Wendy L. Callahan

Friday, April 26, 2013

Dialogue: Keep it Natural

I love watching "Voltron". It was one of my childhood favorites, and I still enjoy watching it now that I'm an adult.

However, Princess Allura always drove me crazy when she spoke to her father. Not only did she not listen to him, she constantly said "father" during the dialogue.

"Father, I don't understand." "Father, what are you saying?" She was so clueless, I was just waiting for her to say, "Father, why am I a complete bimbo?"

When it comes to conversation, using names isn't really natural. A conversation with my husband or son does not involve the constant use of their names or endearments. If it did, the dialogue would be pretty stilted and unnatural, to wit:

"Daniel, I'm pretty tired. Mind if we order take out?"

"Do whatever you want, Wendy."

"What would you like, honey?"

"Well, sweetie, how about Indian tonight?"

"Oh, you know Indian food is my favorite."

"Wendy, I just want you to be happy. I know how hard you work."

"You are the sweetest husband in the world, Daniel."

Now, in dialogue that flows naturally, our conversation would read more like this:

"I'm pretty tired. Mind if we order take out?"

"Do whatever you want. I just want food."

"What kind of food?"

"I don't care."

"Well, that's helpful."

If you have any doubts about the dialogue in your story, try one of the best editing tips of all time: read it out loud. If the dialogue, and the story in general, sounds unnatural to your ears, go back and clean it up by eliminating the unnecessary use of names and endearments. The resulting dialogue should be tighter and better-paced.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

What I'm Reading, April 4, 2013

I have quite the pile of books on my nightstand. They are:

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron - absolutely gorgeous writing!

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole - the beginning drew me in immediately.

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart by Leanna Renee Hieber.

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond.

The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston.

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

I just finished Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger this week and LOVED it.

While I'm always busy mothering, homeschooling, writing, and editing, I make sure to end my day snuggled up with my baby daughter and a book. I think it's the best way to fall asleep. ^.^

What are you reading?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

"How do you publish?"

Someone asked me this question just last week, and my first reaction was, "How do I publish? Why, with a publisher, of course."

But it is a valid question. After all, self-publishing has put many, many writers in control of their creations. There is a number of options for putting your work out there, from Amazon and Create Space to Smashwords and All Romance.

People no longer need to go the query/submission route with agents and/or publishers.

I'm sure the debate is still going on about which is "better". I'm sure there are still people who look at either option with contempt.

I don't think it necessarily matters "how" you publish. Readers are going to like what they like, regardless of how it got into their hands. Their opinions and tastes are what dictate how well a book does. I do think how you publish can be a huge factor, however if readers adore a self-published book, they can propel it to amazing success. It's happened several times over the past few years.

What matters is choosing the route that works for you. Forget any arguments between "traditional" publishing and self-publishing. Choose the one that satisfies you as a writer.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

What I'm Reading, March 7, 2013

These days, I don't have nearly as much time to read. Between baby, homeschooling, and writing, not to mention the fact that we are moving back to the U.S. this summer, my days are very full. As I told my 10-year-old son, I don't even have time to just sit and play Minecraft anymore. Of course, this little girl is a handful:

However, I do try to get in at least a half-hour of reading each day. So, slowly but surely, I am making my way through:

I loved Alice I Have Been, and anything about Charles Lindburgh is kind of sentimental for me, because it makes me think of my grandmother. She had a cat named "Lindy", because she was one of those girls who admired Lindburgh.

This just sounds and looks interesting, and since the BX had it...

It's about time I read Ascend! I've read the other two Trylle novels, so now I need to see how it ends. Does Wendy choose Finn or Loki? Does she manage to keep the Vittra from going to war against the Trylle?

There are also many, many books coming out this year that I am anticipating. I want to pick up Gail Carriger's newest, Etiquette and Espionage, and then there's Everbound by Brodi Ashton, not to mention Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare is supposed to be released on March 19.

But one thing at a time, eh? My life is busy enough, and there will always be something for us book lovers to read.

What are you reading?

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Writing With Baby

Little Rowan is growing quickly and has entered the "honeymoon" phase of her infancy. She isn't eating constantly as she was in her first month, and she sleeps quite well, particularly in the afternoon. This gives me time to get back to work.

The majority of my work happens over or around her. It's funny to think of a Boppy and a Snugli as essential office equipment, but that's how I get things done these days.

Once Rowan is settled on the nursing pillow and eating, I have my hands free to scroll, type, and manage other things at my desk. Like most babies, she will fall asleep at my chest. I just work, rather than disturb her.

The Snugli is better for housework and the hours that go into homeschooling my 10-year-old son, but it still serves me well when I sit down at my desk to write.

That's not to say I have plenty of time to work. Before Rowan came along and Gavin came back from his father's house, I put in upwards of 10 to 12 hours a day of writing and editing. Now, between our usual homeschooling schedule and the baby, I'm lucky if I get in half that.

Still, things are moving forward, and I am pleased that I am slowly getting my work groove back. ^.^

If you have children, how do you fit in time to write?

Monday, January 7, 2013

Happy New Year!

Sending all of you belated wishes for a Happy New Year, along with apologies for the lack of posts.

On Friday, January 4, 2013 at 8:38 a.m., my daughter, Rowan Alice Callahan, entered the world. She made her appearance at 7 lbs, 4 oz, and 20.5 inches long.

Even though I am writing a new chapter of my life, rest assured I will be back once we settle into our new routine!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Odd Jokes & Big Words

I have a love of odd jokes and big words. I think both of these traits were nurtured into me by reading, and teachers who encouraged me to look beyond the surface of a story.

For example, in 11th grade, we read a short story called "The Egg" by Sherwood Anderson. At the end of the story, one of the characters breaks an egg and pretty much throws a tantrum over it.

No one in my English class seemed to understand the symbolism, but I got it. The broken egg symbolized the person's broken dreams, and the breaking of the egg was also ironic. I actually laughed out loud with appreciation at the metaphor. There was something pathetic and morbid in the humor, which may be why the other students did not find it funny. It really is a rather odd thing to laugh about, but that is just the way I am. ^.^

My other literary love, as I stated, is big words. I use them fairly regularly in conversation, such as tonight when I told my husband he was certainly "loquacious" for a change. He said, "Loquacious?" and I told him the word simply means "talkative".

I just love the way it sounds. Loquacious... The same goes for "ostentatious". It is a fabulous word that conveys so much meaning in four little syllables.

Many of my friends joke with me "Don't correct my spelling!" on Facebook, but I am not the kind of person who does that. I think it is rude and it is not my place to give them a hard time.

Granted, I do laugh when people point out bad spelling if someone is attempting to make an intelligent argument. I also get a little tense when I see words such as "Pagan" or "altar" misspelled as "Pegan" and "alter". The same goes for bad spelling by my fellow homeschooling parents, M/s (or D/s) lifestyle folks, and others who speak on behalf of a group of people.

I feel if you are going to publicly represent something, it is important to do it well. However, I do not criticize others about it. That seems pretty overbearing and uptight, and I am neither of those.

That said, I suppose it is my use of words like "loquacious" or "ostentatious", that earned the nickname a few people use for me: Walking Thesaurus.

I'm sure I'm not the only person out there, writer or not, who has been labelled as such.