The Bi-weekly Site of the Week ;-)

Well, once again, time has slipped past and I have missed a Site of the Week. However, I have an especially informational/entertaining theme for this post. (Well, I thought it was interesting.) ;-)

Cautionary Tales - The search for an agent. :-O

We know the scammers are out there. We know we should do our homework and investigate before accepting any contracts. And we certainly know not to pay for editing services or "reading fees." However, there are more subtle ways the scammers can get to you. Don't be a victim. Learn from the mistakes of others.

Exhibit #1 - Quoth the Cabbage; what happens when a few writers get together with some extraordinarily bad writing and set out to catch the crooks? If you haven't heard of this story yet, read on. It's worth it. :-)

Exhibit #2 - You are paranoid, They are everywhere and They will do anything to get to you.  I think the title gives you a pretty good idea as to what lengths some scammers will go to in order to dupe unsuspecting newbie writers.

And, just in case you haven't heard of them, please add Preditors & Editors to your favorites list. They have done a lot of work to help keep us all safe from the scammers out there.

Let me offer my sincerest wishes that you be successful in your writing endeavors. But please, be careful out there. :-)

Sites of the Weeks - Rick Riordan and AutoCrit.com

Oops, I've gotten caught up in my CASA/LSAT studies and have once again fallen behind in my weekly helpful site postings.

Forgive me? ;-)

I've decided to dedicate this post to helpful tips on writing dialogue. I've read books where I could hear the characters speaking in my mind (Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Saga is top of that list. Hot guys with Scottish accents - need I say more?). And I've also read books where the dialogue is so stilted and/or outdated for the storyline it made me cringe (ok, maybe I didn't actually finish them). Writing realistic, engaging dialogue takes practice and intuition as well as an "ear" for it. In short, it's a skill that doesn't come easily for most. Yet fear not - help has arrived. :-)

First, some tips on writing dialogue from one of the most popular middle grade authors in the world - Rick Riordan of Percy Jackson and the Olympians fame. As any good author should, he keeps his advice short and to the point. Riordan has an entire section of advice for aspiring writers, including some information on how to navigate the wiles of the road to publication. His advice is sound, and at times stark, but well worth perusing.

The next site, AutoCrit.com, is not only a good resource for dialogue tips but on writing tips in general - the left sidebar has a variety of topics to choose from. However, for the purposes of this week's topic, check out two articles by Sandy Tritt - Avoid Creative Dialogue Tag Syndrome and its sequel,  Breathing Life into Dialogue.

So, for those of you striving to find the delicate balance between realistic dialogue and mind-numbing tyrades that make your readers' eye glaze over - read on. ;-)

Copy Catting ;-)

So, I saw Lydia's post concerning her various writing projects. I also write in a variety of genres, as well as for both the adult and YA age groups - I couldn't pass up the chance to see what my results would be.

P.S. I have remedial computer skills so I have no idea how she got the cool quill graphic to stay.

First up - my first completed manuscript a YA fantasy "Light of Avondell" which earned me this honor -

I write like - Raymond Chandler
 
Next, my short story, "Inflictor of Silence" a dark urban fantasy for the adult set.
 
I write like - William Gibson
 
Ok, how about the fantasy novella I've been shopping around with no bites yet,  "Somewhere?"
 
I write like - William Shakespeare  (The Bard? Really? Wow, not sure if that's good or bad.) ;-)
 
Out of curiosity I decided to check one of my old horror shorts "Tranquil, B.C."
 
I write like - Stephen King
 
Just one more, for good measure. ;-P My historical fiction about a young woman named Calliope Theodopolous - set in first century A.D. Roman Empire, as of yet untitled.
 
I write like - Johathan Swift
 
Huh. I am even more convinced that I have writer's ADD, but I may have to add multiple personality disorder to that. :-o LOL!

BTW, Lydia - notice there isn't a single "Stephenie Meyer" in the bunch. ;-P I kid, you know I kid.

Site(s) of the Week(s) - Elizabeth Crook, Vonda N. McIntyre, and Robert J. Sawyer

Ooops. Last week got away from me too. :-o I just started my CASA training and the first few chapters were a bit more intense than I expected. But, I've got until the 20th to finish up the material. Then I'll be sworn in as an official CASA volunteer in juvenille court - which is super exciting for me! :-) And after that, I get appointed to my first case.

Anyway, I've decided to do three sites this week to make up for (more) lost time. The first is elizabethcrookbooks.com. I stumbled across an article of hers The Seven Rules For Writing Historical Fiction, which is included on her site under the articles tab. Her insights were eye-opening for me, since I am still struggling with my historical fiction novel. Her voice is engaging and she's published three novels to date. One of her suggestions (which embarrassingly I hadn't thought of) was to contact authors of the books you use for historical research and see if they will let you pick their brains.

Up next is, Vonda N. McIntyre's site. Her article on the Pitfalls of Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy is both informative and filled with humor. There are also some short stories available on the site to read free of charge. I found her style a bit heavy on description for my taste, but her storylines were entertaining.

And lastly, Robert J. Sawyer's blog. His article Are the days of the full-time novelist numbered? paints a grim picture of the future of full-time authors, but one well worth considering when pursuing the "dream."  Sawyer also has a very informative website www.sfwriter.com/ (which I may have highlighted already, I can't remember - oopsy.)