Dialog - Check!

Right now, I'm editing and trying to wrap some things up before I leave for WorldCon next week! (Can I get a Woohoo?!!) So, I'm going to keep this short and sweet today.

When I'm editing, I like to go through my dialog and make sure every line is necessary and either teaches or evokes emotion for the reader. I try to make sure it accomplishes whatever I need it to accomplish.

The dialog shouldn't repeat something that has already been stated in narrative and vice versa. I try to keep it as snappy and dynamic as possible, and make sure that each line really fits the character and sounds like something they would really say.

What do you watch for when editing dialogue? What do you struggle with the most?

Where's the Love?

I've been thinking a lot lately about tension within writing. There are many different kinds...but what I want to work on at the moment is romantic tension.

I know I'm a girl and all that jazz and I should love that ooey-gooey kissy stuff, and I like to read it, but I'm more of a jaw-dropping, blood-pumping, scared-stiff kind of girl when it comes to what I enjoy writing. However, I recognize that the romantic tension can be every bit as gripping as the scary bits. Thus, I'm setting some of my focus on that part of the whole process.

While I've been doing my research, I came across this very awesome post by Roni Loren. It was so brilliant I had to share it with you. So enjoy the following tips for making your steamy scenes as heart melting as possible. 

To build tension:

Make the attraction that each feels for the other obvious to the reader.

--The characters are hyper aware of all the little details of the person when he/she is around. Use all the senses not just sight.

No conflict=no tension

--Make sure there are good reasons why these two can't be together--internal and external. Bella and Edward can't get together because, well, he may kill her.

Use internal dialogue

--The hero may be clenching his hands at his sides, but tell us why. The urge to reach out and touch the heroine's hair is overwhelming him.

Always on each other's mind

--If your hero and heroine aren't together in a scene, then have their thoughts go to the other so that we know he/she can't get the other off his/her mind.

Patience, grasshopper

--Don't relieve the tension too quickly. Frustration must build and build. There's a reason why the first love scene doesn't usually happen until 2/3 the way through a book.

Here we go, wait, not so fast

--Give your characters a taste of what they could have, then make them stop. This is the famous device on sitcoms where they start to kiss, but then someone burst in to interrupt. It doesn't have to be that obvious. One of the characters could be the one to stop (usually for some internal reason related to the conflict between them.)

It's addictive

--Once you do let the two get together the first time (be that a kiss or full out lovin'), leave them wanting more. Instead of satisfying their need/curiosity/etc., they want each other even more. Now they know what they could have if not for all that pesky conflict. Damn those mean authors who put so much in their way.

When all looks like it's going to work out, pull them apart again.

--Romantic comedy movies do this all the time. The characters seem to resolve some conflict and get together. Oh but wait, there's more! Some conflict wedges between them again.

--Don't resolve the relationship until very near the end. Otherwise, the reader will lose interest.

Thanks, Roni! :) What about you? Any other tips you'd like to add?

Cool Things on the Internet

So, today let me tell you about some cool things I've seen on the internet this week!

This post showed me the very cool Kimberly Sabatini (KimmiePoppins on twitter) discussing what she's learned from her editorial revisions.

And here you can find some seriously creeptastic Mary Poppins dolls.

This is an amazing post by C.J. Redwine on what happens when you don't sell, and what happens when you do. Anyone who ever has been or ever will be on submission should absolutely read this.

And here is a weird glasses you could buy to drink red wine...or grape juice, if you will, out of.

Seriously! How useful am I today?! It's official. I deserve a break.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Distractions

Sometimes, my brain is useful. It works hard. I put it on a task and I'm rewarded with great concepts, cool story arcs, and interesting dialog--pretty much on command. Other times I ask and it replies with only this:

pffffffffffffffffffffffftttttttttttttttt!!

And that is all. At times like this, I say, come on now. I know you can do this. Find me some information on brain chemistry... and five minutes later I find myself staring at this:

Which, as you can see, involves an entirely different kind of chemistry.

So, after twenty minutes of drooling, I close my window and open a shiny new Google search. I snap my fingers and give my brain a thorough talking to. Finding out information about obsession is crucial to the plot. Now stay on task!

Five minutes later, I find myself here:

Obsession? Maybe... The kind I was looking for? No----comment.

Hummmanahummmanahummmana... ahem.

Focus, yes...focus. New fresh Google screen. Brain, let's try something foreign. How about the temperature of water in near-drownings in Scandinavia? That's a nice, safe region. Or perhaps info on the volcano in Iceland? These are all important subjects. Let's look there.

Scandinavian - check...oh well. I give up. Apparently, my brain has no ability to focus today. So enjoy this eye candy on me.

Anything that seems to keep you distracted when you should be working?

Tales from Dork-dom

I have something to confess. I'm kind of a dork. I like to play video games and recently discovered my love for D&D. My skin and the sun are like oil and water. When combined, they make me look like an overcooked lobster. If I didn't wear contacts, my glasses would look like the bottoms of old glass Coke bottles. I can do math problems in my head that would make an accountant blush, and I have a love for all things Stargate that is, frankly, bordering on obsession.

Except Stargate Universe. We don't talk about Stargate Universe in my house...

Ever.

So, I don't know why it would surprise me that I've passed my beloved nerdiness along to my sons. But it did. My oldest son has picked up my knack for math but he pulls it off as more cute than dorky. (Disclaimer: do NOT accuse me of being biased, this is my blog, I'm allowed!)

The other day, my house peaked out on the nerd level. My older son was spinning my younger one on a chair in the office. He went faster and faster until my younger one yelled--

"Help! Too fast! I'm breaking a hole in space/time!"

Yeah, he's 6. It's official...my dorkiness is spreading.

How about you? Any nerdish tendencies you'd like to confess on this lovely Monday morning? I promise, we won't judge you too much...or at least we won't mock you until you cry. Or at least not out loud...okay, nevermind.

I promise nothing.

I'm Getting Published in Germany! + What's a Literary Scout Anyway?

Yes, you read that right. Heyne Flieght in Germany is going to publish INSOMNIA. No, really! Not even kidding. Here, let me show you the upcoming Publisher's Weekly announcement so you will believe me:


"Germany rights to INSOMNIA by J.R. Johansson, a debut YA supernatural/psychological thriller, about a teen boy who thought spending every night trapped in other people's dreams was bad, but discovers that losing control of his own body and mind is so much worse, sold to Heyne Flieght in a TWO-BOOK deal at auction by Agence Hoffman, on behalf of Taryn Fagerness Agency and Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency."


See?! Isn't that crazy! I mean, seriously...how awesome is that announcement? I think it's pretty much the most wonderful thing I've read anywhere, like better than HUNGER GAMES and HARRY POTTER. And my love for HG and HP pretty much borders on obsession.


So, the funny thing is that this isn't even the craziest part. The really crazy part is how all of this came about. Basically, my agent and I went on submission and within a week or so we got an e-mail from a literary scout that had gotten her "sticky scout fingers" on INSOMNIA, read it on vacation, and loved it. She said all these wonderful things about it and then said she would be sending her clients a "glowing e-mail" first thing in the morning.


Now, I don't know about you guys, but I had no idea whatsoever what a literary scout does. I've read pretty much everything on the internet about agents and editors, and literally nothing about scouts. So, when I got this e-mail, my first thought was, "Well, thank you very much for your kind words and also, where the heck did you get my book?" Second was, "Clients? What clients?"


As it turns out, VERY cool ones.


When I find something about publishing that I don't know, the first thing I do is Google it, and that's what I did. Unfortunately, and probably according to their own devious plans, there is very little out there about literary scouts. I did, however, find one very informative article that outlines what scouts do and why we should all love them very much. 


And I do, a lot, *smooches*


Basically, literary scouts get their "sticky fingers" on manuscripts that are on submission or have been recently bought by US publishers. They read them, and if they like them, they tell all their "clients" (mostly foreign publishers, but also some film industry bigwigs) about them and tell them to move quickly. <--This is a very good thing.


We got the scout e-mail and my own team of superheroes, Kathleen Rushall and Taryn Fagerness, got right to work--got in touch with the right people, sent my manuscript out to those that needed to see it, got stuff done. They, clearly, knew what it meant. I Googled...yep, that's it. Just Googled. THIS is why we need agents, people! I love my agents.


Within a matter of days of receiving this amazing, lovely, fantastic scout's e-mail, we were at auction in Germany. A foreign country. Where we had submitted literally nothing up until the scout got a hold of my manuscript. 


It was sheer, awesome, madness. Germany moved incredibly quick and there was much excitement throughout the land...or my house...but whatever. So, yeah, this is the very cool nature of the literary scout. May I suggest you read that article and educate yourself. They are like the Batman of publishing. 


And also, YAY I'M GETTING PUBLISHED AND I'M SO SO HAPPY!!! You should totally go and check out my new publisher's website, because while, yes, it is in German, it is also GORGEOUS. Go and see!

The Infamous Car Crash Story - Part Deux

I'm in a cabin in the middle of the desert and I'm using the slowest internet connection known to mankind. If this posts at all it will be a miracle, so no... you don't get any crazy car crash picture. If you need counseling when I get back to civilization I can provide it in exchange for brownies.

So... as I was saying in my post on Friday (linking would literally take me an additional 20 minutes so if you want to check it out, you're going to have to do the legwork yourself...sheesh--you lazy bums! Where did you spend the weekend? Club Med? Ahem...), I'd been in a six car pile-up on the freeway. I was in shock, and surrounded by Norwegians + one screaming girl. After pondering the repercussions of re-taking Kindergarten as a 16-year-old for awhile, the police finally arrived and were quick to reassure me that I could, indeed, still understand English. 

Huzzah! 

I rushed to insist that I was going to be late for my first class and needed someone to drive me to school. (I attribute this astounding increase in responsibility to my state of shock. As much as I would like to claim that I was really that diligent in high school, I usually tried to stay home if I suspected I had to sneeze.) The policeman looked at my car/new accordion and informed that I was going nowhere until I'd filled out a police report and had a paramedic check me out. I tried to argue, but he just kept muttering "civic duty" and "juvenile detention" until I agreed.

He escorted me to his car where he handed me a police report and instructed me to "just fill out the information on the top and draw a picture on the bottom." I got right to work, as I said, remarkably responsible. I answered all the questions and then drew my picture in the space at the bottom of the page. When the officer came back, I handed him my report and asked if I could go to school now. He took the page and looked it over, then looked back at me, and back at my report again. 

My picture looked something like this:

Yes, for real.

In my defense, the policeman really should've been more specific about what he wanted me to draw. Clarity is crucial. Apparently, a smiley sun was not what he had in mind and he could've been more detailed about that. "Draw a picture without a smiling sun please."

Not that hard, Mr. Officer, not that hard.

Surprisingly, when he saw my picture the policeman didn't release me to go to school or even compliment my impressive skillz. Instead he looked at me funny, told me not to move...and called over the paramedic.

After assessing my situation, and my lovely police report, the paramedic decided I needed to be checked out at the hospital. So, they strapped me to a very flat, very hard board, and put me in an ambulance with the screaming girl. She had a stretcher, and a pillow.

That just didn't sit right with me.

The entire trip to the hospital I repeatedly informed the paramedic that not only did I have insurance, but it was good insurance. My insurance would surely pay for a pillow... I may have also used the words: lawyer, malpractice, and 'like SO rude' a few times. Now that I think about it, I'm not certain the paramedic responded to me at all.

That's like SO rude!

Anyway, I had pretty bad whiplash and a minor concussion and everyone else in the accident was fine--a minor miracle. And I ended up with an "infamous" car crash story.

Have a happy week everyone!!