Our editing tips over the next few months are part of a series called Dial up Your Dialogue, by Writing Your Life editor Teresa Bruce. Be sure to follow along each month for Teresa’s fantastic tips to energize your dialogue.99190 WUOT Dialogue Logo V2.0
If you’ve ever heard Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” routine, you’ve witnessed the hilarity of an ambiguous conversation crafted with care. In most cases, however, you’ll want readers understanding your dialogue without confusion.
Be sure your readers can tell who speaks each line of dialogue. In the example cited in last month's Dial Up Your Dialogue editing tip, context revealed Timmy and Mom as the speakers. In a scene with more than two individuals present, vary the use of dialogue tags—he said, she said, Timmy said, Mom said—with action beats that show each speaker acting in a way that enhances the story.
This past Saturday, I spent the day with a fantastic group of writers learning the Basics of Writing Well.
We had two Jackies and three Patricias in the group. Several came from long distances: Lady Lake, Ocala, Cocoa, Sarasota, Sebring, Gainesville, and Cape Canaveral. These folks are committed to writing well! I’m excited about many of these participants also being first-timers to a Writing Your Life event. This was such a fun and engaging group.
By Amanda Benson, Writing Your Life staffLast Friday, Patricia gave a presentation called “Be a Speaking Sensation” at the annual conference of Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA). As her assistant, I often have the privilege of tagging along with her to events such as this to help set up, distribute handouts, and take pictures. I also get the invaluable benefit of hearing all of Patricia’s talks, which I hope and pray are getting saved somewhere in my memory bank.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in a crematorium? If so, go behind the scenes with mortician turned memoirist, Caitlin Doughty in Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory. In this best-selling memoir, Doughty does more than just describe her job and how her early morbid interests became her career. She reveals how our culture is in denial about dying and argues for major changes in how we face the details of death.
In April 2017, The Villages Recreation Department established The Enrichment Academy (TEA), a service entity that provides community education and development. In its first year, more than 10,000 students moved through the new classrooms of TEA. Wow!
Last Thursday, August 2, I participated in the TEA Expo, which kicked off registration for residents of The Villages for the fall semester. The Expo also provided an opportunity for those facilitating classes to meet potential students and introduce the courses. I could not believe the diversity of class offerings and sheer size of the Expo.
"My wife, Rachel, and I are thrilled at the recognition 7 Ships has received.” – John Mitchell, award-winning author of 7 Ships
The 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) conference wrapped up this past weekend. The highlight of the conference is the President’s Award Banquet, where authors and publishers throughout Florida are recognized and awarded in a variety of genres for their recent offerings. Writing Your Life client John Mitchell’s book, Seven Ships: A U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer’s At-Sea Career, published earlier this year, was recently selected as a finalist in the FAPA President’s Awards, in the autobiography and memoir category.
Beginnings are often disguised as endings. Have you noticed that?
A graduation from a school program is the beginning of a new career. A move from one state becomes a new life in another. The dissolution of a relationship may be the beginning of a new, better one with yourself or someone else.
Sometimes the lines between…
Good news, friends in The Villages and surrounding towns. I am coming to you! After many, many requests from the Writing Your Life community, I am headed to The Villages to teach.
In April 2017, The Villages Recreation Department established The Enrichment Academy, a new division of lifestyle services that focuses on
I recently had the privilege of beinginterviewed on a new podcast about writing and publishing life story. What an honor to share with listeners about the work I love.
Storyical is a relatively new podcast produced by Peta Roberts of Life Story Professionals in Santa Clara, California. Storyical aims to help new authors push through the barriers they might encounter when recording or writing their memoirs. Episodes inspire writers to turn stories into life histories and share practical advice for capturing that story.
Flash: Writing the Very Short Story - John DufresneHeating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs - Beth Ann Fennelly
Last week, I had the privilege of spending an evening with the Maitland chapter of the Florida Writers Association where we discussed the Art of Writing Short. We explored a number of examples of flash fiction and micro-memoir, including the elegant simplicity of six-word memoir. Everyone agreed: it certainly requires skill and practice to put our thoughts into fewer words without sacrificing depth or impact. Writing short is indeed an art form all its own and presents a worthy challenge for writers.
Good news, friends in The Villages and surrounding towns. I am coming to you! After many, many requests from the Writing Your Life community, I am headed to The Villages to teach.
In April 2017, The Villages Recreation Department established The Enrichment Academy, a new division of lifestyle services that focuses on
