“Listen to what I mean, not what I say.”

My husband and mother-in-law always use this line, and I even catch myself doing it. So, why the blog?

Dialogue. A lot of writer’s struggle with dialogue. Many times I hear the characters don’t “sound real.” I had the opportunity to write as a partner with someone else. Dialogue flowed easily for our characters because we could sit and talk things out. Many times we would catch ourselves saying, “No, my character wouldn’t say that. She’d say this.” Once our partnership ended, I found myself yearning to have fictional conversations just to work through them. Instead of waiting for another person to play it out, I did it in my head. (I’ve done weirder things as a writer.) Good dialogue is knowing your character and what they will and will not say. 

Another thing that seems to go unsaid at a lot of conferences or critique classes is something so simple some must not think it needs said. People don’t always say what they mean. That’s all. Sounds easy, right? Not as much as you think. Sometimes when I write I think, “Oh, this is so cool and weaved together no one will ever figure it out.” They do, and easily. This often happens in dialogue. The opposite also happens. “No. I can’t write it that way. No one will pick up on these subtle hints.” They will. People are pretty smart.

The biggest thing is you have to know your characters front and back. Would your main character curse? How do they speak to different people? How do they change if they are in a fight? Know your character’s enough to say, “My character wouldn’t say, ‘I don’t want to’ she’d say ‘Hell no’.”

Use dialogue and make it fun. Talk to yourself, or hell even borrow your daughter’s Barbie’s. Play your scene out like it’s a movie. If your story is good, you’ve created multi-dimensional characters, and you don’t always have characters say exactly what you mean, dialogue is not scary.

So, “TALK!”

Oh, the things I’ve Googled.

A writer’s life is always interesting. I’ve seen many popular blogs about authors explaining how they would likely be transported to a prison or a psychiatric ward if someone studied their search history. I am one of those, but let me tell you why.

I step into my characters, and I bet most writer’s do. I grew up in a very safe very “normal” family. My parents were in love, didn’t cheat, and gave my brother and I everything we ever asked for if it was within their means. I never saw my parents yell at each other, and they rarely would get snippy when upset.

“Write what you know,” all the books say. What I know is I don’t know conflict. As an author I have to use other avenues like reading, music, and movies to experience what a woman feels when she finds out her father has been cheating on her mother since she was five. I have to read to understand why a man would beat his girlfriend then claim he loves her. I search the web for various kinds of gritty conflict.

As I look search for a new job after I move I often run into the phrase “continuing education.” I feel an author must experience new conflicts. What means do you find these experiences? What have you written that you don’t know? Find a film, try some new tunes, and read a story that is something new. I dare you.

Comfort

Image Credit

If you’ve looked at my author page or read the little bio on the back of my book you will see that my city is listed as Denver, CO. It’s not. I am very happy to say that I am finally moving  home after six years. Moving is an arduous task, and it takes an emotional toll. Even though I do not want to stay where I am now, I cringe at the idea of uprooting myself, my family, and my career to pack all of our things into a large truck and whisk them 800 miles away. A new normal will take time to establish, and I crave comfort.

A lesson on writing can be learned from what I am currently experiencing. Writing comfortably will keep you feeling safe, and you will know exactly what to expect of yourself. Your writing will remain similar to what it always has been, and you may always wonder what would happen if you had taken a chance. In writing we must explore new places, pack up that truck and move somewhere new. Think of what you can find if you pack up your experience and move it into the house of a new genre.

As the month of May progresses and I get closer to my physical move my presence on the web may temporarily diminish, but do not fear. My writing will continue. I will go through my journey and move myself out of my writing comfort zone. Currently I am working on the sequel to Hunting Heartbreak, and I plan on stepping outside the box to see if I can really bring something amazing to life.

Caitlin Hensley’s Author Interview

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Author Interview: Marie Hampton

As some of you may remember, I used to interview fellow authors once or twice a week and post their interviews here on my blog. Well, I’ve decided to start that up again on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I’ve got a whole new group of fabulous authors for you to meet! Today, let’s welcome Marie Hampton to the blog!

Hi Marie! Thanks for joining us today! So how does your real life interact/play a role in/interfere with your writing life?

As far as interaction goes, I do study martial arts and I think it helps me visualize fight scenes. Sometimes I do have to stop myself from getting too detailed, though.

I teach English in real life so my “real life” job goes hand in hand with my writing.

I have two sons. One is five and the other is 2 1/2 months. They keep me very busy, but when I think about bringing the love of words to them I can’t help smiling. Also, they keep me on my toes and multi-tasking. I write while watching cartoons, and I can keep a scene flowing even if I have to stop for a dirty diaper. It is a distraction, but it keeps me flexible.

It sounds like you do an awesome job juggling everything in your life. What genres have you written?

I have done romance, fantasy, and also I have written and directed my own one-act play. I hope to continue doing each genre.Are you a plotter or a pantser?

 

A little of both. I pants it until around page fifty. For some reason it is then that I realize I need to figure out where the book is going. I do a very basic outline from there, and I often change it while I work (or should I say my characters often change it).

How many books have you written?

I have written three on my own. I tried writing with a co-author for a while, but even with five and a half books finished we couldn’t make things work. It was great experience, though, and I wouldn’t trade the investment for anything.

What are a few interesting things you’ve studied/researched for your latest novel?

Lots of fun things. The Japanese Yakuza is part of my series, and I spend time researching their workings, the tattoos, and watching mafia movies. Also, I have been researching weapons and different sword makers. The setting is something I researched a bit on my last vacation. Las Vegas is a vibrant place to visit that is like nowhere I’ve ever been.

Who is your favorite character in your books? Why?

Hmm. I probably should say Kas, but really it’s Hak. He’s a light-hearted guy who’s usually cheerful even through some pretty horrible situations. I guess out of everyone he is the comic relief.

You’ve gotta love comic relief! Is there any part of writing that you don’t like?

Editing. Isn’t that everyone’s answer? No, I think the part I don’t like is the end. At least five times I think, “Is this finished?” until I finally get to the end of a book.

What’s your outlook on fan fiction? 

Fan fiction is writing, and I think any form of writing is great. I wrote it at one point. I also read it and shared my comments. It is a safe platform to get basic storytelling down, and it also exposes new writers to criticism. Some fan fiction writers are amazing.

I totally agree! So when you read, what is your favorite genre?

That is hard. I think the answer would change depending on my mood the day you ask me. Lately I have been reading historical fiction that has a good romantic twist.

Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?

I guess writing and reading are a given. I love to take Taekwondo and Krav Maga classes. I’m trying to get back into playing my flute, and I enjoy swimming.

Indie publishing or traditional publishing?

I went with a traditional company (Vanilla Heart Publishing) and I love them. They are very supportive.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

I love teaching. I would have to say being a college professor.

If you gave one or two of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

“Save me!” I like putting my characters through hell and seeing the story that unfolds from it.

If you could have time travel abilities and could meet anyone from any time, who would you like to meet? 

Socrates. Ever since my first exposure to Greek philosophy I’ve imagined having a great conversation with him.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve Googled?

Searching “yakuza tattoo” showed some strange and somewhat frightening images, but I think the weirdest thing I have googled for my books is: Pedophile victims as adults.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write the way you think is best. Grow a tough skin. Take all advice and mull it over. Only you can decide if it is the right advice for you. Don’t be afraid to talk about your writing to others. Enjoy your writing.

Where can readers stalk you?

Twitter

Blog

Facebook

Pinterest

Email: mariehamptonauthor@gmail.com

Also, add me to your Goodreads list. I might have some giveaways coming soon!

Hunting Heartbreak is available through Smashwords, Kindle, Allromance, Payloadz, and iBooks. Also you can now get it on Audible! If you download on Payloadz, you can get a free reader’s guide.

Posted by Caitlin Hensley at 5:43 AM

Friends: Fair-weather or Forever?

I write a lot, and I have since the 6th grade. I’ve dabbled in many genres, but I always find myself coming back to relationships. No, I cannot tell you what to do about that cute guy that never called. What I have learned over my years of studying relationships and the way people react to each other is we all have different needs. 

Some people have fair-weather friends. They can make friends any time and talk to anyone about pretty much anything. The can be thrown into a party of strangers and come  out telling at least ten different stories from the people they met. They entrust people with their information, share thoughts and ideas, and usually have a fun and comfortable time doing it. 

I am not one of these people. Friends come hard for me. I gauge a person and watch how they interact with others before I can decide to trust them fully myself. Now, I’m not talking about customers in a business or other colleagues from different offices. If I would go to the same party I would find myself clinging to a “safe” place trying to catch what bits of conversation I can. If anyone directly approaches I would likely comment on the weather. When I trust a friend though, I do it entirely. I put everything I have into making a friendship work, and it has left me burned more than once.

Of course, I write. I learn through what I write, and I observe how others react. How does a fair-weather friend act toward someone who wants a forever friend? Is one type better than another? 

Lately I have been working on the follow-up book to Hunting Heartbreak. I am having so much fun balancing all of Kas’ friends, figuring out what type they are, but most of all I am playing with this question: Which type of friendship is most likely to turn into a relationship. 

Come on, all. Blow up this comment bar! What do you think?

“We Dwarves are natural sprinters.”

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I have many online friends that I communicate with when I write. Some people talk about getting writer’s block often, and I find myself stuck, too. My best bet is to figure out where it is I would like the scene to go. Usually I outline my book once I’m at least fifty pages into it. I don’t know why, and I’ve never been advised to do it in such a way, but it works for me. After fifty pages my thoughts are whirring and I have to write them down before I confuse and contradict myself. Once I am stuck I make a short outline. After that outline I have discovered that, instead of sitting and trying to force myself to write all day and get that word count up, it’s better to let the idea simmer. By the time I am able to get to my book, to really concentrate on the story, I have figured out all the details. That’s when I sprint. That’s when my fingers fly.

My friends and I set up a time to begin, and we write. We write without regards to grammar, spelling or punctuation. Those things can be edited later. Even if we only have ten minutes we go, and we go hard. After our sprint is over we compare word counts. We all make different numbers, and I usually chase others (true to real life), but I work through where I’m stuck. Sometimes I even surprise myself at the turn my book takes since my characters have to decide immediately what to do as I write freely. Next time you get stuck try a sprint. It may not be for everyone, but I love it. Happy writing!

Dad

Me and my father, Richard. Born June 27, 1941 died March 27th 2013. 

If your father is still here call him, hug him, forgive him. I love you dad, and I will miss you.