Tag: writer

Write Your Wicked

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[found on hsquiresnovels.com; by H. Squires]

 

“So how do you write wicked characters?

…I usually run down a list of good villains in my head—extracting their “not-so-nice” qualities. One specific sinister trait I enjoy is an intelligent character that teeters on trustworthiness. Another attribute is the unsuspecting or unlikely evil.

Your villain, however, doesn’t always have to be a person. Objects can be most useful. Even items—normally not scary, can become frightful if given the right antidote [sic] of suspense and evil attributes.

Answer questions about your villain(s):

          -First, identify the enemy.
          -If you were the main character, what’s so scary about the bad guy?
          -What sinister qualities does your antagonist have?
         -All characters have a weakness, what’s your villain’s “Achilles Heal”?
          -Does he/she act alone or do they have a group?
          -If the villain isn’t a person, what abilities does the object(s) exhibit?

 

In the beginning, I wouldn’t resolve the conflict between your main character(s) vs. the bad guy. For now, focus on developing the evil personality—demonstrate several situations that make them “bad”.”

[found on http://hsquiresnovels.com/2014/04/16/where-im-at-wednesday-april-16-2014/]


LOL, My Bad, Ain’t Y’all Busted?

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You’re a writer. Don’t be a jargon-peddling, slang-spewing, colloquialism-bantering quibbler….because your readers just might give up on you. How do you avoid those things? Start by figuring out what they are…

Jargon (type of shorthand between a closed group): See examples.

    • Code Eight – Term that means officer needs help immediately
    • SCOTUS – Supreme Court of the United States
    • LOL – Laugh out loud
    • NPO – A patient should not take anything by mouth

Slang (casual language; playful and trendy): See an article on the why-nots.

    • My bad
    • Busted
    • Bromance
    • Supersize

Colloquialism (words that are region-specific): See the definition.

    • Reckon
    • Yonder
    • Ain’t
    • Y’all

With these now safely under your belt of understanding, your readers will thank you. Go forth, dear writer!

Be Thou Funny; Nay, Hilarious!

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[found on thewritepractice.com; by Joe Bunting]

Joe Bunting’s Commandments to Writing Funny”

“1. Thou Shalt Not Worry About Offending

First and most important, if you’re overly concerned about what others will think, don’t try your hand at funny . . . . stay true to your voice and integrity.

2. Thou Shalt Pay Attention to the Mundane

Jerry Seinfield wasn’t funny because he could do impersonations, or was overly animated or creative. He was funny because he told the truth about the mundane….

3. Thou Shalt Take Clichés to Extremes

…when there was report after report about the Occupy Movement marching on streets all over the nation, I wrote Occupy Marches on Sesame Street—twentysomething angst taking on the puppets who lied to them first.

Taking cliches to the extreme is the bedrock to satire.

4. Thou Shalt Use Metaphors and Similes Like the Bubonic Plague

(First, see Commandments 1 and 3.) Metaphors and similes are to funny as Hugh Grant is to romantic comedy.”

To read the entire article by Joe Bunting, click here.

[found on http://thewritepractice.com/four-commandments-to-writing-funny/]