That Girl Who Wrote A Book

     An aspect of story telling that some writers struggle with where others may thrive is dialogue. I am proud to be able to say that dialogue is one of my strengths (many of my professors and readers can attest to this), so today I am going to share some of my tips and tricks.      One mistake many people make when writing dialogue is adding complex dialogue tags. For those who might not know, a dialogue tag is when you put "he/she said" at the end of a bit of dialogue to determine which character is speaking. Many novice writers like to embellish their dialogue tags by saying "she dictated" or "she told them." While these are not necessarily bad phrases to use, it can become a little distracting if every other dialogue tag is something completely different from the last. Most readers have trained their brains to ignore the phrase "he/she said," so when it get's switched up every time, it makes it harder to focus on what the characters are

     Everybody remembers their high school English class and having to write essays about the figurative language used in whatever book you were currently reading. I remember complaining whenever my teachers would talk about symbolism, because how do you know that's actually what the author meant? What if they didn't even mean anything by it? What if the apple is just an apple?     Today, I'd like to destroy your dreams by telling you that an apple is not just an apple.      It wasn't until I started taking writing seriously that I realized how much fun figurative language can be. It can be used symbolically, to foreshadow, and to enrich the story itself. But be careful not to overuse it. If your entire manuscript is figurative language on top of figurative language, it can become confusing and difficult to read.     My personal favorite form of figurative language to use is metaphors. Metaphors can easily be turned into a symbol that carries on throughout your story. F

     Characters are the subject of your story, thus they must be well thought out and fully developed. A good character will change along with your story. A great character will grow with your reader.      Now what do I mean by that?     Obviously, your character is going to be reacting to the events of  your story, and how those events change them is critical. The choices they make drives the plot, but those choices also have to make sense to who they are. A good character will not make the same choices in the beginning of the book and at the end of the book because they will hopefully have learned something along the way.      The moment when your character makes your reader feel  something is the moment when you've mastered your character. What this means is that your character has become relatable, which makes them feel all the more real.      Think of some of your favorite fictional characters. Maybe its Tony Stark. Maybe it's Draco Malfoy. Or maybe it's Katniss Everde

    When I say world building, most people think about the setting of each individual scene. Are they in a castle? Are they in the forest? What do those places look, feel, and smell like? But that is only the beginning.    Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. The Hunger Games. Game of Thrones.     These are all stories where the world building is done masterfully. You have race, you have politics, you have social class, you have history embedded into all these stories. Your goal should be to do the same.  Now, I'm not saying that you're story has to have all of these themes discussed, but you should know them in the back of your head. These are the social settings that impact the way your character might think about the world, interact with others, and live their life.     Thinking about all these aspects can be daunting, so lets take a step back. Worldbuilding is one of the most important steps in writing your book, so lets break it down into five simple steps. 1) The Physical Fea

First Few Words       No matter where you're starting your story, whether it be the very last chapter, the middle of an important scene, or somewhere at the beginning, there will come a time where your soul focus is the first few words of your book.       The first couple words are the most important that you will write throughout this entire process; it is what will hook your reader and encourage them to read your story. If the first sentence doesn't immediately capture your reader's attention, they are less likely to stick around for what comes after.     When considering your first words, you must also consider the overall tone of your story. If the entire book is meant to be very serious, your first sentence should also be quite serious. If you're looking for something more intense, you might want to hook them with something that immediately gets their heart pumping. If your story is more lighthearted, then it is acceptable to open your story with something funny. 

     The worst part about starting a story is facing the blank, white page. Whether you're writing by hand or typing on a computer, getting those first few words on that paper is the most daunting task. If you've ever had to write an essay for a class that you didn't quite prepare for, you know exactly what I'm talking about.     My best suggestion for overcoming this burden is to just start writing. I know that sounds kind of obvious, but if you just vomit something onto the page, it makes continuing much easier. It doesn't really matter what you write, whether its something from the middle of the story, the end of the story, or if it's actually the beginning, as long as you start putting words on the paper, that blank page will quickly disappear. This is where your outline can begin to help you.     If you're truly stumped and don't know how to start, look at your outline. Write out what you want to happen in that scene as objectively as possible. Then