Planning Your Novel Part 7 - Secondary Characters

by Elva Cobb Martin

 Villain, Don Rafael Castillo

Next to my hero and heroine, I believe a good villain is very important. I chose this photo of a character who was supposedly the best friend of a hero in a NetFlix series, but really was his worst enemy, doing all sorts of wicked things to discredit and harm the hero and win the heroine for himself. I have this man and photo in mind to draw my villain for my new novel. Remembering this character will help me get my villain right.

 Housekeeper - Mrs. Piper

I needed a wise voice, a dedicated Christian character, who will influence the heroine to turn to God. I chose this photo of the real Mildred Natick who played many secondary roles as a fiesty, stern, capable, big-hearted governess or housekeeper in movies. This woman is helping me draw my Mrs. Piper, the Chrstian housekeeper of my hero in my story who will greatly influence both h/h.

Here are just a few other secondary characters in my coming novel. I've found it good to have a photo to represent them, too, but won't include them here.

Emma Ducworth - Captain Ethan Becket's second cousin and a widow, pretty woman with 2-year old boy, comes with his parents to Charles Town and is interested in widower Ethan.

Grace Becket -  hero Captain Ethan's older sister he will rescue from Spanish captivity

Senora Lucia Chavez - heroine Marisol's aunt in Cartagena 

Tim Cullen -  loyal Irish Lieutenant on Captain Ethan's merchant ship

Danny -age 13, cabin boy on Captain Ethan's ship, he takes under his wing

I have quite a few other secondary characters and photos of them all unless their part is very small in the story.

Naming of Characters

A great help in naming my characters is  a fill-in sheet with blocks for the ABC's where I list each character's name to make sure I don't name too many characters with similar names, or starting with the same letter. This can be confusing during the writing and for my later readers.

How are you coming with your novel? Are you in the idea stage, outlining, or already writing up a storm?  Would love to hear from you, and please do share this blog on your social media for all those out there thinking about writing a novel. 

In my next blog I will share how I do a fluid chapter outline to keep me moving and on target in my novel writing. Perhaps it will help you. Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Elva Cobb Martin

Planning Your Novel - Part 6 - Hero Charactization

by Elva Cobb Martin

How do you like this photo I chose to represent my current hero, privateer  Captain Ethan Beckett?

Doesn't that face, that intense look inspire you? It certainly did me. It is actually the face of the Turkish actor who played the hero in the NetFlix historical romance series "Kurt Seyit and Sura." I highly recommend this series for historical romance lovers.

Here is how I've planned out my character,

Captain Ethan Beckett, formerly Rev. Ethan Becket of Charles Town.

Basics: grieving widower, bitter since wife’s death, left the ministry and returned to the sea, his first love.

Physical Description: tall- 6 feet, 2 in.; muscular, deep-set pewter eyes,   chestnut brown hair pulled back in a queue (braid), full beard and mustache, sun-tanned square face; flaring nostrils; straight eyebrows; thick neck, arms, chest; thin lips; great with sword and sailing a ship.

Internal  Goal/motivation– overcome his grief and bitterness over wife’s death and second child at birth and raise his first child Joshua in a happy home

External – Find and rescue his sister from Spanish captivity

Core Need:  To find the peace and happiness he once had during his first marriage and ministry

Character and Spiritual Arc

Persona: (face he shows the world) Bitter, easily angered, arrogant, now drinks, doesn’t think God cares or was fair in letting his godly wife Olivia  and child die in child birth. Vows never to love again.

Essence: unmoored, feels cut-off from all that is good, guilt-ridden for backsliding, feels a failure, wishing he could find his way back to sanity and peace.

Will Become: a stronger minister than he ever was with renewed faith in God’s love, care and power to forgive and cleanse.  No longer angry or bitter, quits drinking, humble, able to risk loving again.

I have further notes planning my romantic arc for Captain Becket.

Now you've been introduced to my heroine and hero in my wip. How do you like them?  In my next blog I'll share about those important secondary characters that enrich our story.

I'm busy finishing the first three chapters and a proposal for some editors I met at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in May who liked my pitch for this series and asked to see a proposal. Yes, tis a lot of work! But I'm taking you on the journey with me!

Are you working on a novel? Would love to hear your comments or questions. And please do share this blog on Twitter and Face book by clicking on the icons below.

Blessings,

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 7 Internal Dialogue Editor's Notes

by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I am sharing some internal dialogue notes from the Prism editor of  my romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, which is to be released in March, 2017.

What do you think the characters in the pictures below might be thinking?

Secret: My hero for my next novel. Ethan Wentworth. He's begging me to tell his story.

Internal Dialogue and Italics – Notes from Susan Baganz, Editor, Prism Book Group

   Internal dialog is the way someone talks to themselves in their minds, it’s not just mere thoughts)

1) Just plain thoughts are not italicized.  

     

     Was this a manipulation?  

     Good gravy. Was this the way the Marines landed?  

    

2)When the character is actually talking to himself, that should be italicized. 

   

      It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare.

      Get out of my way, please.

      Not expecting her?

      A pleasing fragrance emanated from her. Musk or lavender?

3) Silent prayers are italicized.

     God help me.

     Lord, thank You for this wonderful summer position, but I’m going to need Your help big time to sit at table with this man every day.

4)  Third person past tense versus first person present tense in thoughts. (This was an eye opener for me)

         

     Incorrect: Wipe the silly smirk off your face. (Simple thought of character I had in italics)

    Corrected: She longed to wipe the silly smirk off his face.

    

     Incorrect: Yes, what is preventing me?

     Corrected: Yes, what was preventing her?

      Incorrect: So you don't care a thing about Morgan, Mr. Barrett? And you think marijuana shouldn't be legalized, but you've stashed a fortune in cocaine in your attic.

     Corrected:  So he didn't care a thing about Morgan. And he thought marijuana shouldn't be legalized but he stashed a fortune of cocaine in his attic. 

Please share any tips you have about internal dialog, and do share this blog on your social media if it proved helpful.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 6 Deep Point of View

by Elva Cobb Martin

Part 6 - Master Deep Point of View (DPOV)

I highly recommend you purchase a copy of Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson! It is a small book but a great help in mastering DPOV.

DPOV draws the reader into the arms and head of your character.

Mastering DPOV often eliminates most problems with show/don’t tell and italics.

Here are some quick pointers:

♦  Never say he/she thought, felt, knew, wondered, realized, decided. 

Simply write what it is.

    Wrong: He understood how much this would mean to her. He knew she’d be worried.

    Right: This would mean a  lot to her. She would be worried.

♦  Don’t name the emotion, describe it instead.

     

     Shallow: Jealousy flashed through me.

     Deep: Heat boiled my insides. If that wimp could win a trophy, where was mine?

♦  Describe physical effects on the body: 

         Anger: His hands formed into fists.

       Nervous: Sweat popped out on his palms. His throat closed.

♦  Ditch Prepositional telling phrases (of, with, in)

     

     Shallow: Desiree’s skin prickled with pleasant excitement.

      Deep: Shadows deepened. The place reeked of ancient secrets.   Desi's skin prickled.

♦  Don’t use he/she saw, tasted, smelled, heard. Simply state what he saw, tasted, smelled or heard.

     Shallow: He could see the tip of the dog’s nose peeking out of the                            closet.

     Deep: The tip of the dog’s nose peeked out of the closet.

     Shallow: He tasted bile. 

     Deep: Bile rose in his throat.

Do you have some tips to help master DPOV? Please leave a comment and share on your social media if this blog helped you.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 5 Show Don't Tell

by Elva Cobb Martin

Show/don't tell is a biggie for us writers to master, and I keep working at it, believe me. Randy Ingermanson has helped me a lot. Here is an excerpt from his blog archive at https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com

How to Show/Not tell 

by Randy Ingermanson

 1) Action: Anything your characters do, shown in real time. 

• Jake swung the bat into the kidnapper's head.

 2) Dialogue: Anything your characters say, shown in quote marks.

      "Take that, you scurvy dog!" Jake shouted.

3) Interior Monologue: Anything your chracters think, whether a verbatim record of the thought or a mere statement of it. Verbatim thoughts are often shown in italics, whereas indirect thoughts never are.

    And if you ever touch my daughter again, you're dead.

    What were these idiots thinking, to mess with the daughter of a Navy Seal?

4) Interior Emotion: Anything your characters feel. This is best done by showing direct physiological reactions which can be interpreted as emotions.

      Another rush of adrenaline boiled up in Jake's stomach.

5) Description: Anything your characters can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

     Two gunshots range in quick succession. The bare light bulb in the basement exploded in a curst of darkness. Cold air rushed over Jake like a river. He smelled gunpowder so strong he could taste it. The small red dot of a laser aiming device raced across the floor toward his feet.

What has helped you show/not tell? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media by clicking on the icons below.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 4 Master GMC and MRU's

by Elva Cobb Martin

We continue "My Journey to a Book Contract" and honing your craft. This is Part 4. You can access Parts 1-3 in our archives.

Master “Goals, Motivation, and Conflict” 

(check out a great book with same title by Debra Dixon)

Your hero, heroine and even other characters should have a:

        Goal – What they want

        Motivation – Why they want it

        Conflict – The why not (what stands in their way)

   

   Internal and External Needs evolve into Goals, Motivation, Conflict which drive the story.

           Carolyn Greene says inner conflict is what gives characters’ something to think about.

           External conflict propels the plot and gives characters something to do.

           Inner needs can be universal and intangible: respect, acceptance, security, safety, love

           External needs should be tangible and resolvable:  justice, revenge, the truth, job promotion   

Example: Kirsten Arnold wrote on a Seekerville blog comment her idea at Internal and external GMC & logline.

Log Line/Pitch: A rugged Alaskan hunting guide must save the younger brother of the woman he loves while learning to accept the forgiveness that can set him free and open the door to love and life. 

    

Who: Cooper Maitland: Alaskan outfitter/hunting guide

External GMC: Cooper wants to help the FBI catch drug traffickers operating as Alaskan fishermen, and save Bryce Wallace the kid brother of McAye Wallace the woman Cooper loves.
Internal GMC: Cooper wants to forgive himself and accept God’s forgiveness for the terrible mistake he made that cost McAye’s sister her life. His love for McAye stands in the way, because it serves as a constant reminder of his past and keeps him mired in guilt.


Master MRU’s - Motivation Reaction Units

(Should be in this order but don’t have to include all 4)

  1) Physical or gut level

  2) Thought

  3) dialog (can be combined with action)

  4) action

Incorrect Order (example from my draft of Summer of Deception)

Rachel looked at him for a long moment. First the housekeeper, now this man. Wasn’t anyone expecting her? A sting shot through her empty stomach. But she shook off her uneasiness. Everything could be cleared up in two seconds. She dug in her handbag. “Mr. Barrett offered me a summer position. I have his note here.”

Corrected Order: 

A sting shot through Rachel’s empty stomach. Wasn’t anyone expecting her? First the housekeeper, now this man. She looked at him a long moment and cast off her uneasiness. Everything could be cleared up in two seconds. “Mr. Barrett offered me a summer position. I have his note here.”

She dug in her handbag.

What helped you master GMC or MRU's? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media by clicking on the icons below.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps (Part 3 Theme)

Howdy Writer Friends, 

Today I continue my series on "My Long Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps."
You can get the full blogs in my archives on Part 1 and 2 but here is a fast review:


Here are the five steps I listed in Part 1:

1) NEVER give up!
2) Keep Honing Your Craft
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers 
5) Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

In Part 2 I covered four ways I've learned to plot a novel. 

Today, in Part 3, I continue with "Honing Your Craft" and important things I learned that helped me on the way to a contract. 

Plug into a Theme - A story’s most basic element

The author’s worldview, their core values and outlook on life, drive the theme. Here are 10 central themes in film and books constantly repeated which describe an opinion about society, human nature, God, or life in general.

1) Good vs. Evil   - Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia,

         The War Room

2) Love Conquers All   - The Notebook, Love Comes Softly                      series, The Passion

3) Triumph over Adversity – The Blind Side, Facing the Giants

4) Individual vs. Society – Schindler’s List, The Elephant Man

5) The Battle – Braveheart, The Patriot, Attila

6) Death as a Part of Life – The Shack, Driving Miss Daisy

7) Revenge – Cape Fear, Revenge of the Nerds

8) Loss of Innocence – Sixteen Candles, Toy Story 3

9) Man vs. Himself – Gone with the Wind,The Godfather

10) Man vs. Nature –Jaws, Armageddon, Jack London stories,               Survivor shows

A quick check of stories in the Bible will reveal many universal themes. In fact, the Bible hasn’t left out any nitty-gritty issues mankind faces.

■ Husband and wife join in wrongdoing (Adam/Eve, Ahab/Jezebel, Ananias/Sapphira)

■ Jealousy/sibling conflict (Cain/Able, Rachel/Leah,                       Joseph/brothers)

■ Love/hate triangles (Abraham/Sarah/Hagar;                                     Jacob/Leah/Rachel)

■ Arranged marriages (Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Leah/Rachel,               Christ and His Bride

■ Rape (Dinah and Shechem; Tamar and Ammon)

■ War and its mighty men (Joshua, David, Gideon, Samson)

■ Women’s rights (the daughters of Zelophehad Joshua 17:3-6)

■Adoption vs. Infanticide (Moses)     

■Adultery/Murder (David/Bathsheba) (Hosea)

■ The perfect love story – Ruth and Boaz

■ The Wrong Kind of Sex  – Sodom & Gomorrah, the Levite’s concubine (Judges 19), Samson & Delilah

■ Redemption and Forgiveness – (the Prodigal Son and                        numerous stories)

Because I'm an inspirational writer, I want my novels to reflect my Christian worldview, core values and outlook on life, through whatever theme I choose. That's the legacy I want to leave with my readers and future generations.

Can you discern the writer's worldview in the movies and/or books you have read recently? So much being written and filmed today is in a secular worldview, but I do love to read and view stories with a strong Christian worldview. How about you?

What is your theme in your current WIP? Can you add to our theme list? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media if it helped you.

Elva Cobb Martin

          

My Journey to a Book Contract - Five Important Steps (Part 1)

by Elva Cobb Martin

As some of you might know, I signed my first book contract recently for my inspirational romantic suspense, Summer of Deception. What you may not know, is how long it took to come to a contract. 

Here are what I consider five important steps to that elusive contract. I will be sharing them in detail in future blogs:

1) NEVER Give Up!
2) Hone Your Craft - a big, continuing step
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers
5) Learn How to Submit to Editors and Agents 



Step 1 - NEVER GIVE UP
I researched and wrote the first draft of Summer of Deception thirty years ago after attending Yvonne Lehman's first Christian writers conference in Black Mountain. I didn't even have a computer and wrote it on a Selectric typewriter. The next year God called me and my husband into the ministry and I stashed the big box of research and first draft up in my attic for the next twenty years where the typed pages turned yellow. After we retired from full-time ministry, I pulled that box down and began rewriting. After I started submitting it to publishers and agents, it was rejected 26 times, before being contracted.

Many may reject your ms, but someone will love it, if you don’t give up. Make up your mind you are committed for however long it takes and whatever it takes to get your book written, polished, sold and marketed or indie published. Carve out praying time, writing time, reading time in your genre and honing your craft time.

And here's a scripture promise for you that I often used to overcome discouragement  Phil. 1:7  “Being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus’ Christ.”

Don't miss the next steps in future blogs!

What advice do you have to help someone who feels like giving up on their novel dream? Please leave a comment and share this blog by clicking on the Twitter and FB button below.

Blessings on your day,
Elva Cobb Martin 

Elva Cobb Martin is 2020 President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College.  She has three inspirational novels published, Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and two historical romances, In a Pirate’s Debt, and Marisol, Book 1 in a new Charleston Brides series for  Wild Heart Books. All three novels have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction.

Book 2, Georgia Ann, English Rose releases Nov. 17, 2020.

Link to all her books: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Creating a Good Villain and Perfect Setting - Guest Blogger

Today I want to share a blog post by a new author friend, Katherine McDermott. I am currently reading her exciting romantic suspense, Hiding. I highly recommend it.

     In creating romantic suspense the "bad guy" is just as important, if not more important, than the hero and heroine. He must be a "real" person with legitimate motives and his own back story; otherwise, you end up writing a melodrama with stock characters like Dudley Do-right and Snidely Whiplash.
     In my suspense romance Hiding, available at www.thewildrosepress.com, I gave a lot of thought to my stalker, Alex Sinclair. When Alex was a child his father deserted his mother, and Alex has pent up anger over the abandonment. His fascination with knives is symbolic of his father's action in cutting off his family. Alex is insecure and easily becomes jealous. He hates to look foolish in front of other males.
     At first, he is a strong shoulder to lean on, an excellent financial advisor and friend to the heroine, Teresa, who has lost her father after a long struggle with cancer. Her mother died when Teresa was a child, and her father's medical bills have left her almost destitute. Fortunately, she has a college education and rare artistic talent. Alex goes out of his way to help her, even lending her money, but he finds her desire to establish independence threatening. When he strikes her in anger, she flees to Paris with the last of her savings, hoping to leave his over possessiveness behind. But eventually, he tracks her down.
     A "good villain"? Oxymoron? No. In creating a believable monster who genuinely thinks he has been wronged, an author cranks up the suspense. Breath bated, the reader forges ahead as this legitimately off-balanced person commits acts of increasing atrocity. Like the narrator in Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart," who keeps insisting that he is perfectly sane, the reader sees and fears the psychosis.

The Perfect Oubliette (Forgotten Place)

     After creating an intriguing villain, I needed the perfect setting for the climax of Hiding, available at www.thewildrosepress.com.
Having read a fascinating article in National Geographic about the labyrinth of tunnels under Paris that include a sewer and water system, French resistance outposts from WWII, and the ancient and eerie catacombs, I knew I had the perfect oubliette. The French word oubliette means "forgotten place." An on-line tour of the catacombs gave me a realistic vision of the bone yard. When Alex abducts Teresa and takes her there, she realizes with growing horror there is no better place to kill someone. What notice will be taken of one more set of bones among the many?
     Find the perfect oubliette for your novel and think about important setting can be to the story. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" the crumbling mansion represents the decaying family. The house is attacks strangers; it is almost a living being, another character. The crack that widens and causes its ultimate destruction
symbolizes the hereditary thread of insanity that runs through the Usher family which culminates with Roderick and Madeline.

                                      ***

Katherine McDermott was born and raised in Charleston, S.C. She is a retired English teacher and guidance counselor with degrees from the College of Charleston and Citadel. She has articles published in numerous publications and her Hiding ms was a finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier Kiss of Death Contest. She has published children's books and co-authored South Carolina Lighthouses.

Connect with Katherine McDermott

http://www.katherinemcdermott.blogspot.com/

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

amazon.com/author/mcdermottkatherine

www.amazon.com/author/kimmcdermott

I hope you enjoyed this guest blog by Katherine. How have you created your villain?  Have you found a great setting or "oubliette?" Do leave a comment and share with your friends.

Elva Cobb Martin

Stop,Drop and Roll: Adding the Crisis Scene by Guest Janice Thompson

Stop, Drop and Roll: Adding the Crisis Scene  

By Janice Hanna Thompson
"Love, Laughter and Happily Ever Afters!"
http://www.janicehannathompson.com

You’re at the ¾ point in your novel and facing that all-important crisis scene. The Supreme Ordeal. The Black Moment. The Big Gloom. You know it’s critical to the story’s survival, and you want it to be the best it can be. Still, you’re unsure of how to progress. How does one go about writing a crisis scene, anyway? What does a confused writer need to know? It’s as easy as “Stop, Drop and Roll!”

STOP!

Stop the clock. Make the reader feel like time is standing still. Like they can’t possibly breathe until you start the clock again.

Stop the romance. There’s a time to kiss…and a time to save the planet. It’s time to save the planet.

Stop the sunlight. It’s time to cover your story in shadows.

Stop the reader’s heart. Leave him breathless and worried.

Stop the POV character’s chances of survival. Things have to look hopeless at this point in the story.

Stop pretending the POV character’s got it all together. Every flaw is now exposed and every hidden motive revealed.

Stop the cheerful chatter. No time to sound uplifting or cheerful. The crisis scene calls for tense, sobering word choices.

            

DROP!

Drop the plotline. You’ve been building, building, building. Now let it plummet.

Drop your reader’s hope. Make him think the story can’t possibly work out.

Drop your POV characters to a physical low.

Drop your POV characters to an emotional low.

Drop the lengthy narrative. Crisis scenes call for short, quick dialogue and very little narrative. Cut off words by using –em dashes. Leave off tags. Push aside descriptives. Cut to the chase.

ROLL!

Roll up your sleeves. Writing the crisis scene is tough work. You need to learn how to do it effectively.

Roll up (tighten) the tension coil. Tighter! Tighter! Tighter!

Roll over and play dead. Your character has to face death (death of a dream, death of a romance, death of hope, etc.) This isn’t a physical death, of course, though it might look as if your primary POV character might face a literal death.

Roll out the punches. Your character’s going to have to come out swinging.

Roll out the sword! Your character needs to be armed and ready to do battle.

Roll the stone away from the cave. Resurrection day is coming!

Roll toward the resolution. Everything has to turn out okay in the end.

The next time you face a crisis scene in your book, just think of these three little words: Stop, Drop and Roll!”

If you’re looking for additional help with your plotline, consider Janice's fiction writing course. It’s loaded with helpful information for novelists and will give you the tools you need to keep the plot going. Check out her site at
www.janicehannathompson.com

Thanks for stopping by. Do leave a comment if this article was helpful. Do you have a plan in writing your crisis scene or Black Moment?

Blessings,

Elva Cobb Martin

Crafting Great Dialog by Guest Andrea Merrell

Crafting Great Dialogue

By Andrea Merrell  from  http://www.thewriteediting.blogspot.com 

Dialogue can make or break a story—too much, too little, too stilted, or too corny.

When we read, we want to see the characters interacting with each other. Whether they're arguing, sharing secrets, or just getting to know each other, we want the communication to be real and flow in such a way that we get pulled into the story.

As writers, we all have a unique voice. When we create our characters, they will also have a voice. The problem occurs when all of our characters have our voice instead of their own. How boring for our readers if everyone in our story sounds the same.

Tips To Remember When Crafting Dialogue

• Use believable, down-to-earth dialogue that fits your character.
• Don’t be afraid to use contractions, since that’s the way most people talk.
• Be mindful of the setting, especially if it’s historical.
• Make your words fit the culture.
• Consider the age of your characters.

Using speaker beats and tags will enhance your dialogue. Let’s look at both.

Speaker Tags

A speaker tag shows the speaker’s name and a speech-related verb (said, asked, shouted). This is generally the best way to show which of your characters is speaking, but sometimes we tend to overuse them. They're not necessary each and every time someone speaks, especially in a long section of dialogue.

Example: “That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing,” Wendy said.

                   “Thank you so much,” Beverly replied.

                    “Would you tell me where you got it?” Wendy said.

                   “Sure. It came from Dillard’s,” Beverly answered.

Do you see how annoying that could get?

Note: This is a common error when using speaker tags:  “That’s a pretty scrawny dog,” Jim laughed. Since Jim cannot laugh that comment, the proper way would be: “That’s a pretty scrawny dog.” Jim laughed. Do you see the difference? In the second example, there is a period after the word dog instead of a comma. The problem with this is that the second example now becomes a speaker beat instead of a tag.

Speaker Beats

A speaker beat describes the action that accompanies what the speaker is saying (like the example above). Here is another example:

“I can’t believe you said that to me.” Jessie grabbed her keys and headed for the door.

Note: Just like the speaker tags, don’t overuse beats. Too many will interrupt the flow of dialogue. They're not necessary every time but work well to help set the scene when used correctly. You can also use them at the beginning instead of the end:

Jessie grabbed her keys and headed for the door. “I can’t believe you said that to me.”

Know your characters well and present them in such a way your readers will not forget them.

What secrets can you share about crafting dialogue? We would love to hear your suggestions.

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/cooldesign/Master Isolated Images.)

TWEETABLES

Dialogue can make or break a story. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

Learn to use speaker beats and tags appropriately. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

Thank you, Andrea, for this great article on dialog! I am sharing it and hope all our readers will do the same.

Elva Cobb Martin