I have not been able to blog the last couple of days because of the last-minute rush to get ready for the Alaska cruise that I’m going on. My buddy John Olson and I are running a writing seminar at sea and will be gone for seven days. John is bringing his whole family. I’m bringing my wife, leaving the kids and cats and dog at home to hold the fort.
The branding tagline for Princess Cruises is “Escape Completely.” I’m not sure if that’s possible. I’ll have internet access. However, as part of that escape, I’ll not blog about writing. If possible, I’ll blog a bit about the cruise and post some pictures. My wife forgot the USB cable for the camera, but we hope to scrounge one so we can transfer pictures to my laptop.
I’ll be getting on the boat in a few hours. Feel free to continue the discussion of writing while I’m gone. I’ll be back the day the next Harry Potter book comes out. See ya then!
On Voice & Interior Monologue:
Randy’s examples of the varying degrees of closeness got me looking at — or ‘listening’ to — the voice(s) of my main characters and whether or not I’ve given each POV a distinct enough voice, and now I’m looking at how I’ve used IM’s so far, deepening these if needed so that their voices are noticeably different from each other. I think it will also help prevent me from feeling “omnicient” (which I’m not allowed anyway since my kids hit their teens) and slipping unconsciously into narrative.
For those writing in more than one POV, what are some methods you use for making sure your character’s voice is distinct and consistent? Or should you go that far?
A critique buddy said she was ripped apart by another critiquer who said her writing style changed too much in her story. What my buddy did was write alternating POV’s with very differing voices, ie: an old lady and an illiterate young girl.
Hope you have a great time!
Have a blast, Randy! Come back with a tan :p
Have a good time, Randy! Had a ball on an Alaska cruise with all the kids and their spouses just this May.
Camille, I don’t know if you speak or read any foreign languages, but it sometimes helps me to think of a character thinking in Spanish, or speaking a tongue that is not their first and throwing in the kind of grammar mix-up which that entails. I have also borrowed these tricks from better writers to differentiate my characters: give one a stutter or a lisp; have one character use overblown, flowery language while another one uses simpler words. “Huckleberry Finn” is still a masterpeice of this kind. It also helps to go over and over the character so that his/her thought patterns become familiar to you, and then you are more likely to automatically change voice as you change characters or speakers.
My best method is to simply assign a blend of personalities from my friends and aquaintances to a given character and write in the voice of those persons. Maybe that’s why somebody sent me the t-shirt that declares “Watch out, or you’ll end up in my novel!”
Enjoy the ride! –MLE
You know, you really should have booked a cruise to NZ with a stop over so we could hold a conference down here. 😛
Enjoy the trip/conference, Randy. I hope you manage to get – some – rest and relaxation while away.
LOL ML! I’ll have to look for that T-shirt.
Camille- I needed a Spanish accent, so I went to a site on the web for people teaching English as a second language. It showed all the errors the students make as they think in Spanish and then translate into English. I used their errors, and the accent came out well with only using a few Spanish words. For an old Oklahoma farm woman, I practiced speaking in her voice (when people couldn’t overhear) until it sounded right, then wrote it down. I don’t know why the critiquers ripped your friend except maybe the narrative voice changed too. I’m only a sophomore so take my opinions with a grain of salt.
Have a great time Randy. While I’m sizzling in CA, I’ll think of you.
Have a wonderful cruise! I was soooo close to going, but too much traveling to see family this summer (just got back from NY yesterday) among other hindrances prevented us from going.
Can’t wait to hear all about it.
I was recently very disappointed in an historical romance based in Ireland where there was virtually no indication of local speech patterns or ways of phrasing things, even in dialogue let alone interior monologue. Maybe it’s the actor in me, or maybe it’s the loss of P.E.E. It ruined the escape factor for me.
I think Camille’s friend’s style would fascinate me ~ it would be a total draw to the characters, involving me emotionally. We care about whom we KNOW. When you know a character intimately enough to recognize their “voice”, that’s a huge plus in my books.
Dear Randy
This has nothing to do with the topic! I’m having lots of problems with my email configuration and my email thanking you for ‘Gone With the Wind’ has not been able to be sent. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GONE WITH THE WIND!
There, it’s done now and I can sleep at nights again.
I’m sure you are having a lovely time on the cruise.
Best regards
Ann Isik
Happy cruisin’, Randy!
I do have a question, though. It is about hooks. First, one must have a great hook beginning to the story and then a smashing one sentence hook for queries and such. What are the essential elements of both kinds of hooks? And, other than jumping into the action, what else should the beginning hook do? For a query hook, what is essential, especially if you have more than one protagonist or two+ converging plotlines?
I’m kind of late but enjoy the trip!! Sounds like a lot of fun. It does give me a chance to finish HP5 while the blog is on holiday.
Bon Voyage!
I just discovered your website. I am up to step 2 in your 10 steps to writing a novel and I am having a great time. I think it is totally awesome how you have created a whole life around this. I want to be next. Thanks!
Aren’t you back yet? How many days was your cruise, anyway? Sorry to be so demanding, but my coffee just isn’t as good without my daily fix from your blog.
Gee, I hope he’s okay… I didn’t want to say anything before, but I heard them boat rides can be dangerous. I just hope they didn’t make any unscheduled stops along the way & get mixed up with some banjo playin locals…
No, I think Randy’s being post-holiday lazy :p
Randy??? Where are you??? We miss you! Did the banjo playin locals take you hostage???
Randy??? Where are you??? We miss you! Did the banjo playin locals take you hostage???