tips or advise about dialoque (conversations) - Page 3 - Writers Forum

Nish · 06-03-2006, 10:00 AM

Mike,

what would be the other two classic newbie mistakes?
I think I know one of the remaining two but I would like to hear your top 3.

Kamisama · 06-03-2006, 10:00 AM

Screw you both.

Writing can be whatever you want it to be.
Getting someone to read it is the harder part.

Rubbish, he said. Oh, she said? Yes! I like pie he said. Oh so you don't care about ingles? No. I think typing in sushi is much better than applying to general logic and Harvard.

Dawnstorm · 06-03-2006, 10:40 AM

Puritan pragmatics vs. romanticist hyperbole.

I suggest a wrestling match.

The romantic loses by default. The pragmatic is always better at wrestling.

(

)

Slugfly · 06-03-2006, 11:35 AM

I'm sure that the 'expostulated' example was just an extreme to show a point. But we have to remember that we want to make our readers feel certain ways, certain emotions about situations, sceneries and characters. It's all propoganda. Consider reading the news and seeing in one source:

"Villagers took to arms and rose up against and killed their oppressive rulers."

Then seeing in another source:

"Violent rebels armed themselves and invaded the royal grounds, slaughtering all."

Both of these state the same facts. I know we're talking about dialogue here and not just descriptions, but it all obeys Orwell. As Kamisama said (and others too) we can tell a lot about a character without actually saying anything.

"I just won." He said. (normal)
"I just won." He boasted. (arrogant)
"I just won." He whined. (strongsad)

Rob · 06-03-2006, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dookie

Okay, I looked back over my files. I wrote that when I was fourteen, TWO YEARS AGO!! Give the dialogue a break man my writing sucked back then.

EDIT: My dialogue is good now however, but I dont post anymore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dookie

I don't need to, you have no evidence that my dialogue is bad so don't say it is. Don't refer back to anything I've posted on WF, it's old and I agree it's shoddy. My stuff now is okay.

The story I used as an example was posted here at the end of February, and you claimed to have written it in the previous half an hour, so I don't see how you can claim it was written two years ago:

I just wrote this in the past half hour because I was bored. I like it. This is probably the first story I have ever posted on here as I only seem to frequent the other categories. I hope you enjoy this. (c)Copyright 2006.

Besides, you weren't on the site two years ago. And you've a 2006 copyright statement on it:

http://www.writingforums.com/showthread.php?t=55727

Dookie · 06-03-2006, 12:04 PM

humph, your right. That apology was meant for you too you know.

Mike C · 06-03-2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nish

Mike,

what would be the other two classic newbie mistakes?
I think I know one of the remaining two but I would like to hear your top 3.

Classic newbie mistakes...

1. The previously discussed dialogue tags.

2. Overuse of adjectives and adverbs, overwriting to appear more writerly.

3. Putting a (c) copyright notice on your work.

Mike C · 06-03-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamisama

Writing can be whatever you want it to be.
Getting someone to read it is the harder part.

I agree. Unfortunately, if you write shit, it's that much harder finding an audience.

Anne Lacey · 06-03-2006, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

I agree. Unfortunately, if you write shit, it's that much harder finding an audience.

Gosh, that's exactly what I was trying tell what's his name on the Harry Potter thread. I gave up though. If someone wants to write crap, who am I to stop them, right? I just don't have to read it and no one else will either.

And I totally agree with your newbie mistakes, Mike. Now why don't more people? It would make for such better writers world round!

Dookie · 06-03-2006, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

3. Putting a (c) copyright notice on your work.

I'd say that's more a thing of personal choice of the writer than a "mistake".

Nish · 06-03-2006, 04:39 PM

Thanks Mike.

I am doing fine. Two out of three.

As for no.3 - never heard of it. I know what both words mean separately but when put together they make no sense to me.

A lot to learn.

mwd · 06-03-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nish

As for no.3 - never heard of it. I know what both words mean separately but when put together they make no sense to me.

He means a copyright notice that you'd put at the bottom of one of your works when you post it, like © Nish 2006 or whatever.

The thing is that your work is protected by copyright as soon as you write it. Putting a notice is probably a waste of time; if someone's determined to steal your work, they'll just go ahead and steal it regardless of whether it has a pretty copyright notice on it.

It's also usually done by newbie writers (I know I used to do it), so it is kind of a red flag that you are inexperienced. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but it seems to correlate most of the time.

Dawnstorm · 06-03-2006, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

3. Putting a (c) copyright notice on your work.

And there I was thinking: "3. Abuse of passive voice".

Silly me.

Mike C · 06-03-2006, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawnstorm

And there I was thinking: "3. Abuse of passive voice".

Silly me.

Some experienced writers abuse passive, and not all newbies do.

Anyway, it's a 'for fun' top three gleaned from personal observation, not a hard and fast.

Mike C · 06-03-2006, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dookie

I'd say that's more a thing of personal choice of the writer than a "mistake".

You'd say lots of things, Dookie, few of them seem relevant.

Trust me, more than anything else an editor will identify you as green as soon as (s)he sees this. Pro writers never do it.