It Was the Aliens!

I kid. My computer said bye-bye a few months ago and a found myself sans Internet connection. It was a strange sort of torture. I suspect a government conspiracy. I'm back and up to my old tricks and sinister ways. Writing, blogging, gaming, and looking for that weird entertainment news I love so much. My new poll is all about finding said news. Help a gal out, if you get the chance.

Watching Your Mouth

(My home away from home, Fanlib.com, is shutting down August 4. With that in mind I've begun saving some of my articles and forum posts for posterity. This is a bit I wrote on dialogue for the Critique Forum.)

Ah, Dialogue.....I hate it! By far, narrative is the most enjoyable part of a writing a story for me. I even enjoy shows that have sparse dialogue scattered among many intimate and quiet moments. There's just something about the way beings interact when they're not speaking that appeals to me. But, alas, fiction cannot live on description alone - there must be (spoken) words! And "life and death is in the power of the tongue."

When I approach dialogue I use a formula. I didn't know I used a formula, but now that you ask, I believe I do. I'm not the best dialogue creator in the world, but you may try it if you wish. So in a scene where Mr. Spock has to go to Captain Kirk's quarters (Yes I'm using Start Trek as an example, bear with me here) and confess that he's the one whose been sabotaging the ship - Spock walks into the room, we get all the necessary descriptive bits, and then comes dialogue.

In deciding what Spock says, I find myself asking four questions, each with a different amount of freedom in the answer.

1. What could he say? Anything goes. This question is only limited by what my imagination can come up with. So I could go casual, "Howdy, Jim! I threw a wrench in the warp core!" Or maybe pathetic, "Please forgive me! I did something so totally heinous!" Perhaps with a bit of humor, "Guess who broke the port nacelle. Dooda! Dooda!" Like I said, just pushing all the boundaries to find something fresh.

2. What should he say? This is really a question of my own personal feelings and ethics. If I were in the situation, what would I do? Should I stand my ground or apologize profusely? Should I sugar coat it or be blunt? Believe it or not these questions will effect what my characters say and how I think they should act.

3. What would he say? The answers to this question are limited to what I know of the character, as played and written by the professionals who brought him to life. Spock is a logical creature, but he is also Kirk's best friend. He is half Vulcan, but his human side does rear it's head in these types of situations. In this story they have known each other for a long time. From these facts I can assume that his lines will be intense and to the point. Tender, yet blunt - and above all, truthful.

4. What must he say? The answer is a very specific group of lines based on the plot needs at this point. For the plot to move forward at this point, Spock must confess his sabotage, tell Kirk why, and say something meaningful that will keep their friendship intact.

So, having answered my four questions I come up with a first draft of dialogue:

"Captain, I am coming to you now, not as an officer of the Enterprise, but
as your friend."

"Of course. What is it, Spock?"

"Jim, I am afraid I was the culprit who sabotaged the Warp Core."

"What? You? Why, Spock?"

"I knew that prefect Valij would relieve you of duty and most likely
commandeer the ship the moment we got to the Neutral Zone. Logic and my own
conscience dictated that I do something to prevent us from getting there, even
if it meant harming the Enterprise. I can only hope you will forgive me, though
I will understand if you are forced to take disciplinary action."

"I think we can skip the court martial this time, my friend."

There. Not perfect, but workable :)

My Poor, Naked Fingers

That's right. The gloves are off. I'm coming at my writing with the grizzly, Winston Churchill version of criticism. You haven't seen this much self-loathing since (well, pick and episode of Dawson's Creek where Jen did something stupid.)

No, it's nothing new. I've always been my worst critic, which I consider a perfectly healthy attitude, within reason. Unfortunately, I'm looking for Wilde and Poe and only seeing...me. Honesty is necessary, no? When does a role model become an obstacle to fresh creation, and when does that consideration become arrogance? There's a heady ball of wax. An interesting woman once said, "I paint for me. If others don't appreciate it, that's their business, as long as they keep it to themselves." We're related. ;)

Ways to "Winston Churchill" Your Writing:

1. Give it the Grammar Nazi treatment. Run it through every grammar checking software you can find. Have a friend proofread all of your work. Heck, call up your high school English teacher and have them give it a once over. And when they're done, call your college professor. Don't stop until you've beaten every ounce of bad grammar from those naughty written works! (Sorry, I get excited.) Perfection is highly noticeable.

2. Let a pro look at it. I have the blessing of knowing a few professionals who are willing to lend me an eye to improving my work. If you don't have that outlet, try writers' conventions. There's usually a group of professional writers on hand for the specific purpose of helping amateurs improve their craft.

3. Question everything. Go through all of your writing over and over again. Use every thing you know and hunt for the things you don't, then apply that knowledge to every line of prose and poetry. You'll probably find yourself making improvements (however minor) every time. Remember, perfection is highly noticeable.

Do your creations please you? Do they please others? And does that matter? Tell Marphlets all about it.

The Drain Pipe Method

I hate writing. I type and type, ink my pen to death, and I'm still not satisfied. I feel like a drain pipe in Seattle. My creative juices have been dumped into an entire Puget Sound of works, but the rain keeps on a comin'. This means that I've got a whole lot going on at once and have to treat my schedule like a battle plan in order to get it all done, and done well.

I'm listening to Beck's Farewell Ride at the moment. And no, I'm not angsting. I frequently change my playlist to include an increasingly varied pallet of music, in hopes that it will keep my writing fresh. I mean, if I'm going to obsessively pour this out on willing eyes, I might as well try to produce something new.

"So there you have it: a letter opener." - MST3K.

That's why I have a blog, a fan fiction site, and a myspace page. I need to share. I'm currently working on three fanfic serials. The first is a Star Trek piece encompassing each of the five series. The second is the one that flows most easily from my brain - Makers of Roads - a spin-off ish serial about a group of Ancients during the last days of their Milky Way empire. Last but not forgotten is a sequel of Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium. My apologies to Mr. Wimmer.

I also write poetry (not fanfic poetry) compulsively. I'll post a little bit of that here along with some snippets of my short stories and serials. It is also my pleasure to do a weekly Sci-Fi news blog on NoHiatus (the Fanlib.com blog) every Saturday.

Happy R&W

LJ