Mama Jude's Pep Talk

I love dialogue. The words just flow right out. Where I get stuck is the bits where characters are alone. I get paranoid about them thinking to themselves too much and go too far the other way, ending up with bare action and nothing else.

Silver-Midnight said:

See, I always fear I'm using too much dialogue. I have these huge chunks that can be just talking. Well, not chunks because I mostly do dialogue tags and such but still. My possible over use of it worries me.

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I'll go back and edit any just-dialogue later. This usually includes pruning out the unnecessaries and adding in more descriptors, sense of place, character thoughts, etc., as needed, but sometimes scenes just need lots of dialogue and trying to break it up can feel artificial.

I read something Mark Billingham said the other day that resonated with me. It doesn't really relate to any one of the conversations here, but this feels like the place to put it. He was talking about the creation of his detective character, Tom Thorne:

[You] worry that you will be entering that world of the strange cliché-ed cop, but you soon realise that you have to get comfortable in that world. You think "Hang on, some of the clichés are part of that territory". It would like writing a Western and going "Oh no I've given him a horse! What a terrible cliché!" It's not a cliché – It's part and parcel of the genre – cowboys have six-guns, horses and stetsons and detectives have [a] past... problems [and] flaws, because if they don't, then there is nothing to read about.

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I completely agree with this. The trappings of our genre(s) are why readers want to read those things. If you didn't want to read a HEA, you wouldn't pick up a Harlequin romance. Likewise, if you didn't want to read about detectives solving crimes, you wouldn't get a crime novel.

Any time you feel like what you're writing isn't original, isn't all wow and new, remind yourself that there will be someone out there for whom your book is their idea of heaven.

You know, that's so obvious and yet so insightful. Being original, different, is something I worry about a lot and this helps me realize I can chill a little and be fine with including (although maybe tweaking) a cliche or two.

Thanks for sharing that.

heyjude said:

Is anyone else having trouble with WordPress? It's giving me fits. That's why I haven't posted anything recently.

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No, I haven't. It's been just fine, but then I am only writing small reply posts, not doing blog posts.

onesecondglance said:

I completely agree with this. The trappings of our genre(s) are why readers want to read those things. If you didn't want to read a HEA, you wouldn't pick up a Harlequin romance. Likewise, if you didn't want to read about detectives solving crimes, you wouldn't get a crime novel.

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I agree with that quote as well. I try not to worry about what's cliche as I write. If it strikes me in an edit, I'll consider cutting it, but some things just belong because they do. If you try to avoid everything "they" say not to do, you're never going to write anything.

I have a mini-crisis. Actually not really a crisis at all, just a small worry.

I'm at 19,000 odd words and that's just basically the opening of the book. Now, the book has kind of changed so that the focus isn't the same events as before, so those events coming later in the book I suppose doesn't matter so much now, and I can edit it right down once the draft's done, right? Right?

Zelenka said:

Right?

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Absolutely!

Thanks. Just needed to hear someone else say it!

So...the full got rejected. In a very nice, polite way, but still.

Would appreciate some tips on how not to waste too much time crying into my beer, because I have work I want to get done in spite of this.

I am remembering that a year ago I was afraid to show it to ANYBODY, and here I sent it out to a total stranger. So...yay for perseverance, I guess? Blah.

Absolutely yay, liz! Such is the journey, fraught with peril. . .

Aw, screw that. Minor setback and you're already a lot farther than you were, a lot farther than most. Keep plugging, keep working it, thinking about you, no blah in trying and no blah in taking one on the chin. Hell, it's a good character-builder, plus you get to look all bad-ass and shit.

lizmonster said:

Would appreciate some tips on how not to waste too much time crying into my beer

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Screw the beer. You don't even like beer. You need chocolate!

--Steve

lizmonster said:

Would appreciate some tips on how not to waste too much time crying into my beer, because I have work I want to get done in spite of this.

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Remember that it's one, subjective opinion, and there are a lot more agents out there whom you've not yet queried. Getting this full request was fabulous recognition that you've got something well-written and worth reading.

Now go reread all of the comments on your piece from the Pep Blog.

Done that? Now send out another query.

And now go write some more!

kkbe said:

Aw, screw that. Minor setback and you're already a lot farther than you were, a lot farther than most. Keep plugging, keep working it, thinking about you, no blah in trying and no blah in taking one on the chin. Hell, it's a good character-builder, plus you get to look all bad-ass and shit.

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Do I really? <checks mirror> Hm...

Introversion said:

Screw the beer. You don't even like beer. You need chocolate!

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I like beer just fine. It's just I can consume more chocolate without falling down.

Namatu said:

And now go write some more!

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I'm getting more done than I thought I would, which I guess is a sign I might recover.

Thanks, folks - it's greatly appreciated. I know I need to be a big girl, and I'm lucky I got this far. I didn't really expect a different result...but, well, you know. Sigh.

lizmonster said:

So...the full got rejected. In a very nice, polite way, but still.

Would appreciate some tips on how not to waste too much time crying into my beer, because I have work I want to get done in spite of this.

I am remembering that a year ago I was afraid to show it to ANYBODY, and here I sent it out to a total stranger. So...yay for perseverance, I guess? Blah.

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Well, first off . I'm sorry that you're full got rejected, Liz. However, that's just one, or at least a few. What I'm trying to say is that it's not a rejection from every single agent in the known universe. Okay, that's an exaggeration but you know what I mean. You can still keep trying and you should still keep trying. Just because one said doesn't mean they all will. But that's basically what everyone else said.

Second, think of the positives and the progress you have made: 1. You started a story, 2. You finished it, 3. You polished it and stuck with it, 4. You sent it off. That's pretty awesome. I don't care what anyone says.

So, the best advice I would say is...eat some chocolate, maybe drink some nice tea, and then try again.

Silver-Midnight said:

So, the best advice I would say is...eat some chocolate, maybe drink some nice tea, and then try again.

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Going to second this. Or, replace chocolate and tea with some strenuous exercise, to work of any frustration.

Either way, try again for sure.

Silver-Midnight said:

Second, think of the positives and the progress you have made: 1. You started a story, 2. You finished it, 3. You polished it and stuck with it, 4. You sent it off. That's pretty awesome. I don't care what anyone says.

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Aw, thanks, Silver. That really helps.

Silver-Midnight said:

So, the best advice I would say is...eat some chocolate, maybe drink some nice tea, and then try again.

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MarkEsq said:

Going to second this. Or, replace chocolate and tea with some strenuous exercise, to work of any frustration.

Either way, try again for sure.

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Thanks, Mark - I'm going for all of the above. Got some exercise, which helped, and I'm planning an evening of family and comfort food.

And I'm sending out another query today. Nothing ventured and all that.

Thanks, you guys. I love this place. I would never have come this far without you.

lizmonster said:

And I'm sending out another query today. Nothing ventured and all that.

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Good going - this little adventure is just a pit stop on the road to publication.

(This and many more horribly strangled metaphors available on tap for all who require pepping up )

onesecondglance said:

Good going - this little adventure is just a pit stop on the road to publication.

(This and many more horribly strangled metaphors available on tap for all who require pepping up )

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I will take all the strangled metaphors I can get. Thanks, osg.

Liz, in the immortal words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggert, "Never give up, never surrender!"

Of course, if you're not a Galaxy Quest fan, there's always the old standby, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Nietzsche