Some advice needed

[ShyDavid]

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 04:31:52 GMT, "Delbert McGill"

I am just starting to write my own stories. Is it advisible to
have several oriject going at once or should I just finish one?

If the goal of your writing is to make money, you owe it to yourself
to finish a project before starting others.

At the moment I am writing two books; I also write essay for money.
The essays take priority.

My stories take place in thew same general fictional area, is it
alright to mention facts that have taken place in other stories?

It depends. Are the stories published together? Have you included a
brief intro along the lines of "what has gone before?" The last thing
you want your readers to do is wonder who and what you are talking
about about: if they cannot know by what they are reading, you have
cheated them.

Popular writers such as Larry Nivin can get away with writing a
stand-alone book based upon previous books because he has a very large
readership, and that readership is familiar with his work.

Finally I having having a problem with balancing dialog and narrative.
What kind excerises can I do to develope a more balance approach?

Hemmm. Must you balance? I've written essays and stories with zero
dialog. My story "She Who Has Been Broken" has (if I recall correctly)
seven sentences in dialog, and it runs 12,000 words.

Thank you in advance for your help.
Hipdale

[James D. Macdonald]

Why this is in the "scams" group has me puzzled.

I am just starting to write my own stories. Is it advisible to have several
oriject going at once or should I just finish one?

There isn't a right answer to that. Whatever works for you is what
works for you. However you _must_ finish everything you start.

My stories take place in thew same general fictional area, is it alright to
mention facts that have taken place in other stories?

Yes, provided they belong in the story where they appear, and the
story makes sense to someone who never has (and never will) read any
of the other stories.

Finally I having having a problem with balancing dialog and narrative. What
kind excerises can I do to develope a more balance approach?

Write. Write a lot. Write every day.

Thank you in advance for your help.
Hipdale

You're quite welcome.

Best,
Jim

[Dandy Walker]

I am just starting to write my own stories. Is it advisible to have several
oriject going at once or should I just finish one?

Good for you. There's no reason not to have several pieces going at the
same time. It can be very useful to keep a file of story ideas so you
always have some new material to move on to.

My stories take place in thew same general fictional area, is it alright to
mention facts that have taken place in other stories?

Again, no reason why not. If the stories stand on their own and make
sense to the reader even if they haven't read the other stories, that's
great, otherwise it can be confusing to your audience. If you can tie
the stories together with a plot, or a time line, you then have a very
strong collection of work.

Finally I having having a problem with balancing dialog and narrative. What
kind excerises can I do to develope a more balance approach?

Listen to people, eavesdrop as much as you can, read your dialog aloud
to see if it sounds natural. Narrative is fine, but "showing" is almost
always better and more real to the reader than "telling".

Thank you in advance for your help.

You're most welcome. You've asked some very intelligent questions and
you seem to be committed to learning your craft as a writer. This opens
up many possibilities for you professionally -- although fiction writing
is not generally a great moneymaker even for published authors, there
are many other professional writing occupations that benefit
tremendously from the kind of craftsmanship you are developing.
Journalism, technical writing and copywriting are all reasonably well
paying occupations.

[James Follett]

X-No-Archive: yes

Post by Dandy Walker
Listen to people, eavesdrop as much as you can, read your dialog aloud
to see if it sounds natural.

Well, um, you see, this listening to people is good advice, but, uh,
you know, you have to, like, temper it with some judicious, uh, what's
the word? editing, that's it, some judicious editing, because, well,
the way some people, you know, *really* talk is kind of, like, tedious.

One of Hugh Grant's remarkable skills is to take the script and jig it
so that his character talks in incomplete sentences, sometimes allowing
sentences to trail away into silence yet enable audience to understand
exactly what he intended to say. Few actors can do this, and I've worked
with more than a few.

[Delbert McGill]

Post by ShyDavid
On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 04:31:52 GMT, "Delbert McGill"
Hemmm. Must you balance? I've written essays and stories with zero
dialog. My story "She Who Has Been Broken" has (if I recall correctly)
seven sentences in dialog, and it runs 12,000 words.

I think my main problem is that my dialog tends to run for several pages.
My thinking is that my readers will find that tiresome.

Thanks
Hipdale

[James Follett]

X-No-Archive: yes

Post by Delbert McGill

Post by ShyDavid
On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 04:31:52 GMT, "Delbert McGill"
Hemmm. Must you balance? I've written essays and stories with zero
dialog. My story "She Who Has Been Broken" has (if I recall correctly)
seven sentences in dialog, and it runs 12,000 words.

I think my main problem is that my dialog tends to run for several pages.
My thinking is that my readers will find that tiresome.

This reminds of a story, supposedly involving Mozart when he was asked
for advice on writing concertos. "Wait until you're at least forty or
fifty," said Mozart. The questioner protested that Mozart had written
concertos as a kid. "True," the great man replied. "But I didn't have to
ask how."

Find a writer you like and try to emulate his or her style. That way
your own style will develop.

[ShyDavid]

On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 14:05:45 GMT, "Delbert McGill"

Post by Delbert McGill

Post by ShyDavid
Hemmm. Must you balance? I've written essays and stories with zero
dialog. My story "She Who Has Been Broken" has (if I recall correctly)
seven sentences in dialog, and it runs 12,000 words.

I think my main problem is that my dialog tends to run for several pages.
My thinking is that my readers will find that tiresome.

If the dialog is sharp, witty, and informative, I suspect most readers
won't even notice. :-) One of the Star Trek anthologies published by
Bantam has a short story that is nothing but dialog. The story is
about Kirk and Spock stuck in a cabin on _Enterprise_ without light or
gravity, and they spent their time waiting for rescue by talking to
each other. As I recall, it was very well done.

Post by Delbert McGill
Thanks
Hipdale

[Delbert McGill]

I want to thank everyone for their advice. Here is a bit of a current
project I am working on called The Crow Maidens Feel free to comment on
it, I need to know what I need to improve on.

THE CROW MAIDENS

BY

DALE MCGILL

I Close My Eyes Only For A Moment And The Moment's Gone

Dust In The Wind



Natasha Quilby felt trapped. The city where she was born and raised
was the same city that kept her a prisoner. Los Angeles to many people was a
place filled bright lights and endless parties. It really was a city that
never slept. To Natasha, however, LA was a dark and dangerous place.

All around her, she saw only the city’s shadows. When it came to
its citizens, she saw only competitors. Other predators who would attack and
devour her at the first sign of weakness.

Measured by their standards she was a success. She had been someone
who had risen to the top of the food chain. Natasha had taken no prisoners
as she had clawed her way up to the top. She would brutally crush anyone she
thought stood in her way.

The thing they couldn’t see was the emptiness she carried inside
her. Like some parasite it was slowly eating away at her spirit. Everything
she had accomplished only mocked her suffering. She didn’t have any real
friends because in LA friends were a luxury no one could afford. LA was a
city of loners that moved about their lives like the flickering images on a
movie screen.

Though her penthouse window she saw the whole city. It loomed before
her like the jagged peaks of barren mountains with lonely campfires
scattered over them. A cold wind seemed to blow through the open sliding
glass doors. The wind’s icy fingers reached out to embrace her.

She looked at the bottle of pills in her hand. She wondered, if she
would feel any pain, or if she would just drift off to sleep. Natasha
already knew that no one except her mother and Jack would miss her. All her
problems would soon be over.

Suddenly she flung the bottle across the room. It hit the wall and
bounced back and landed half way across the room. For a few moments she sat
on the sofa then she began to cry. Her tears were a mixture of pain and
anger. The pain came from the cruel emptiness and the anger from even
thinking of killing herself.

Natasha picked up the bottle and went back to the sofa. She found
herself shaking so hard that she had to drop it on the floor. "Come on
Tasha, get control of yourself. You have other options you just need a
little time to think about them. You need to get out of this fucking city
before it kills you." She told herself.

Thanks again.

HipDale
--
What will happen will happen, why reap trouble by sowing it?

I am just starting to write my own stories. Is it advisible to have

several

oriject going at once or should I just finish one?
My stories take place in thew same general fictional area, is it alright

to

mention facts that have taken place in other stories?
Finally I having having a problem with balancing dialog and narrative.

What

kind excerises can I do to develope a more balance approach?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hipdale

[Berry Kercheval]

Post by Delbert McGill
I Close My Eyes Only For A Moment And The Moment's Gone
Dust In The Wind

Be aware that quoting song lyrics in your stories usually requires
permission from the copyright holders (who may or may not be the
songwriters or band). "Fair Use" here is muddy, as far as I can tell.
I suggest you investigate and clear this up if you intend to sell this
story.