that’s not how it works. Learning a new media or genre is like learning about a house you plan to buy. You have to go inside. Open the closets. Turn on the faucet. Pick up the rugs.
One tip I’ve seen regarding choosing what to write is to look at what you read or watch. What brings you the most enjoyment, and what makes you shudder? I’ve written shorter pieces and novels, but thinking about doing a podcast makes me break out in hives. It could happen. It’s important that we keep an open mind about new opportunities. But going on camera would require quite a bit of preparation for me. I have a face that’s great for print.
2. Growth
The more you write, the more you learn. I read a lot of writing books, watch podcasts, and go to conferences, but none of these can replace time in chair, staring at the page or screen.
When we were in school, we worried all semester about the paper we were assigned and dreaded the all-nighter we had to do. It never occurred to me or my friends to write the paper ahead of time. Or even to write multiple drafts. Aren’t all-nighters a major part of college, anyway?
There are so many steps to becoming a better writer. Becoming is such a key word here. The more we learn and grow, the farther we see we need to go. One of the first steps—a huge, scary step—is when we let someone else read our baby, our first, first draft. We watch their expressions. (Tip-Never watch someone read your work. It will send your emotions on a loopy roller coaster ride.) And we wait to hear them say our writing is better than our favorite author’s. (Tip 2-Your favorite author has probably written several books and had their story go through multiple editors.) 
Don’t compare your first draft to a book on the shelves at Barnes and Nobles. You may get there. But it takes time.
3. The Process
Whenever I see a writer being interviewed, the question always pops up, what is your process? And everyone who is hoping to become THE WRITER leans up, turns to a fresh page in our notebook, and pays extra close attention. This may be the process that I need. Maybe this will make me famous and successful.
I’m not famous. I have a long way to go to get where I want to be. But I’m on the journey. And from my experience, and from what I’ve heard from more established writers, there is no one process that will make you successful.
Well, that’s not necessarily true. There might be, in fact probably is, a process that will work for you, but you have to find it. What works for Mrs. Published Author or Miss Top Blog might be a disaster for you. All four of my manuscripts have required different methods to get to those magical two words, The End. And the process for book number five looks totally different from them.
Even when you find a process that works, be prepared for it to change. Why? Because life changes. The daily demands that tug at you will change. Even good transitions—marriage, having a child, having another (and another?), job promotions—mean change to the process.
Becoming a writer is so exciting and rewarding. Writers have the ability to touch so many lives. Lives that may not be open to anybody else. We also get, during this writing journey, to learn more about ourselves.
Calling writing a journey is an appropriate description. Like all journeys, it will have its up and downs. There will be times of challenges and times of growth. Times we’ll only get through because of Him. It’s how we’ll reach our destination, which will look very different from what we expected. But once we get there and look back, what a remarkable view we’ll have.
TWEETABLE3 Transitions Every Writer Must Face from @TimSuddeth on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Tim Suddeth is a stay-at-home dad and butler for his wonderful, adult son with autism. He has written numerous blogs posts, short stories, and three novels waiting for publication. He is a frequent attendee at writers conferences, including the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and a member of Word Weavers and ACFW. He lives near Greenville, SC where he shares a house with a bossy Shorky and three too-curious Persians. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter, as well as at www.timingreenville.com and www.openingamystery.com.

Genre Expectations: Writing Science Fantasy and Space Opera

by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author
Where do you stand in the age-old debate between Star Trek and Star Wars? Are they science fiction? Or are they fantasy that’s just set in space?
There is nothing more annoying than listening to a roomful of nerds arguing over granular details that really don’t matter to a story’s reception, so we’re not going to do that. A good story is a good story, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter what its classification is.
Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many “weird” outliers that have hit the bestseller charts. Excellent stories supersede their genre’s perceived limitations.
But, genre matters immensely because how else will we market our stories? How else will we help our readers know if what we’ve written will suit their needs or not?
As stated in our foray into the difference between Romantic Fantasy and Fantasy Romance last month, declaring a genre is a promise you make to your readers. You have to deliver on that promise, or your audience will likely be disappointed. And a disappointed reader is rarely a repeat reader.
So what about science fiction? What about fantasy? In general, the lines between these two genres have started to blur in the last 10 to 20 years. Some of that is our own level of technology has achieved things that would have been considered fantastical 50 years ago. What used to be considered fantasy (impossible) is now ordinary.
Granted, there are still general elements and characteristics that will distinguish science fiction from fantasy. In most cases, if you find a story with a dragon in it, you can assume it will be a fantasy. If you find a story with a spaceship in it, you can assume it will be science fiction.
The problem is that in our current storytelling culture, where tropes cross-pollinate and hybrid genres are more popular than ever, how can you tell the difference anymore? And does it even matter?
Well, yes, it does. It matters a lot.
Let’s go back to our first question: Star Wars versus Star Trek.
They both have spaceships. They both feature epic space battles. They both include alien species. They both incorporate some fantastical elements (for Star Wars, it’s the Force; for Star Trek, it’s Q and the Q Continuum). So since they are similar, don’t they belong in the same genre?
No.
Very much like the difference between Fantasy Romance and Romantic Fantasy, the dividing line between Science Fantasy and Space Opera is the driving core of the story itself.
Star Trek is focused on the curiosity of the human spirit. Exploration and experimentation. Learning about new cultures and the relationships between vastly different people groups. And while there are some elements of the obviously fantastic, most Star Trek content remains solidly in the scientifically probable category. The purpose of Star Trek stories is understanding the universe scientifically.
Star Wars, on the other hand, is generally focused on a philosophical understanding of the universe. With the exception of a few examples (i.e. Andor, Solo, The Bad Batch, etc.), you cannot separate Star Wars from it’s highly spiritualized concept of a Higher Power. The Force. It has shaped every characteristic of every Star Wars story in some way.
If you were writing a Star Wars story, and you focused the plot on whether or not the Wookies had the technology to stop a natural disaster—it wouldn’t really fit in the canon of Star Wars. Nobody is really interested in Wookie technology. They live in giant trees. But when there is a potential to feature a story with a Wookie Jedi? That’s fascinating. A Wookie with a lightsaber and the power to manipulate objects with the Fore?
If you were writing a Star Trek novel, and you focused your plot on the crew accidentally stumbling into a world controlled by magic, there are ways you could make it fit. But their solution to whatever problem they encounter would need to be based on science. You couldn’t give Mr. Spock magic powers. You couldn’t allow Lt. Commander Data to suddenly, magically have control of his synthetic emotions. There would have to be a scientific explanation. (And a bar-room brawl. Just saying.)
This is the difference between Science Fantasy (Star Wars) and Space Opera (Star Trek). They are similar, yes, but they speak to very different audiences.
So, if you want to dive into the nerdy world of space adventure stories, keep these distinguishing factors in mind.
Science Fantasy and Space Opera will both include elements of science and technology. Since both are considered subgenres of “soft” science fiction, they will be more stories about adventure and relationships. Most times, they’ll take place in space or on another planet, feature alien species, advanced technologies, and even time travel, although that’s another topic for another day. You might even encounter religious systems or belief systems in both subgenres.
The primary difference you’ll need to remember is that Space Opera generally focuses on how a solution to the problem can be achieved. In Science Fantasy, how you reach the solution will be less important than why it matters, both to the individual characters and the universe as a whole. 
TWEETABLEGenre Expectations: Writing Science Fantasy and Space Opera from @ACW_Author on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Award-winning author, A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if she isn’t, her socks won’t match. She has authored eight novels, two novellas, three devotional books, and more flash fiction than you can shake a stick at. A senior partner at the award-winning Uncommon Universes Press, she is passionate about stories and the authors who write them. Learn more about her book coaching and follow her adventures online at https://www.amycwilliams.com.

Fight Writing Fatigue by Tapping into Creative Joy

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Sometimes the writing life is hard. For me, the past few years have been creatively exhausting. First, there was Covid, then there was recovery from Covid. THEN I made a mistake that many other writers made. I thought life was normal so I tried to make up for lost time and ended up exhausting myself. 
I don't know about you but I'm ready for some return to creative joy. Just saying those words has me longing for former times. Try it with me:
Creative joy.
That’s what fuels my soul. And I suspect that’s what fuels yours as well. 
So today I’m issuing a challenge. I’m asking you all to join me in the practice of keeping a joy journal. You can use any means you choose:NotebookJournalLoose leaf paper in a three ring binderCalendarWord document
It doesn't matter how you do it. Just pick a means that feeds your joy, and does NOT add to your stress. 
Many of you know that I’m an advocate of journaling in general and bullet journaling specifically. I also regularly include a gratitude journal layout for every month in my planner. But a Joy Journal is slightly different than a gratitude journal. 
What is a Joy Journal?
Keeping a joy journal is the practice of recording things that bring you joy. Yes, it can be something you’re grateful for, but it’s broader than that. 
Here are some ideas to get you started:Cover a page with different shades of a color that bring you joy (for me that would be robin’s egg blue).Pick up beautiful feather while you’re outside and you tape to the page. Write out a quote that makes you smile.Compose a poem.Write a Bible verse.Write out a prayer.Snap a picture with your phone and print it out. If you don’t have access to a printer, describe the scene.
Now go one step further. We’re all writers here, so the next thing I'm asking you to do is to describe how you’re feeling and why this particular thing/experience/thought brings you joy. 
The important thing to remember is that this joy journal is for you. It brings you joy. Unless you want to share, no one else will see this. And you’re not allowed to say horrible things to yourself while you’re creating it. 
Things like these are not allowed:This is stupid.I can’t draw.I’m not doing this right.If anyone saw this they’d laugh.
Writers are creatives. We’re also husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. And during this crisis, so many of us have a heightened sense of the need to be responsible and care for those around us. 
But I’ve discovered I can’t pour water from an empty vessel.
Stress will eat us from the inside out if we don’t feed our souls. 
That means taking a little time to remember the joy. For me, that joy begins and ends with the blessings God puts all around me. The trick is concentrating on that for a little while each day. When I do that, the strength I need is there—along with an indescribable peace. 
I’d love to know who’s with me on this challenge? Post a comment below and lets encourage each other to creative joy!
Don’t forget to join the conversation,Blessings, Edie
TWEETABLEFight Writing Fatigue by Happy into Creative Joy - insight from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.

How Listening Makes Us Better Writers

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Perfecting listening skills teaches the writer how to effectively communicate. A concentrated effort to perfect listening demonstrates a professional writer who is serious about their craft. 
The writing professional hears what is said, how it’s said, and expands their vocabulary. The art of listening defines culture, shows education, mirrors intellect, and promotes the value and purpose of silence.
Perspectives are another area where listening skills are enhanced. By observing others who have unique and varied viewpoints, our understanding of the world around us widens. We pay attention. We process. We analyze, and we transfer our findings to our written material, whether fiction or nonfiction, often with a perspective different from our own. 
Listening is learning and learning shapes us into better writers.
Empathy is a writer’s friend and listening lays the foundation to understand and write credible emotions. The writer can more easily slip into the persona of a character or a nonfiction piece with confidence and assurance that the reader grasps the content. When a reader concentrates on the narrative and is at one with the manuscript, the writer has done their job.
Dialogue benefits from listening to distinct people express themselves. Include dialect and how culture is reflected in word choice, expressions, and viewpoint to build the character and genre. Listening that includes observing body language deepens the writer’s craft and heightens the reader’s experience.
A vital aspect of research is the power of listening to those providing information. Interviews that show enthusiasm, likes, dislikes, falsehoods, and inside information establish details. If possible, record what is said and note how it’s presented.
Our writing voice develops when we write. Our style, knowledge of the subject, and personalization increases with every word. By applying listening skills to our literary techniques, we strengthen our unique voices.
Below are three ways to increase your writerly listening skills:1. Listen with your whole body and mind. Shut out the rest of the world and concentrate on the audible voice.2. Listen with empathy. Put yourself in the speaker’s shoes. What differences will this audible contribution make in your writing?3. Listen with purpose. A writer’s goal is to put themselves aside and speak for a character or a nonfiction perspective.
I encourage you to pay attention and listen. The craft of writing improves by understanding the way communication is expressed. Grow your skills and make it a lifelong practice. 
How are you using listening skills to grow your writing?
TWEETABLEHow Listening Makes Us Better Writers from author @DiAnnMills on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. 
She is the former director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson. Connect here: DiAnnMills.com

Dipping the Quill Deeper: The Purpliest Prose (It’s a Start, Really)

by Eva Marie Everson @EversonAuthor
I stood in front of the engraved slab, my mouth slightly ajar, then pointed with one finger as my eyes sought out my travel companions, Chris and Clare. “What is it?” Clare asked. “Or rather, who?” 
For well over an hour, we inched our way through glorious Westminster Abbey in London, England. We oohed and aahed at the high ornate ceilings, intricate marble statues, and carved figures and icons within rich wood. We spent time talking with one of the priests, who was most informative. We swam in a sea of languages, fellow tourists. We studied the name plates and likenesses of those buried within the hallowed halls—Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Oliver Cromwell, to name a few—and watched, half amused, as a man vacuumed the area around Henry V’s tomb. “Now there’s a job,” I joked to Clare, known as C.J. Campbell in our literary world. 
And then we made it to the area known as Poets’ Corner .
Here marks the final resting places or the memorialization of some of our greatest artistic and literary figures—Dickens, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Jenny Lind, etc.—as well as the black, trimmed in gold slab , surrounded by beige marble, to which I pointed.
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton.
Although a politician during the time of Queen Victoria, it is as a writer that you probably know him best. He wrote in a variety of book genres—poetry, historical fiction, romance, science fiction, and mystery—and for magazines. Some of his works were adapted into stage plays and operas. He was known for coining phrases such as “the almighty dollar,” “the pen is mightier than the sword,” and an opening line from his novel Paul Clifford that made even Snoopy sit up and take enough notice to plagiarize.
It was a dark and stormy night.
We call this “purple prose.”* Did you know that, in 1882, some 32 years after the book was published, these seven words inspired a contest that continues to this day—the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest —in which applicants send in their worst opening lines. 
I have a few I’d like to submit (I bet you do, too). 
Can you imagine being most notably recognized not necessarily for your best line, but for your worst? Here’s what I’ve always found interesting about that one line—when you read it in its entirety, it’s the perfect example of “show don’t tell.”
It was a dark and stormy night, the line begins. This is telling. 
Now read how the author ends it: the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
For me, this is showing. I wonder sometimes, however, how little we’d know of the novel itself had it not been for those seven telling words. As I said previously, Snoopy himself saw their value. 
I often encourage writers not to worry about opening lines until they are well into their work. Rarely do the right ones come at the start. In all my years of writing to publication, I think the lines I started with became the opening lines on the first page of the book a grand total of once. 
I took my WIP to my critique group recently. I didn’t bother to say that I practically hated the opening paragraphs. I just waited to see how my fellow writers would respond to them. Pretty much, they all agreed—good words, but in the wrong order. Delete, delete, delete.
And that’s okay. I’m fine with that. The point is the same for me as it is for you—for all of us. And that is: just write. 
Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll write something so profound, you’ll get a slab in a famous church. Or maybe you’ll write something so purple in its prose, you’ll get a rotten contest named after you.*"It was a dark and stormy night" is a parodied phrase considered to represent "the archetypal example of a florid, melodramatic style of fiction writing," also known as purple prose (Wikipedia)
TWEETABLEDipping the Quill Deeper: The Purpliest Prose (It’s a Start, Really) from @EversonAuthor on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Eva Marie Everson is the CEO of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She is the multiple award-winning author of more than 45 books and countless articles and blogposts. She is also an award-winning speaker and a Bible teacher, a recipient of the Yvonne Lehman Award (2022), the AWSA Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), and the ECPA Gold Medallion (2023). 
Eva Marie is often seen at writers conferences across the States. She served as a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and taught as a guest professor at Taylor University in 2011. She and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they enjoy their grandchildren. They are owned by a cat named Vanessa.
Eva Marie's latest book, THE THIRD PATH JOURNAL, is a companion to her book, the AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year, THE THIRD PATH. The Third Path looks at 26 of the questions God asked in the Bible, then makes them personal to the reader. The premise of the book is currently her most asked for continuing workshop at writers conferences.

Tips for Writing Good Dialogue

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan
I cut my writerly teeth on dialogue as a script writer for stage plays and sermon-starters. I didn’t add directions or interpretation. I left that up to the director. Of course at that time, I was the director, but that’s neither here nor there. 
In the beginning when I gave the script to the actors, what they said was different from how I’d written it. Not in content but in delivery. Since I liked what I heard, I noted the changes in my scripts. Because of those actors, I learned very quickly to write realistic dialogue, which served me well when I started writing novels.
I love dialogue because it:1. Allows the reader to get to know the characters on a personal level. Their word choice (character voice) SHOWS personality.2. Dialogue SHOWS rather than telling information in narrative. 3. Breaks up passages of narrative with dynamic information: again it SHOWS.4. Writers can imply subtext through the character’s actions and tone.
But it’s not always easy to write succinct speech that:1. Rings true and doesn’t feel forced or stilted. 2. Is relevant to what’s going on in the story.3. Suits the character. 
How to define who is speaking:
A dialogue tag is most often used by newer writers. It defines who is speaking. The most commonly used tag is “said.” New writers, please be warned: you cannot reminisce, laugh, or sigh words. You can only SAY words. 
Besides, those words tell instead of show. BUT, and there’s that big but again, you can use those as an action beat to show who is speaking:
Ellen sighed. “I guess so.”
or
Jane wiped away her tears. “You always make me feel better.”
or 
Dave picked up the photo album. “Do you remember when we first met?” Memories consumed him.
You can also use internal monologue or thoughts:
Marleigh appeared in a dress that left her shoulders bare and took Gabe’s breath away. “You look stunning.”
or
Sam opened the restaurant’s back door and smoke billowed out, engulfing him. “Where’s the fire?” 
Be sure you vary where you place the tag or action beat in the sentence. In my first draft, I usually place them all before the dialogue to identify who is speaking. Then in the second draft, I move them to the middle and after dialogue, so a pattern doesn’t become apparent.
Three things in dialogue have an impact:
Concise: Less is better to move a plot forward. Keep the dialogue focused on the point you need to communicate. Authentic: It shows who the characters are, why they’re there, and how they feel about the situation and other characters. While dialogue is the perfect place to let a character’s personality and speech patterns shine through, it’s not an excuse for them to ramble like we do during real conversations.Natural sounding dialogue in a book doesn’t exactly replicate the way we speak. I listened to my actors to change my written dialogue to sound realistic. In a book we want to make dialogue sound realistic while getting our point across succinctly. 
Purposeful: It needs to be there to communicate important information, like planting clues or revealing backstory, not merely to give characters something to do. In a book we want to make dialogue sound realistic while getting our point across succinctly.
When including an accent, foreign language or colloquialisms in dialogue, the general rule of thumb is to be sparing, giving the impression of it through the way words are put together, rather than writing each word that way. Less is more; the odd word goes a long way to giving the impression of a language idiosyncrasy.
Example: A character is an Irish immigrant. Show that in the way he patterns his speech. As his wife leaves the house, instead of asking “Are you” he would say, “And would you be goin’ to the store?” Only use a few words like “aye” for “yes” and “me” for “my” and then not all the time. Once the reader has seen bits of a dialect, they will automatically think in the dialect.
Edit out repetitions. When I do second and third drafts, I sometimes find in my last edit, I’ve changed something and now have repetition. I have to choose the best place for that information to be given and delete the other instance. 
CAVEAT: As with all rules and guidelines, there are times when you will break them. However, be sure it is done for a reason and makes an impact.
TWEETABLETips for Writing Good Dialogue from author @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Ane Mulligan lives life from a director’s chair, both in theatre and at her desk, creating novels. Entranced with story by age three, at five, she saw PETER PAN onstage and was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. One day, her passions collided, and an award-winning, bestselling novelist immerged. She believes chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups and lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, The Write Conversation, and Blue Ridge Conference Blog.

Use Fiction Techniques to Make Your Nonfiction Great

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Whatever we’re writing, story is the trump card we must always know how to play. Using storytelling in nonfiction is the single biggest thing that will take your writing from adequate to sellable. In this workshop Edie shares how to format dialogue, when to show and when to tell, and other fiction writing tips that make nonfiction sing. 
Many nonfiction writers avoid learning anything about fiction. However, story trumps everything—whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. 
Great, compelling nonfiction includes well-crafted stories. These may be vignettes used to illustrate a point, but the point made will stay with the reader when it’s delivered as a story. 
Look at the example of Jesus. He used parables—stories—to illustrate the truths He was sharing with His audience. 
Learn to Write Good Stories, Illustrations and dramatizationsA good story can be a personal anecdote from your experience or another story you know. An illustration is told in story form and can be true or made up. Dramatization is an invented story. When appropriate, make sure your reader knows whether the story you’re telling is true or not. This is especially true when we’re telling stories about biblical characters. If it’s not in the Bible, don’t lead others to believe it is, even accidently. For invented illustrations you can use terms like, Imagine with me, I’ve often wondered if, etc. You don’t have to say, I made this up to prove a point.
A great nonfiction writer weaves stories into narrative seamlessly. 
A good rule of thumb is at least one story/illustration for every major point.
Use dialogue in the stories you share. And learn the correct method of formatting dialogue
Correct Dialogue TechniquesIn general, every person who speaks in a section of dialogue gets their own paragraph. Don’t write two people speaking in the same paragraph.A dialog TAG is the technique used to show who is speaking“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan saidThe correct way to punctuate a tag is with a comma at the end of the spoken dialog, inside the quotation mark. This is followed by the tag (see example above).Use the word said in almost 100-percent of your dialogue tags. Don’t pull out your thesaurus to find synonyms for said. Said is invisible to the reader and doesn’t distract from the story/illustration you’re sharing. Don’t substitute words for said that aren’t accurate:“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan giggled. It’s not possible to giggle words. You also can’t whine words, growl words, hiss words, etc.A dialog BEAT is the technique used to show who is speaking through action:“Don’t make me laugh.” Susan put her hand over her mouth.The correct way to punctuate a beat is with a period (or ending punctuation) at the end of the spoken dialogue, inside the quotation mark. This is followed by the beat (see example above).When you use a beat, make sure the action is in the same paragraph as the dialogue. Here is how NOT to do it:“Don’t make me laugh.” Susan put her hand over her mouth.Do not begin dialogue with an attribution. We rarely use one another’s names when we talk, especially if it’s just a conversation between two people. Don’t say:“Jonathan, don’t make me laugh.” Susan put her hand over her mouth.Don’t use an adverb to describe how something is said:“Don’t make me laugh,” Susan said happily.Instead use a speaker beat to show us how something is said:“Don’t make me laugh.” Susan put a hand over her mouth, and her eyes crinkled with mirth.Exclamation marks are forbidden—in dialogue and everywhere else in your nonfiction book. There are a few tiny exceptions, but they very rarely apply (that’s why they’re called exceptions ).Don’t head hop when telling a story. A story is told from the perspective of one person. That is the POV character. That POV character can’t read the other person’s mind or know what’s going on outside of where they are. Here’s an example of POV done INCORRECTLY:
John and Mary followed the hostess to the table. John’s hands were sweating. Would Mary say yes or would she turn him down?
Mary sat across from John and studied him. Why was he so nervous? Was he going to break up with her?
The waiter studied the couple at the table. He knew the drill and could read the signs. The man was going to propose. He turned back to the kitchen and ordered a bottle of champagne be put on ice.
In the story above, we are hopping from the head of each character. The story becomes more powerful when we stick with just one. Here’s the same scene rewritten:
John kept his hand on the small of Mary’s back as they followed the hostess to the table he’d reserved. He wanted to wipe his hand, afraid his sweaty palm would leave a mark on the red silk dress, but he didn’t want to give away his nervousness. 
Mary glanced at him, her head tilted up and her lips unsmiling. “Is everything all right?” 
John forced himself to smile like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Order anything you like. I want tonight to be special.” He glanced toward the waiter who had turned back to the kitchen. What was that server doing? Make sure your dialogue isn’t just talking heads. People move when they speak.Avoid long monologues. Break up long sections of one person speaking with reactions from the other person. Don’t be afraid to shorten your stories: Example in Unruffled
Learn to write with active verbs to make your narrative come alive.
Not: Track lighting has improved and no longer looks dated. It’s smaller and uses updated technology.Instead: Today’s track lighting has come a long way from the clunky black and chrome options of the seventies. Track lighting is sleek and graceful, often utilizing halogen bulbs for intense bursts of light.
Not: Some provide a small amount of accent light.Instead: Some of them emitting only a drop of light, highlighting an accent wall with brilliance.
Not: They’re no longer large, dim lights for bathrooms.Instead: They’re no longer boring, utilitarian monstrosities shedding poor light on a dingy bathroom.
Not: It looks good in any room.Instead: It looks equally well in a metal loft or a room with exposed wooden beams.
Learning to incorporate good fiction techniques into your nonfiction writing will take everything you compose to the next level! 
Now it's your turn, what questions and tips do you have about fiction techniques for nonfiction writing? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. 
Don't forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLEUse Fiction Techniques to Make Your Nonfiction Great from author @EdieMelson (click to Tweet)
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017. As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
She and husband Kirk have been married 42+ years, and live near their three sons and three grandchildren in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Edie and Kirk can often be found with their big black dog hiking—Edie hanging off ledges for the best camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.