10 Signs you Might be Suffering from CAD

This is a fun post, compliments of my friend and fellow Helping Hands Press author, PATTI J. SMITH, used here with permission.

Thanks, Patti

ATTENTION ALL WRITERS!

10 signs ou might be suffering from C.A.D. - Character Attachment Disorder.

Check the following list to see if you have the symptoms.

1.): You cry uncontrollably while writing about the death of your character, then light a candle in memorium.

2.): You go into a deep depression after the death of a character — stay in bed all day, neglect family, call in sick to work (characters do not qualify for bereavement leave).

3,): You rewrite your manuscript to avoid killing off your character.

4.): You dream about your character killing you off.

5.): You call out your character's name in your sleep. (Makes for interesting breakfast talk with your spouse).

6.): When the phone rings, for a split second you think it's your character calling.

7.): You wonder what your character is doing right now!

8.): You gossip with your friends about what your character did.

9.): You chuckle all day about the funny thing your character did or said.

10.): You name your child or pet after your character.

So, how did you do? Did you find yourself nodding your head, perhaps even smiling as you read this list? 

If so, then it's my duty to tell you that you do, indeed, suffer from CAD. Though there is no cure, there's no need to panic. There are multiple hundreds of CAD sufferers out there, and you've just joined our world!

Now, I'd love to hear from you. Comments welcome.

♦ ♦ ♦

Many thanks to Patti J. Smith for this list and for allowing me to share it here.

Patti J. Smith
Author and Inspirational Speaker
San Diego Silent No More Regional Coordinator
Leader, Rachel's Hope - Escondido

Visit me at my blog:  http://gridirongrannyfootballfanatic.blogspot.com/
Visit my author's page: http://amazon.com/author/pattijsmith
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/gridirongranny
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/gridirongranny5
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/gridirongranny
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/giridirongranny

Dialog Signature ♦ James Callan

The Importance of the Dialog Signature

by James R. Callan

Each of us has an individual signature, a sign that represents us. Put it on a check and the bank will deliver money to whomever you directed it. Or put it on a contract and people will act based on your mark.

When you begin a novel, you should decide what is the signature of your principal characters. In this case, we are talking about a dialog signature.

Whoa. What does that mean? Just as your signature is a unique mark that represents you, that allows you to be identified, so the dialog signature of a character should allow the reader to identify the character, to know which person you are presenting.

How do we develop a dialog signature?

When you make a bio, or a character sketch, include those things that will form a dialog signature for the character. What is unique about this person's dialog? Look at these aspects of dialog:

• · vocabulary


• · sentence structure


• · diction


• · cadence


• · inflection


• · accent


• · regional dialect


• · marker words


• · flow


• · volume


• · eye contact


• · mannerisms


• · body language

Let's look at a few of these and see how you can use them to make up a unique dialog signature for a character.

Vocabulary is easy. Does this person have an extensive command of the language, or minimal? Does he sound like a college graduate, or a high school drop-out? Does his choice of words indicate that he was raised on a farm or in a New York private school? (Yes, of course any of these stereotypes can be violated. That's what makes your character unique.)

Does the character speak in complete sentences? Always? Sometimes? Never? Does she use complex, compound sentences, or short, simple sentences?

Is the diction distinct, precise, careless, casual, haughty?

Does he have a recognizable cadence? Maybe it appears that he is always speaking in a hurry, as if he is late for an appointment? Or is he casual, relaxed, slow speaking? Is her cadence consistent?

What about inflection? Is every sentence treated as if it is important news? Or perhaps each is just a throw-away comment? How does he deliver his usual sentences?

Does she have an accent? Or maybe a regional dialog? Does she sound as if she is from Boston, or Atlanta? Those are very different.

Does she have certain marker words, words that offer nothing? These might include "Well," "Just," "Of course," "really," "so," etc. Many people have such words that they throw in frequently. Well, you know, these words just don't really add any information. Leave them out and you get all the information - except, they might help identify the speaker.

You might think eye contact, mannerisms, and body language are not actually dialog; they are not words. But, studies show that non-verbal communication conveys more than half the information. Suppose a person says, "You're crazy." What does that mean? It all depends on the non-verbal aspects. What the person smiling? Was he dead serious? Was he laughing? Was he shaking his fist at you? Was he slapping you on the back in a friendly gesture?

These non-verbal aspects are very important. Does your character always look a person in the eye? Does she have some nervous mannerism? Does her body language indicate she's receptive to the conversation, or merely tolerating it?

If you write down a dialog signature for major characters, and then look at it when writing dialog, your characters will be consistent, identifiable, real. The reader will recognize each one as an individual. They will not all sound like the author (a common problem with beginning writers).

It's a little work. It is most definitely worth it.



After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years. He has had four non-fiction books published. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his seventh book releasing in spring, 2016.

 

• Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG


• Over My Dead Body, is available at: http://amzn.to/1BmYQ0Q


• Website: www.jamesrcallan.com/


• Blog: www.jamesrcallan.com/blog


• Twitter: @jamesrcallan


• FB: James Callan

James Callan on Writing Talk Tuesday: Protagonists

How do I know your Protagonist?

(Or any other of your characters)

As writers, we want the reader to identify, or have a feeling for, the protagonist. Likewise, we want the reader to get to know all of our major characters.

Sounds good and we can agree with that premise.

But how do we accomplish that?

Here are four ways the reader can get to know your characters. (For sake of clarity, I'll use Jill, a female protagonist.)

First, you can tell the reader about Jill with descriptive narrative. This is perhaps the most common method, often used during the first meeting of the protagonist. Jill Hanson barely measured five feet tall and weighed less than a hundred pounds. Her dark hair was cut into a flat top. Her brown eyes were as serious as the nine millimeter pistol she aimed at the man. The reader gets the picture (or as much as you wish to give at this point) exactly the way you want to present her. This is quick and clear. It is also the easiest. And many would say it is the least effective, but it has its uses.

The second method is to let others in the cast tell the reader about the protagonist. This is most effective if one character is describing the protagonist to another character. I'll tell you this, Becca, Jill is smart, determined and driven. This method has a distinct advantage of letting the reader know how others feel about Jill. At the same time, the reader is learning something about this other character. Is she jealous of Jill? Or perhaps in awe of Jill. And here it is easier to get in certain types of qualities that might not come easily in descriptive narrative.

A very important way to show the reader about your character is through her actions. "Actions speak louder than words" is a cliché because it is has been true forever. You can impress a characteristic on the reader by having Jill act a certain way. The ice pellets bounced off the pavement. Jill took off her coat and draped it around the shivering girl. Often this is contrary to what we were lead to believe by the second method above.

The most powerful way to let the reader really get to know Jill is by using internal dialog for her. Now the reader has the actual thoughts of Jill. And the reader will believe those. It is at this point that whatever was revealed before can either be confirmed, or completely contradicted. Jill straightened her stance and held the gun steady. I'm terrified, she thought. But I can't let them know that.

Keep in mind the strengths of each. Number one, descriptive narrative, is easy, straightforward and quick. The second method adds depth to your story. How others relate to Jill can be very important. Different characters may give quite different pictures of her. The third method is the embodiment of the cardinal rule: show don't tell. Show the reader who Jill really is. And the fourth method shows the reader how Jill feels about herself and the people, things and situations surrounding her.

Which of these should you use?

All four. Every book.

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years. He has had four non-fiction books published. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his seventh book releasing in spring, 2016.

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG

Over My Dead Body, is available at: http://amzn.to/1BmYQ0Q

• Website: www.jamesrcallan.com/
• Blog: www.jamesrcallan.com/blog
• Twitter: @jamesrcallan
• FB: James Callan