All writers struggle to use the perfect word for their books. We also spend large amounts of time trying to find another word to use rather than the same word. We need Synonyms. I have a software called Bookshelf that provides definitions, an almanac, encyclopedia, quotes and much more, but one of the best and most useful books I’ve found to resolve my “finding the right word” problem is a book called, The Synonym Finder by J.I Rodale. It is the largest and most comprehensive thesaurus in print. My version is from 1978, but it offers me so many choices that also narrow down to very specific uses of the words.
The book has:
• More than 100,000 synonyms
• Simple, alphabetical arrangement
• Subdivisions of the same word used in different parts of speech with subtle differences
• Includes thousands of new words and expressions, entering the language in recent years
• Clearly labeled slang and informal words and expressions
• Minimum cross-references
Quotes of endorsement found in the front of the book included are from Phyllis Whitney, Irving Stone, and others.
I purchased mine on Amazon.com and am so happy I did.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Ten Ways To Boost Your Writing
A great writer friend, James Scott Bell, lawyer and novelist, also writes books for Writers Digest Books. He also served as a contributing editor for the Writers Digest Magazine. An article from the on-line Writers Digest Magazine posted an article by Jim, called: 10 Disciplines for Fiction Writers posted on February 11, 2008.
Jim Bell provides ten great steps you can take to discipline your writer and move you forward as a professional writer, no matter what kind of writing you do. I thougth his points were worth sharing with you.
Jim opens the article with this: Good writing takes practice, and practice makes perfect! Use this disciplined approach to write your very best.
To read this article, visit: http://writersdigest.com/article/10_Disciplines_for_Fiction_Writers
The article actually appeared in the October 12, 2002 issue of Writers Digest Magazine.
Jim Bell provides ten great steps you can take to discipline your writer and move you forward as a professional writer, no matter what kind of writing you do. I thougth his points were worth sharing with you.
Jim opens the article with this: Good writing takes practice, and practice makes perfect! Use this disciplined approach to write your very best.
To read this article, visit: http://writersdigest.com/article/10_Disciplines_for_Fiction_Writers
The article actually appeared in the October 12, 2002 issue of Writers Digest Magazine.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Characterizing Gender Differences
Men and women are different. I see your mouths gaping, like tell me something new, but when you are writing a novel, it's important to keep that in mind. They think differently and speak differently. Relationships of a man and woman are found in romance but relationships also permeate other genres. Therefore understanding how
men and women display differences in their actions, emotions, and conversation is an important part of creating a realistic novel with believable characters.
While women are sometimes tomboys, most women grow up to understand the feminine role of a woman. Women tend to be shorter and less muscular then men, so they cannot pick up heavy loads or do anything comparable to men in terms of strength. Men have been raised to be rugged and dominant. They tend to veer away from anything too feminine, and while women love to talk about colors of fabrics and furniture, most men would rather be left out of the plans. Men usually don't know cotton from rayon and have no knowledge of colors other than the primary shades. To a man, red is red while a woman calls it crimson or magenta or strawberry.
A man's fun is bowling, golfing, playing tennis, or sitting on the sofa watching sports, while women prefer to interact and do things, like shop or visit with friends. Men are often more one-tracked than women so reading the newspaper is a man's focus and he doesn't want to talk while reading. Because of raising children, running a household and often holding a job, women are multi-tasked. They can cook a meal, help a child with his homework, and talk on the phone.
As you write your novels, think about the roles men and women play. Use these differences to create conflict, which is the engine of a novel. Conflict is what keeps the readers intrigued, wondering how the characters' problems will be solved.
Notice how I've used the male/female differences in my novel, In His Dreams, Marsha is falling in love with her deceased husband's brother. Their past relationship has caused her concern, but she's allowed herself to depend on Jeff while in her summer home on Beaver Island. When Jeff announces a friend is coming to visit, Marsha makes a suggestion:
We'll have to plan something special when he's here." We'll. She cringed being so blatant.
"Al's ever been to Beaver Island so it should be fun. He's bringing his clubs so we'll probably golf."
Golf" Disappointment poked her. "You can leave the girls here."
"We'll probably take them in the cart. They should enjoy that."
"They might. I've never golfed. I suppose it's fun."
"You should take lessons. I know there are lots of women's leagues. Nice company for you."
Nice company in a women's league. What about nice company with Jeff? Loneliness made its unpleasant way into her thoughts. If Jeff had a friend on the island, she needed to keep herself busy doing something. Barb had seemed to loosen up. Maybe she and Barb could... Desperation seemed very inappropriate, but that's what she was feeling, and she couldn't let that happen.
In this excerpt we see a man doing a man's thing and missing Marsha's point. She wants to be included and the feeling of being left out is overwhelming to her. Notice how this adds a new conflict to their relationship.
In a man's eyes, romance consists of buying a pizza and watching a war movie. A woman prefers a nice restaurant with candlelight. Men buy women gifts like a coffeemaker or a bread-maker while most women would prefer jewelry, flowers, or a surprise romantic weekend away from home.
While boys are taught that men don't cry, women can't imagine not crying. When emotions overwhelm a man, they tend to become silent, walk away, make a joke or change the subject. When a woman cries, men are often taken aback and confused.
"Why are you crying?" Bill asked.
"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."
This is a typical response. Most men don't understand women's emotional needs and don't want to, but women want to discuss the problem or the emotion. They expect the man to understand why they are upset and want sympathy, and if they don't get it they're upset. Men only shake their heads and reiterate they don't understand women. Be sure to give the male and female differences in your mind when you write dialogue.
Men and women tend to speak differently and about different things. Men tend to talk about sports, politics and business. Women talk about feelings, relationships, bargains and their kids.
Dialogue should reflect the way people really talk, but needs to be controlled so that it's realistic yet purposeful. As you write, avoid stereotyping characters. Some men don't follow the typical male persona, so create interesting characters by making them diverse yet still within the context of male/female. Some men have a gentler side than others.
Men don't use as many words as women. They don't go into detail or talk about feelings. Woman love details. They want the man to look in their eyes and show interest. Study the following example and note the techniques used.
"How was your day?" Sue asked.
"Typical," Bill said, gazing at the newspaper.
"You were busy as usual."
"Hmm?"
"You were busy."
Bill looked up. "When?"
"Today at work. Can we have a conversation without your reading the newspaper?"
"Newspaper? Sure." He peeled off a section. "Sorry."
"No, I didn't want to read—"
"Here."
She grasped the paper and dropped it on the table. "Thanks. It'll make great conversation."
"Anything to make you happy, honey."
Please realize this is an example and not good dialogue for a novel, but it gets the point across. The man talks in shorter phrases. It is often in short sentences. Dialogue is usually broken up by interruptions of another character or by action and introspection. In this sample, he's focused on one thing, reading the newspaper while she's focused on him. Dialogue is often delivered in half-sentences and is often interrupted. Responses sometimes only repeat what the other character has said. Questions are avoided by talking around them or responding with another question. This keeps the dialogue sounding real while creating conflict and interest. It also gives the page white space which is reader friendly.
To create interesting dialogue, listen to the world around you. As you watch TV or movies, notice the difference between a man and woman's word choice and ways of expressing themselves. When writing Christian romance, remember that men and woman are different in many ways. To make your hero and heroine real provide them with appropriate traits, behaviors, and dialogue to enhance conflict and to add to the reader's reality.
men and women display differences in their actions, emotions, and conversation is an important part of creating a realistic novel with believable characters.
While women are sometimes tomboys, most women grow up to understand the feminine role of a woman. Women tend to be shorter and less muscular then men, so they cannot pick up heavy loads or do anything comparable to men in terms of strength. Men have been raised to be rugged and dominant. They tend to veer away from anything too feminine, and while women love to talk about colors of fabrics and furniture, most men would rather be left out of the plans. Men usually don't know cotton from rayon and have no knowledge of colors other than the primary shades. To a man, red is red while a woman calls it crimson or magenta or strawberry.
A man's fun is bowling, golfing, playing tennis, or sitting on the sofa watching sports, while women prefer to interact and do things, like shop or visit with friends. Men are often more one-tracked than women so reading the newspaper is a man's focus and he doesn't want to talk while reading. Because of raising children, running a household and often holding a job, women are multi-tasked. They can cook a meal, help a child with his homework, and talk on the phone.
As you write your novels, think about the roles men and women play. Use these differences to create conflict, which is the engine of a novel. Conflict is what keeps the readers intrigued, wondering how the characters' problems will be solved.
Notice how I've used the male/female differences in my novel, In His Dreams, Marsha is falling in love with her deceased husband's brother. Their past relationship has caused her concern, but she's allowed herself to depend on Jeff while in her summer home on Beaver Island. When Jeff announces a friend is coming to visit, Marsha makes a suggestion:
We'll have to plan something special when he's here." We'll. She cringed being so blatant.
"Al's ever been to Beaver Island so it should be fun. He's bringing his clubs so we'll probably golf."
Golf" Disappointment poked her. "You can leave the girls here."
"We'll probably take them in the cart. They should enjoy that."
"They might. I've never golfed. I suppose it's fun."
"You should take lessons. I know there are lots of women's leagues. Nice company for you."
Nice company in a women's league. What about nice company with Jeff? Loneliness made its unpleasant way into her thoughts. If Jeff had a friend on the island, she needed to keep herself busy doing something. Barb had seemed to loosen up. Maybe she and Barb could... Desperation seemed very inappropriate, but that's what she was feeling, and she couldn't let that happen.
In this excerpt we see a man doing a man's thing and missing Marsha's point. She wants to be included and the feeling of being left out is overwhelming to her. Notice how this adds a new conflict to their relationship.
In a man's eyes, romance consists of buying a pizza and watching a war movie. A woman prefers a nice restaurant with candlelight. Men buy women gifts like a coffeemaker or a bread-maker while most women would prefer jewelry, flowers, or a surprise romantic weekend away from home.
While boys are taught that men don't cry, women can't imagine not crying. When emotions overwhelm a man, they tend to become silent, walk away, make a joke or change the subject. When a woman cries, men are often taken aback and confused.
"Why are you crying?" Bill asked.
"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."
This is a typical response. Most men don't understand women's emotional needs and don't want to, but women want to discuss the problem or the emotion. They expect the man to understand why they are upset and want sympathy, and if they don't get it they're upset. Men only shake their heads and reiterate they don't understand women. Be sure to give the male and female differences in your mind when you write dialogue.
Men and women tend to speak differently and about different things. Men tend to talk about sports, politics and business. Women talk about feelings, relationships, bargains and their kids.
Dialogue should reflect the way people really talk, but needs to be controlled so that it's realistic yet purposeful. As you write, avoid stereotyping characters. Some men don't follow the typical male persona, so create interesting characters by making them diverse yet still within the context of male/female. Some men have a gentler side than others.
Men don't use as many words as women. They don't go into detail or talk about feelings. Woman love details. They want the man to look in their eyes and show interest. Study the following example and note the techniques used.
"How was your day?" Sue asked.
"Typical," Bill said, gazing at the newspaper.
"You were busy as usual."
"Hmm?"
"You were busy."
Bill looked up. "When?"
"Today at work. Can we have a conversation without your reading the newspaper?"
"Newspaper? Sure." He peeled off a section. "Sorry."
"No, I didn't want to read—"
"Here."
She grasped the paper and dropped it on the table. "Thanks. It'll make great conversation."
"Anything to make you happy, honey."
Please realize this is an example and not good dialogue for a novel, but it gets the point across. The man talks in shorter phrases. It is often in short sentences. Dialogue is usually broken up by interruptions of another character or by action and introspection. In this sample, he's focused on one thing, reading the newspaper while she's focused on him. Dialogue is often delivered in half-sentences and is often interrupted. Responses sometimes only repeat what the other character has said. Questions are avoided by talking around them or responding with another question. This keeps the dialogue sounding real while creating conflict and interest. It also gives the page white space which is reader friendly.
To create interesting dialogue, listen to the world around you. As you watch TV or movies, notice the difference between a man and woman's word choice and ways of expressing themselves. When writing Christian romance, remember that men and woman are different in many ways. To make your hero and heroine real provide them with appropriate traits, behaviors, and dialogue to enhance conflict and to add to the reader's reality.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Internet Links for Characterization
When I teach writing all over the US, I often share this sheet with those in attendance to help them in creating believable characters. I've found these links to be helpful in getting a good understanding of my character and by creating a backstory for them. I hope you find these links helpful.
Creating realistic character’s is a key to writing a good novel. Developing these individuals as fully as you can to make the three-dimensional takes work, but when they are "real" and you know their personality, values, beliefs, and characteristics. Then you can incorporate true to life actions and responses in your novels.
As I create my characters through the years, I have found a number of website links that have proven invaluable in learning more about my character—his personality, his career, his likes and dislikes and even his appearance. I have learned that a character’s name truly reflects who they are.
Below you will find a variety of links that will help you name and create intriguing characters for you upcoming novels. Use your character’s POV to answer the test questions.
http://www.kabalarians.com/index.cfm
This link gives 80,000 male and female baby names with personality traits, health issues, personal relations and business attributed to that name
Example: Jerod
Your name of Jerod creates an idealistic, sensitive nature and a desire for culture and the refinements of life. You would work best in a relaxed environment at tasks involving writing, mathematical, or analytical skills that require concentration. You appear calm to others, but at times you suffer inwardly with nervous tension. You can find it difficult to express your deeper thoughts and feelings verbally. It is much more natural for you to express your deeper thoughts in writing. A lack of positivity and confidence is a source of difficulty in making decisions in business dealings. You are easily offended, and can suffer with moods of depression. You want the best, but lack the confidence and aggressiveness to materialize your desires. Procrastination is a weakness, for so often you are inclined to avoid issues and to leave things undone until the last moment when you are forced to take action. You are inclined to indulge in rich foods that lack proper nourishment. This name creates weaknesses in the heart, the respiratory organs, or the kidneys.
___________________________________________________________________________________
www.parenthoodweb.com/babynames.html
This site allows you to put in baby names or meanings. Research on baby names and names and personality.
________________________________________________________________________________
www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
This lists the most 10 popular names between 1880 and the present.
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http://chatterbean.com/
Provides character and personality tests
______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.careerexplorer.net/
This site helps you determine a career personality.
______________________________________________________________________________
http://similarminds.com/personality_tests.html
This site explorers aspects of characterization or personality, including romantic qualities.
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http://www.testcafe.com/
This site offers a variety of free tests on emotion, personality, motivation, relationships, IQ, and more
______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/
This site provides many links to tests on careers, psychological and personality tests.
______________________________________________________________________________
Http://web.tickle.com/
This site provides quizzes, fashion, hairstyles, and information for younger characters.
I find these links helpful in creating characters, and whatever you can do to make your character’s come alive the better. Save these links and use them when you’re creating new characters.
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