by Annette Lyon
I've read countless manuscripts from beginning writers that go something like this:
Mary and Steve sit around talking and talking and talking. Maybe they're eating something and they talk about the food. (Great cookies, he says. Thanks, she replies. I tried a new recipe.)
They might be walking around the streets of some city (often New York, maybe San Francisco), and we get the surroundings described a lot. (Honking cars, smog, whatever.)
We have background information on the characters' lives dropped in from the sky (what I call info dump.)
BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT HAPPENS.
I yawn. At this point I keep reading only if I'm judging a contest where I'm forced to give specific feedback on a form.
Where is the plot, folks?!
Let's back up and define what we think we already know but sometimes forget:
Plot is a series of connected events that tell a story. More importantly, plot is a series of connected events driven by conflict.
Conflict is the essence of every story. It's why we keep reading.
Will Woody ever be the favorite toy again? We want to know. Otherwise, why bother watching? That one big question is broken up into smaller, bite-sized questions that are answered at the end of each scene, which propels us into the next one.
That scene-ending answer is always one of three things:
1) NO
2) NO. And furthermore . . .
3) Yes, BUT
Using Disney's Toy Story, let's look at a few examples:
-Once at Pizza Planet, will Woody manage to get him and Buzz into the stroller? No. And furthermore, Buzz runs off into what he thinks is a spaceship, so Woody has to save him.
-Does Woody manage to pull Buzz out of said spaceship/game before the claw does? No. And furthermore, it's the evil kid Sid that gets them, shoves them into his backpack, and takes them home to do scary things to them.
-Does Woody manage to escape from Sid's mutant toys? Yes, BUT now his own friends at the house next door turn on him, thwarting their escape because they think he's betrayed Buzz.
See how this works? I've actually skipped over some of the smaller scene questions and could have broken it down even further. But the idea is that one scene's question leads directly into the next scene's.
No scene question will never be answered as a happy, "YES!" until the very end, where the question is essentially, "Will they be happy now?"
I first got this way of looking at scenes from a book by Jack M. Bickham,who has written a number of volumes about writing. This one is Scene and Structure. When I first read it, the thing had my brain swirling in about a hundred directions.
I won't try to encapsulate it here--go read it yourself. There's a lot more to it than I've explained, and while the entire method won't necessarily work for every book (maybe an action/suspense that's plot-driven, but not a historical romance that's more character-driven, for example), it's a great technique for seeing where you can ratchet up your conflict and tension.
At the very least, if you use more scene-ending questions, your characters won't be sitting around shooting the breeze and chewing on hot dogs for no reason anymore.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Put your pen where your mouth is
by Julie Wright
Have you ever wondered what exactly “writing” means? I say it all the time to my family—“Ssh! Not now kids, can’t you see I’m writing? Make yourself a bowl of cold cereal for dinner if you’re hungry.” Or, “Sorry, Ma. No can talk, I’m writing.” Or, “Sorry about the fact that I didn’t hear a word you just said, honey . . . I was imagining what the hero in the book I’m writing would have said . . .”
It’s a verb . . . It’s what I do, but what is it? Wikipedia says: Writing, in its most common sense, is the preservation and the preserved text on a medium, with the use of signs or symbols. In that regard, it is to be distinguished from illustrating such as cave drawings and paintings on the one hand, and authoring such as tape recordings, and film or movies, on the other.
Dictionary.com says it is to express thoughts or ideas through a written medium.
I say it's sitting your backside in a chair and getting it done.
I write. I’ve written, and, if you ask my family, I will always be writing. That is the key.
Just today I had a friend call. She wants to be a writer. She wants it bad. She froths at the mouth when I get a new book out or talk to her about book deals other writers make.
But she never sits down and writes. Seriously, never. She hasn’t written so much as two words together for over ten years.
I’m a member of a group called Codex. This group is comprised of neo-pro/pro science fiction and fantasy writers who have proven they are actively involved in that verb called writing. Most of them are winners of Writers of the Future award. I’ve read their work . . . they really are the writers of the future.
Recently they had a discussion about finding time to write. Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about this since “finding” time is something that never happens to me. My life is busy. If you want to know how busy, go read my website under “aspire to write” and you’ll know what I’m talking about. After a lengthy discussion with my fellow codexians, I determined that all of them write at least 1000 words a week. Most of them write that per day, but all of them get at least that much in during a week time frame.
So now I’m curious about the rest of the world. Are you serious about writing? If you are . . . are you putting your pen where your mouth is? How many words a day/week/whatever do you write? Personally, I write about 500 words a day. Some days I do 2000; some days I do ten (not thousand--ten total, yeah I know, that bites). It all averages out to 500 a day. At that rate I write about 180,000 words a year. For me that is the equivalent of two (sometimes two and a half if I'm doing YA or middle grade) books. It takes me about a half hour a day to do that.
You could cut one sitcom out of your TV life and produce two books a year. I'd call that a worthy investment.
Have you ever wondered what exactly “writing” means? I say it all the time to my family—“Ssh! Not now kids, can’t you see I’m writing? Make yourself a bowl of cold cereal for dinner if you’re hungry.” Or, “Sorry, Ma. No can talk, I’m writing.” Or, “Sorry about the fact that I didn’t hear a word you just said, honey . . . I was imagining what the hero in the book I’m writing would have said . . .”
It’s a verb . . . It’s what I do, but what is it? Wikipedia says: Writing, in its most common sense, is the preservation and the preserved text on a medium, with the use of signs or symbols. In that regard, it is to be distinguished from illustrating such as cave drawings and paintings on the one hand, and authoring such as tape recordings, and film or movies, on the other.
Dictionary.com says it is to express thoughts or ideas through a written medium.
I say it's sitting your backside in a chair and getting it done.
I write. I’ve written, and, if you ask my family, I will always be writing. That is the key.
Just today I had a friend call. She wants to be a writer. She wants it bad. She froths at the mouth when I get a new book out or talk to her about book deals other writers make.
But she never sits down and writes. Seriously, never. She hasn’t written so much as two words together for over ten years.
I’m a member of a group called Codex. This group is comprised of neo-pro/pro science fiction and fantasy writers who have proven they are actively involved in that verb called writing. Most of them are winners of Writers of the Future award. I’ve read their work . . . they really are the writers of the future.
Recently they had a discussion about finding time to write. Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about this since “finding” time is something that never happens to me. My life is busy. If you want to know how busy, go read my website under “aspire to write” and you’ll know what I’m talking about. After a lengthy discussion with my fellow codexians, I determined that all of them write at least 1000 words a week. Most of them write that per day, but all of them get at least that much in during a week time frame.
So now I’m curious about the rest of the world. Are you serious about writing? If you are . . . are you putting your pen where your mouth is? How many words a day/week/whatever do you write? Personally, I write about 500 words a day. Some days I do 2000; some days I do ten (not thousand--ten total, yeah I know, that bites). It all averages out to 500 a day. At that rate I write about 180,000 words a year. For me that is the equivalent of two (sometimes two and a half if I'm doing YA or middle grade) books. It takes me about a half hour a day to do that.
You could cut one sitcom out of your TV life and produce two books a year. I'd call that a worthy investment.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Synopis Part 2
by Josi S. Kilpack
Last week I posted about synopsis—what it is, what format to use, why it’s important. This week, will be how to write it.
The first thing I do is finish the book. There are those that write the synopsis first, or midway, or whatever—more like an outline—I don’t. My books change too much during the writing process and I need the whole thing in front of me.
Once the book is finished, and revised, I go back to page one. I read through Chapter One, doing my final proofreading, and when I finish I open a new document and I summarize chapter one into one, maybe two, paragraphs. It will read something like this.
Chapter One
Garrett is looking for an identity, and the seller has several to select from. After reviewing the candidates information, he wants Chressaidia Josefina Salazar, a Mexican American women with no criminal record, US citizenship, and who lives in Idaho Falls. She’ll be perfect and he’s willing to pay ten thousand dollars to own her name.
Then I move on to Chapter Two, proofread, then go into my new document and summarize chapter two.
Chapter Two
The real Chressaidia Josefina Salazar, Chrissy, shows up for her most recent blind date with a chip on her shoulder and a stat sheet in her pocket. At thirty-five, she’s tired of meeting whatever men her best friend Amanda thinks will be perfect for her. This guy is white, wears jeans and a baseball cap, and has a penetrating stare that throws her off guard. However, it’s his quick wit and willingness to spar with words that captures her interest and when all her attempts to put him off are parried right back to her, she wonders if perhaps there is something special about him. After finally coming to terms with the fact that she will likely be single forever, could this guy be THE guy?
And so it goes for every chapter in the book. When you’re finished, you have what’s called a Chapter Outline and typically I end up with one page of outline for every twenty pages of the manuscript. You want to keep this, as it can come in handy later on. Once saved; copy and paste it into a new document—this is the one that will become your synopsis.
The next step is to condense the Chapter Outline down to about five pages. This is the longest synopsis length I have seen requested by editors and agents so it’s the longest one I bother with.
Start by putting the author/book information in the upper left hand corner, single spaced.
Eye of the Beholder
LDS Romantic Suspense—85,000 words
1200 word synopsis
Josi S. Kilpack
Then, change the rest of the spacing to double and start condensing each chapter paragraph into one sentence, maybe two. The first two chapters end up reading like this.
Garrett is in the market for a new Identity, Chressaidia Josefina Salazar is exactly the Identity he needs. At thirty-five, Chrissy is finally making peace with the fact that she might be single forever, until the blind date with Micah topples her defenses and leads her down roads of expectation she thought she’d given up on a long time ago. Amanda has been setting her up for years, and Chrissy’s enthusiasm for these dates is definitely waning, that’s why she does everything she can to put Micah off, convince him she’s not the girl he’s looking for. But Micah doesn’t seem dissuaded and by the end of the evening Chrissy wonders if maybe he is different. Maybe she won’t be alone forever.
Follow this pattern through the entire chapter outline, you’ll end up with close to five to seven pages of information. At which time it’s necessary to polish it, transition the sentences into one another and make sure that the flow is there.
Chressaidia Josefina Salazar is the exact profile Garret is looking for. At the moment her identity is being sold, Chrissy is meeting yet another man on yet another blind date that she is sure will be yet another dead end. However, Micah is nothing like the other poor saps Chrissy’s best friend Amanda has set her up with. In fact, he’s the first man in a very long time that Chrissy hopes will ask her out on a second date.
Keep in as many details as you can, introduce as many sub-plots as possible, but be sure the focus is on the main character and the main conflicts. After you’ve polished your five pages, save it, copy it, and paste it into another new document. It’s now time to cut it down to two pages. You do this by basically taking two sentences and turning them into one.
At the moment Chrissy’s identity is being stolen, she is meeting yet another man on yet another blind date that she is sure will be yet another dead end. However, Micah is nothing like those other dates. Until he doesn’t call her.
The last sentence is what comes about in chapter three. So, I just summarized three chapters into three sentences. I’ve lost details in each phase of the synopsis, but the story is still there. Once you finish your two pages, save, copy, paste into a new document and change the spacing to single. You’ll likely have to cut out a couple sentences to make it fit, but once you finish this one you have a Chapter Outline, a Five Page Synopsis, a Two Page Synopsis and a One Page Synopsis. You’ve also completed boot camp for tight writing, as you had to weigh each word, each sub plot, each character against the book and see what was imperative and what could be cut.
Happy writing!
Last week I posted about synopsis—what it is, what format to use, why it’s important. This week, will be how to write it.
The first thing I do is finish the book. There are those that write the synopsis first, or midway, or whatever—more like an outline—I don’t. My books change too much during the writing process and I need the whole thing in front of me.
Once the book is finished, and revised, I go back to page one. I read through Chapter One, doing my final proofreading, and when I finish I open a new document and I summarize chapter one into one, maybe two, paragraphs. It will read something like this.
Chapter One
Garrett is looking for an identity, and the seller has several to select from. After reviewing the candidates information, he wants Chressaidia Josefina Salazar, a Mexican American women with no criminal record, US citizenship, and who lives in Idaho Falls. She’ll be perfect and he’s willing to pay ten thousand dollars to own her name.
Then I move on to Chapter Two, proofread, then go into my new document and summarize chapter two.
Chapter Two
The real Chressaidia Josefina Salazar, Chrissy, shows up for her most recent blind date with a chip on her shoulder and a stat sheet in her pocket. At thirty-five, she’s tired of meeting whatever men her best friend Amanda thinks will be perfect for her. This guy is white, wears jeans and a baseball cap, and has a penetrating stare that throws her off guard. However, it’s his quick wit and willingness to spar with words that captures her interest and when all her attempts to put him off are parried right back to her, she wonders if perhaps there is something special about him. After finally coming to terms with the fact that she will likely be single forever, could this guy be THE guy?
And so it goes for every chapter in the book. When you’re finished, you have what’s called a Chapter Outline and typically I end up with one page of outline for every twenty pages of the manuscript. You want to keep this, as it can come in handy later on. Once saved; copy and paste it into a new document—this is the one that will become your synopsis.
The next step is to condense the Chapter Outline down to about five pages. This is the longest synopsis length I have seen requested by editors and agents so it’s the longest one I bother with.
Start by putting the author/book information in the upper left hand corner, single spaced.
Eye of the Beholder
LDS Romantic Suspense—85,000 words
1200 word synopsis
Josi S. Kilpack
Then, change the rest of the spacing to double and start condensing each chapter paragraph into one sentence, maybe two. The first two chapters end up reading like this.
Garrett is in the market for a new Identity, Chressaidia Josefina Salazar is exactly the Identity he needs. At thirty-five, Chrissy is finally making peace with the fact that she might be single forever, until the blind date with Micah topples her defenses and leads her down roads of expectation she thought she’d given up on a long time ago. Amanda has been setting her up for years, and Chrissy’s enthusiasm for these dates is definitely waning, that’s why she does everything she can to put Micah off, convince him she’s not the girl he’s looking for. But Micah doesn’t seem dissuaded and by the end of the evening Chrissy wonders if maybe he is different. Maybe she won’t be alone forever.
Follow this pattern through the entire chapter outline, you’ll end up with close to five to seven pages of information. At which time it’s necessary to polish it, transition the sentences into one another and make sure that the flow is there.
Chressaidia Josefina Salazar is the exact profile Garret is looking for. At the moment her identity is being sold, Chrissy is meeting yet another man on yet another blind date that she is sure will be yet another dead end. However, Micah is nothing like the other poor saps Chrissy’s best friend Amanda has set her up with. In fact, he’s the first man in a very long time that Chrissy hopes will ask her out on a second date.
Keep in as many details as you can, introduce as many sub-plots as possible, but be sure the focus is on the main character and the main conflicts. After you’ve polished your five pages, save it, copy it, and paste it into another new document. It’s now time to cut it down to two pages. You do this by basically taking two sentences and turning them into one.
At the moment Chrissy’s identity is being stolen, she is meeting yet another man on yet another blind date that she is sure will be yet another dead end. However, Micah is nothing like those other dates. Until he doesn’t call her.
The last sentence is what comes about in chapter three. So, I just summarized three chapters into three sentences. I’ve lost details in each phase of the synopsis, but the story is still there. Once you finish your two pages, save, copy, paste into a new document and change the spacing to single. You’ll likely have to cut out a couple sentences to make it fit, but once you finish this one you have a Chapter Outline, a Five Page Synopsis, a Two Page Synopsis and a One Page Synopsis. You’ve also completed boot camp for tight writing, as you had to weigh each word, each sub plot, each character against the book and see what was imperative and what could be cut.
Happy writing!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Facing Rejection
by Lu Ann Staheli
Spiders, snakes, public speaking, and being laughed at—all of these items were listed when I asked a group of students what they most feared. But when I asked the same question to a group of writers, the number one answer was REJECTION. Having an editor turn down your writing has been compared to being told your baby is ugly, and no loving parent wants to hear that news.
Once you have decided to submit your writing, you stand the possibility of being rejected. To minimize rejection, try the following:
1. Choose carefully where you plan to submit. Read the writer’s guidelines that can be found online or in Writer’s Market, or send for copies directly from the publisher.
2. Decide the right audience for your writing. Is this piece for a local or national market? Does the format fit with the previous work the publisher has done?
3. Read copies of the magazine where you plan to submit, or read recent books published by the same house to get a feel for what they publish.
4. Polish your manuscript. If you need to learn more about the writing process, then do so. Use the comments from your writer’s group or peer editor to help you know how to revise and finish the piece.
But what if you do your homework, study the publisher, polish your writing, and you still receive a rejection letter? Does that mean you should give up, accepting your fate of never becoming a published author? Absolutely not.
Although there are many reasons why an editor may reject your writing, their rejection may not mean that the writing is substandard in any way. Sometimes editors reject a manuscript because they have run something similar in a recent issue. Other times their sales staff doesn’t feel the company will make a large enough profit on your work. Maybe they just had a bad day, or their slush pile had grown too large, or they weren’t in the mood to read about dragons. The reasons may seem unfair, and perhaps they are, but being judged in this way is part of life. Just remember, it is not YOU as a person who is being judged; it is the value of your writing to this particular editor at this particular time.
If you get a rejection, take a moment to breathe--keeping your self-esteem intact--then take another fresh look at the writing. If something needs to be reworked, then by all means do it. But if you feel the writing is your best, send that manuscript out again right away to a new publisher. Remember that you’ll never be a successful author if all of your writing is sitting in a computer file or in an envelope at the bottom of the file cabinet drawer.
Spiders, snakes, public speaking, and being laughed at—all of these items were listed when I asked a group of students what they most feared. But when I asked the same question to a group of writers, the number one answer was REJECTION. Having an editor turn down your writing has been compared to being told your baby is ugly, and no loving parent wants to hear that news.
Once you have decided to submit your writing, you stand the possibility of being rejected. To minimize rejection, try the following:
1. Choose carefully where you plan to submit. Read the writer’s guidelines that can be found online or in Writer’s Market, or send for copies directly from the publisher.
2. Decide the right audience for your writing. Is this piece for a local or national market? Does the format fit with the previous work the publisher has done?
3. Read copies of the magazine where you plan to submit, or read recent books published by the same house to get a feel for what they publish.
4. Polish your manuscript. If you need to learn more about the writing process, then do so. Use the comments from your writer’s group or peer editor to help you know how to revise and finish the piece.
But what if you do your homework, study the publisher, polish your writing, and you still receive a rejection letter? Does that mean you should give up, accepting your fate of never becoming a published author? Absolutely not.
Although there are many reasons why an editor may reject your writing, their rejection may not mean that the writing is substandard in any way. Sometimes editors reject a manuscript because they have run something similar in a recent issue. Other times their sales staff doesn’t feel the company will make a large enough profit on your work. Maybe they just had a bad day, or their slush pile had grown too large, or they weren’t in the mood to read about dragons. The reasons may seem unfair, and perhaps they are, but being judged in this way is part of life. Just remember, it is not YOU as a person who is being judged; it is the value of your writing to this particular editor at this particular time.
If you get a rejection, take a moment to breathe--keeping your self-esteem intact--then take another fresh look at the writing. If something needs to be reworked, then by all means do it. But if you feel the writing is your best, send that manuscript out again right away to a new publisher. Remember that you’ll never be a successful author if all of your writing is sitting in a computer file or in an envelope at the bottom of the file cabinet drawer.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Tagging Your Dialog
by Heather Moore
Can you laugh a sentence? No.
You can’t chuckle or guffaw a sentence either. Dialog tags will signal to an editor or agent whether or not you're a novice writer. For example:
No:
“You're asking for it,” she laughed.
Yes:
“You're asking for it.” She laughed.
Yes Again:
“You're asking for it,” she said, laughing.
Adverbs
Have you heard of the adverb faux pas? What’s really wrong with them? Nothing, unless you are using a weak adverb in place of a strong verb. Oh yeah, and don’t use adverbs in dialog tags. It might get past your editor, but not past the reviewers. If you feel there is no other way around it, use them very sparingly.
Instead of:
“I need you,” she said softly.
Try:
She stared at him then spoke in a low, urgent voice. “I need you.”
Or:
She blinked back her tears. "I need you."
Using Said
Use “said” 95% of the time. Readers will gloss over it. Adding tags such as he repeated, she reiterated, he teased, she promised, etc. slows down the reader. These tags should all be evident in the dialog itself.
Using Asked
When your character asks a question, you don’t necessarily need to say she asked. It’s becoming more common to use she said.
If you choose to use asked, treat a question mark at the end of a sentence the same way you would any other punctuation. Watch out for this beginner’s mistake:
No:
“Where are you going?” She asked.
Yes:
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Can you laugh a sentence? No.
You can’t chuckle or guffaw a sentence either. Dialog tags will signal to an editor or agent whether or not you're a novice writer. For example:
No:
“You're asking for it,” she laughed.
Yes:
“You're asking for it.” She laughed.
Yes Again:
“You're asking for it,” she said, laughing.
Adverbs
Have you heard of the adverb faux pas? What’s really wrong with them? Nothing, unless you are using a weak adverb in place of a strong verb. Oh yeah, and don’t use adverbs in dialog tags. It might get past your editor, but not past the reviewers. If you feel there is no other way around it, use them very sparingly.
Instead of:
“I need you,” she said softly.
Try:
She stared at him then spoke in a low, urgent voice. “I need you.”
Or:
She blinked back her tears. "I need you."
Using Said
Use “said” 95% of the time. Readers will gloss over it. Adding tags such as he repeated, she reiterated, he teased, she promised, etc. slows down the reader. These tags should all be evident in the dialog itself.
Using Asked
When your character asks a question, you don’t necessarily need to say she asked. It’s becoming more common to use she said.
If you choose to use asked, treat a question mark at the end of a sentence the same way you would any other punctuation. Watch out for this beginner’s mistake:
No:
“Where are you going?” She asked.
Yes:
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Dash it All!
by Annette Lyon
Question: What’s the difference between a hyphen, an en dash, and an em dash? How do I use them and (more importantly) how do I make each of them with my word processor?
Good question! I’ve heard it many times—often from writers who are in a near panic state.
The answer is actually pretty simple, and while I had a lengthy way of explaining it at a class I taught at a conference a couple of months ago, another editor gave me a simpler way of explaining it that I’ll use now. (Thanks, Lisa!)
Here we go:
Each of these is a dash that gets progressively longer and connects progressively more important pieces of information.
Hyphens connect words.
En dashes connect numbers.
Em dashes connect thoughts.
That's pretty much it.
But I'll explain a bit further:
Hyphens connect words.
For example, compound adjectives.
"That was the best chocolate-dipped strawberry ever!"
Hyphens are easy to make, since they have a key all their own, right next to the zero on your keyboard.
En dashes connect numbers:
"I’ve been a chocoholic all my life, but had a really bad bout from 2004–2006 when I wandered Hershey, Pennsylvania in a theobromine drunken blur."
The dash you see between the years is an EN dash.
How to create in en dash:
In Word: Type a space, then one hyphen. Continue typing another word, then a space.
The hyphen will turn into an en dash.
A caveat: You’ll need to delete the first space. You should never have a space on either side of an en dash.
In Word Perfect: Type two hyphens and then a space. The hyphens turn into an en dash.
Em dashes connect thoughts. In fiction, em dashes can also act as parenthetical interrupters.
"Hand over the chocolate—even the white chocolate crap—and no one gets hurt."
I love using em dashes—they allow for pauses not quite as long as a period, but longer than a comma. (See? I just used another one!)
One trick, however, is to make sure that if you use an em dash as a parenthetical that you don’t open with an em dash and close with a comma or vice versa, such as:
"Hand over the chocolate—even the white chocolate crap, and no one gets hurt."
You could use commas or em dashes for both interrupters. It’s really the length of pause you like. But be consistent whichever you choose.
As for how you make the em dash:
In Word: Type two hyphens, another word, then a space. The hyphens turn into an em dash.
This usually works just fine. If you have something unusual in your sentence (like you need the em dash to be followed by quotation marks when a character is being interrupted), you may have to trick the program by just typing a regular word and then a space to get the em dash, then deleting whatever you need to and typing the quote marks. (If you use Word, you’re used to having to trick it periodically, right?)
In Word Perfect: Type three hyphens, then a space or the next word.
In Word and Word Perfect, en and em dashes are also part of the IBM character sets. You can search for them if you want to just insert the right character.
And just as with en dashes, you never, ever, want a space on either side of an em dash.
By and large, if you're a fiction writer, you can likely ignore the EN dash completely, since you're unlikely to be quoting statistics and page numbers. You may need the hyphen here and there for compound adjectives.
And the em dash is definitely your friend.
If you have further questions on any of these dashes, send them in!
Question: What’s the difference between a hyphen, an en dash, and an em dash? How do I use them and (more importantly) how do I make each of them with my word processor?
Good question! I’ve heard it many times—often from writers who are in a near panic state.
The answer is actually pretty simple, and while I had a lengthy way of explaining it at a class I taught at a conference a couple of months ago, another editor gave me a simpler way of explaining it that I’ll use now. (Thanks, Lisa!)
Here we go:
Each of these is a dash that gets progressively longer and connects progressively more important pieces of information.
Hyphens connect words.
En dashes connect numbers.
Em dashes connect thoughts.
That's pretty much it.
But I'll explain a bit further:
Hyphens connect words.
For example, compound adjectives.
"That was the best chocolate-dipped strawberry ever!"
Hyphens are easy to make, since they have a key all their own, right next to the zero on your keyboard.
En dashes connect numbers:
"I’ve been a chocoholic all my life, but had a really bad bout from 2004–2006 when I wandered Hershey, Pennsylvania in a theobromine drunken blur."
The dash you see between the years is an EN dash.
How to create in en dash:
In Word: Type a space, then one hyphen. Continue typing another word, then a space.
The hyphen will turn into an en dash.
A caveat: You’ll need to delete the first space. You should never have a space on either side of an en dash.
In Word Perfect: Type two hyphens and then a space. The hyphens turn into an en dash.
Em dashes connect thoughts. In fiction, em dashes can also act as parenthetical interrupters.
"Hand over the chocolate—even the white chocolate crap—and no one gets hurt."
I love using em dashes—they allow for pauses not quite as long as a period, but longer than a comma. (See? I just used another one!)
One trick, however, is to make sure that if you use an em dash as a parenthetical that you don’t open with an em dash and close with a comma or vice versa, such as:
"Hand over the chocolate—even the white chocolate crap, and no one gets hurt."
You could use commas or em dashes for both interrupters. It’s really the length of pause you like. But be consistent whichever you choose.
As for how you make the em dash:
In Word: Type two hyphens, another word, then a space. The hyphens turn into an em dash.
This usually works just fine. If you have something unusual in your sentence (like you need the em dash to be followed by quotation marks when a character is being interrupted), you may have to trick the program by just typing a regular word and then a space to get the em dash, then deleting whatever you need to and typing the quote marks. (If you use Word, you’re used to having to trick it periodically, right?)
In Word Perfect: Type three hyphens, then a space or the next word.
In Word and Word Perfect, en and em dashes are also part of the IBM character sets. You can search for them if you want to just insert the right character.
And just as with en dashes, you never, ever, want a space on either side of an em dash.
By and large, if you're a fiction writer, you can likely ignore the EN dash completely, since you're unlikely to be quoting statistics and page numbers. You may need the hyphen here and there for compound adjectives.
And the em dash is definitely your friend.
If you have further questions on any of these dashes, send them in!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
The Query-go-round
By Julie Wright
Question: How do I keep from looking stupid when submitting queries, chapters, and full manuscripts?
Answer: By acting intelligent.
I went to the World Fantasy Convention in Madison Wisconsin a few years ago. I was new to the national market, having published three books in a very niche market, and I wanted to stretch out a little. So I contacted all the agents that were in the fantasy genre by querying them, and asked if they would be at the Con too. A few replied that they would and so I told them I looked forward to meeting them. Then I made what Miss Snark would call a nitwittery mistake. I took in a synopsis and the first three chapters of my book and hand delivered it to the agent of my choice at the Con. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that, and I still cringe when I think of the agent-who-must-not-be-named’s face. Nitwittery does indeed abound. I still wake up in the middle of the night, shuddering at my own stupidity.
Since then, I’ve done some homework. I research editors and agents before I ever submit and I read books on good behavior for starving authors. I did my homework before in that I knew the agents and their agencies, but I failed to learn the social etiquette of handing over portions of a manuscript.
I’m telling you to do your homework as well. There are thousands of manuscripts in the pile. You want yours to stand out . . . but not because the agent or editor has determined forever to hate you.
Find out what the editor/agent you are submitting to wants. Don’t submit fantasy to someone who has already declared NEVER to publish or represent fantasy. Let your story speak for itself. Be willing to work on requested changes. Learn what you can do to make the editor's job easier.
Pay attention to the following:
Do not bind or staple your manuscript. Do not use ring binders, clamp binders, comb binders, brads, string, or any other thing that cannot be easily removed. Paper clips or rubberbands are ok.
Always include a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) that is large enough and has enough postage. And remember that postage costs are going up. I wrote a top ten reasons why you should never include a SASE. It was tongue in cheek, of course, but was dang funny. I'd post it here, but fear someone would take me seriously and actually NOT include a SASE.
Do not attempt to draw attention to your manuscript by using colored paper. Do not use specialty typefaces. Do not try to save yourself on paper by using an 8 pt font. Do not put each page of the manuscript in sheet protectors. Do not write in fake blood (or real blood) if you’re manuscript is a murder mystery or a member of the horror genre. Do not try to write a "memorable" submission letter that embarrasses the editor or agent and should embarrass you. Don't be cute. Don’t be cute. Don’t be cute.
Remember that editors and agents care about the writing, not the packaging. Remember that agents and editors are people too. Remember that they have personal lives and don’t appreciate phone calls asking about your manuscript. Be personable. Be friendly. Be professional. Be literate enough to read each agency's submission instructions and take a chance on actually following them. Be intelligent.
Question: How do I keep from looking stupid when submitting queries, chapters, and full manuscripts?
Answer: By acting intelligent.
I went to the World Fantasy Convention in Madison Wisconsin a few years ago. I was new to the national market, having published three books in a very niche market, and I wanted to stretch out a little. So I contacted all the agents that were in the fantasy genre by querying them, and asked if they would be at the Con too. A few replied that they would and so I told them I looked forward to meeting them. Then I made what Miss Snark would call a nitwittery mistake. I took in a synopsis and the first three chapters of my book and hand delivered it to the agent of my choice at the Con. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that, and I still cringe when I think of the agent-who-must-not-be-named’s face. Nitwittery does indeed abound. I still wake up in the middle of the night, shuddering at my own stupidity.
Since then, I’ve done some homework. I research editors and agents before I ever submit and I read books on good behavior for starving authors. I did my homework before in that I knew the agents and their agencies, but I failed to learn the social etiquette of handing over portions of a manuscript.
I’m telling you to do your homework as well. There are thousands of manuscripts in the pile. You want yours to stand out . . . but not because the agent or editor has determined forever to hate you.
Find out what the editor/agent you are submitting to wants. Don’t submit fantasy to someone who has already declared NEVER to publish or represent fantasy. Let your story speak for itself. Be willing to work on requested changes. Learn what you can do to make the editor's job easier.
Pay attention to the following:
Do not bind or staple your manuscript. Do not use ring binders, clamp binders, comb binders, brads, string, or any other thing that cannot be easily removed. Paper clips or rubberbands are ok.
Always include a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope) that is large enough and has enough postage. And remember that postage costs are going up. I wrote a top ten reasons why you should never include a SASE. It was tongue in cheek, of course, but was dang funny. I'd post it here, but fear someone would take me seriously and actually NOT include a SASE.
Do not attempt to draw attention to your manuscript by using colored paper. Do not use specialty typefaces. Do not try to save yourself on paper by using an 8 pt font. Do not put each page of the manuscript in sheet protectors. Do not write in fake blood (or real blood) if you’re manuscript is a murder mystery or a member of the horror genre. Do not try to write a "memorable" submission letter that embarrasses the editor or agent and should embarrass you. Don't be cute. Don’t be cute. Don’t be cute.
Remember that editors and agents care about the writing, not the packaging. Remember that agents and editors are people too. Remember that they have personal lives and don’t appreciate phone calls asking about your manuscript. Be personable. Be friendly. Be professional. Be literate enough to read each agency's submission instructions and take a chance on actually following them. Be intelligent.
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