Writing Talk Tuesday with Jeanne Marie Leach

A Slip of the Tongue:

Using Malapropisms, Spoonerisms, and Hyperbole in Your Writing

By Jeanne Marie Leach

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

---Franklin D. Roosevelt

Why is it that the simplest day-to-day speech mannerisms never find their way into our writing? Why do all characters tend to sound just like all other characters when they speak?

We are taught to give each of our characters something that differentiates each of them from the others. It’s easy to do that with their physical appearances, little habits and tics, but how do we do it in speech without them sounding the same as the characters from other books we’ve written or read?

Simple answer: give them some “normalcy” when they speak. You will create more believable characters if you use these familiar, yet forgotten slips of the tongue.

1. Malapropisms --- This is when the author misuses words or phrases ridiculously, especially by confusing words that sound similar. The word or phrase means something different from the word the writer intended to use. The result is usually nonsensical, but entertaining.

Shakespeare used malapropisms in several of his works. Just a few examples of this are:

• · "Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons." (i.e., apprehended, suspicious; Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3, Scene V)


• · "That is the very defect of the matter, sir." (i.e., effect; The Merchant of Venice Act 2, Scene II)


• · "I will tell her, sir, that you do protest, which, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer." (i.e., propose; Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene IV)

One thing to remember about malapropisms in fiction writing is that they don’t belong in the narrative portion of the story, but characters can get away with saying most anything. If a character uses clichés or malapropisms because that’s a part of who she or he is, then it works. Don’t try to have every character in your book speak this way every time they open their mouth. But one particular character who does this fairly regularly would definitely add depth to who they are.

If a character is excited, frustrated, or fearful, a malapropism would help show this. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, and watched the Archie Bunker TV show regularly. His non-politically correct, bigoted attitude aside, he used malapropisms in some of the funniest ways.

The most recent well-known character who uses these little gems often is Uncle Si on Duck Dynasty. He uses a dozen of them per show, and it’s hilarious, yet endears us to this older gentleman. If you’ve never watched the show, I suggest you do. Just one 30-minute episode will give you a great example of how to use these little gems.

2. Spoonerisms – These are more commonly known as a “slip of the tongue.” This is when someone gets the first letter of a couple words mixed around. They usually happen unintentionally, but an author can intentionally have one of their characters make a spoonerism that would be most appropriate for the moment. They are obviously used in humorous situations.

Examples:

• · "Three cheers for our queer old dean!" (dear old queen)


• · "Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?" (customary to kiss)


• · "Is the bean dizzy?" (dean busy)

Spoonerisms only work in dialogue, and could show up when a character gets overly excited, such as a heroine meeting the hero for the first time and he’s drop-dead gorgeous. Or if someone is caught in a lie. These add an element of fun to your story, but should be used sparingly. After all, we’ve all had this sort of slipup before, so why not give ‘em to our characters? It makes them more human, rather than cookie cutter.

3. Hyperbole – A hyperbole is an obvious and intentional exaggeration. While it may be used to create a strong impression, it is definitely not to be taken literally. Some examples are:

• · The bag weighed a ton.


• · She walked toward the front of the class as if her feet were made of lead.


• · He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.


• · The tabby cat’s lion-like growl startled her.

Hyperbole can be used in narration as well as dialogue, but isn’t seen as much in adult fiction as it used to because we are taught to SHOW and not TELL. In our attempt to do so, we’ve forgotten to do that with hyperbole. The above examples are great ways to show and not tell.

Teenagers regularly use hyperbole in their casual speech, so you’ll see these in the young adult genres more than anywhere else. They say things like, “My dad is going to kill me when he finds out I got a dent in the car.” This is an obvious overstatement.

Have you noticed, though, that adults use these exaggerations too? Of course you have. I exaggerate all the time to get my point across. Why not develop a character who has this tendency? Perhaps it gets her or him into trouble.

I hope you can see how adding a few average, everyday mannerisms to your character’s speech can create more unique and interesting people your readers will love.

~♦~♦~

About Jeanne Marie Leach



Jeanne Marie Leach is a multi-published author and freelance editor specializing in fiction and teaches courses on editing fiction. She is coordinator of The Christian PEN, a member of the Christian Editor Network, and member #46 of The American Christian Fiction Writers, where she received the 2012 Member Service Award. She teaches 32 weeks per year to editors on how to edit fiction and continually keeps abreast of current market trends and hones her knowledge of fiction writing and editing through classes and conferences.

Visit Jeanne’s website and check out the editing services she offers: www.jeannemarieleach.com

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Now, I have a challenge–a fun one, trust me––– in the comments section below, share some of the funniest slips of the tongue you’ve experienced yourself, or heard from others. If I get enough, I’ll post them in a separate blog next week. I have made MY share of them over the years, and I’ll share, too. C’mon, join the conversation…and the fun. Oh, and I’ll keep you anonymous if you request me to.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Jeanne will be back here on Writing Talk Tuesday in December. The dates are: December 1, 15, 22, and 29.

Thanks, Jeanne, for taking part in my new venture. I’ve ‘known’ you for a number of years and I’ve always respected your writing talent, sense of humor, and edititing acumen.

Here's a TWEETABLE for you:

[bctt tweet="How to use malapropisms, spoonerisims and hyperbole in your writing with Jeanne Marie Leach. A fun & interesting blog post."]

ABORTION IS NOT THE UNPARDONABLE SIN, Linda Wood Rondeau

In my upcoming release, Fiddler’s Fling, by Elk Lake Publishing, the subject of abortion is addressed.

My heroine, Jolene was raised in a loving church environment. Yet, when she thought herself in trouble, looked for solutions from secular resources rather than go to the people who should be the first to help her find the way back to God…to forgiveness and healing.

It is unfortunate that our young people are given all kinds of scripture and wisdom regarding the dangers of pre-marital sex; yet, the church refuses to acknowledge that hormones can and will get the better of a young person’s judgment and out-of-wedlock pregnancies happen to church kids, even those who are strong Christians.

We sin. And there are consequences to that sin.

Yet, young people are too ashamed and guilt ridden to come to the church for advice on how to cope with the consequence of an unwanted pregnancy. And so they seek advice from the world. Scared and uninformed…not sure of other alternatives…they are counseled that abortion is the only reasonable “out.” And so guilt is added upon guilt and it drives them further from the very source that could bring them spiritual healing.

What can and should the church do? Is it reasonable to teach birth control other than abstinence? Many church leaders fear that arming their young people with this information is tantamount to permissiveness. Is it reasonable to teach young people what to do if they do find themselves in the predicament of an unwanted pregnancy? Or again, do leaders fear this knowledge would give the wrong impression?

Some churches do reach out to the community and offer assistance to unwed mothers…providing counseling after the fact. Then why do our young people fear contacting their Sunday School teachers and pastors? And if they do make the mistake of getting an abortion, guilt drives them even further from the church?

♦If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 NIV).

Sin is disobedience against God. That is why we are all sinners and all of us are in need of grace. The problem comes when churches, consciously or unconsciously, grade sin on a bell curve. We fail to recognize that a lie is as grievous a sin to the Lord as murder. Yet, God will forgive us any sin except the failure to ask for forgiveness…He cannot forgive if we are unwilling to receive His forgiveness.

Perhaps the message we most need to give our young people is that: we all fall short of perfection but God does not fall short on His ability to forgive.

♦My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 1 John 2:1 NIV).

When we teach abstinence without reinforcing grace we deter our young people from seeking help from the very people who will love them through the failure.

♦What can you do?

Talk to your church leaders. Inquire as to how they manage sex education in their youth curriculum. Do they only teach abstinence? Do they encourage young people to seek counseling when confronted with a situation that has gotten out of control?

Only through awareness, openness, and forgiveness, can we help our young people afford making the abortion mistake. And if they do, the church must provide an aura of Grace and let them know that they can find healing and forgiveness within the church family.

Christians sin. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin and urges us to seek God’s face in our contrition.

~♦~♦~

ABOUT FIDDLER’S FLING:

Will be released within a few days by http://www.elklakepublishing.com/about.html

Engaged to a wealthy rising political star, a driven social worker returns to her small-town roots.

With her wedding to Robert Ashworth weeks away, Jolene Murdock receives a call from Dwight Etting, her estranged father’s junior partner and her former boyfriend. The business is crumbling and her father is dying.

Compelled to visit in spite of Robert’s objections, Jolene wonders if reconciliation is possible given her father’s hatred of all things Ashworth. And there was Dwight. How could she work side-by-side with him and not reveal her secret sin?

To complicate matters her father wants her to play a duet with him in the upcoming Essex County Fiddlers Fling; however, her fiddle was among the many things she left behind when she abandoned Brookside.

More than a romance.

Set in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, Fiddlers Fling depicts the struggle of the human spirit to find absolution in good deeds rather than accept the unconditional forgiveness God offers the repentant heart.

~♦~♦~

ABOUT LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

Winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, writes blended contemporary fiction that speaks to the heart and offers hope to those with damaged lives. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida. A Christmas Prayer, (aka A Father’s Prayer) was a finalist for both the 2014 Selah and Carol Awards.

The gorgeous Adirondack Mountains are a frequent setting for Rondeau’s books.

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com, her blog, Salt and Light, or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter, PInterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.

Tweetable:

[bctt tweet="Is #abortion the ultimate sin? See what Linda Wood Rondeau @lwrondeau has to say about it and how the church can help our young people deal with it."]

Unconditional: Behind the Story By: Tanya Eavenson

He will fight for her at any cost...

Elizabeth Roberts can't remember her past, and the present is too painful. She turns to nightclubs and drinking to forget her infant daughter's death, her husband's affair.
When his wife's coma wiped out the memory of their marriage, Chris Roberts found comfort elsewhere. He can't erase his betrayal, but with God's help he’s determined to fight for Elizabeth at any cost.
She wants to forget. He wants to save his marriage. Can they trust God with their future and find a love that’s unconditional?

~♥~♥~

Unconditional: Behind the Story

                     By: Tanya Eavenson

Most little girls grow up believing in happily-ever-after and fairy tales of an unconditional love story. But I grew up in a family were divorce was common, with the idea once you “fall out” of love and you can’t get along anymore, it’s time to get a divorce. The proof was watching family members bounce from spouse to spouse. At a young age, I learned to believe love was fleeting. I began to protect myself with walls of preservation no one could penetrate.

Until one day when I visited a church and met a certain guy. It had been years since I’d been to a church, but I felt drawn to go. Soon afterward, the guy and I started dating, and for the first time in my life, I believed in happily-ever-after. I believed it throughout high school and right after college when we married.

But months later, I held divorce papers in my hands. To this day, I recall the emptiness in that moment, the hurt and pain and the reasons why I’d left my husband. Once again, I experienced the same feelings I felt when I was a child--love was fleeting, and happily-ever-after didn’t exist.

As I picked up the pen from the desk to sign the divorce papers, I never counted on the Holy Spirit urging me to call my husband. We spoke, barely, more like grunted at each other, but on that day we decided to meet, and shortly after, to fight for our marriage.

I didn’t plan to write Unconditional, but a desire took hold to tell a story of a husband and wife lost in their marriage. Although Unconditional isn’t the story my husband and I faced, there were similarities. We were at the brink of divorce and no one could stop it from happening—except for God.

Psalms 103:2-5 says, Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Yes, God kept His promises. He forgave our sins, redeemed our marriage, and the life to which He’d called us. But most importantly, God revealed His passion and love for me like no one ever had, will, or could. I was His and He would never be willing to give me up, regardless of the circumstance. And though humanly speaking, there’s no such thing as happily-ever-after, in Christ, I would be happy for all eternity.

My husband and I celebrated nineteen years of marriage; the same month I held Unconditional in my hands for the first time. I cried seeing my name scrolled across the backdrop of a woman ever so gently kissing her husband at their wedding. It was surreal. Unconditional was a gift, a reminder of God’s love for me and for my readers. It’s an unconditional love story of a woman, a man, and an amazing God.

~♥~♥~

~ Tanya Eavenson enjoys spending time with her husband, and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Word Weavers International, and writes for Christ to the World Ministries. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/ on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google, or on Amazon.

Buy Links:

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unconditional-ebook/dp/B00AZL8F5G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357883999&sr=1-1&keywords=tanya+Eavenson+Unconditional


• Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unconditional-tanya-eavenson/1114108760?ean=2940016066837


• iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unconditional/id592895859?mt=11


• Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unconditional-7


• Publisher: Clean Reads


• Release date: September 2, 2015

~♥~♥~

Thank you so much, Tanya, for being my guest here today, and for your wonderful, heartfelt story. God Bless You!

Join the conversation!

TWEETABLE:

[bctt tweet="Is there such a thing as 'happily ever after?' See what Tanya Eavenson @Tan_eave has to say. #whispersinpurple #divorce #marriage #unconditional"]

Meet Rozene Gentry Carson

Rozene is the main character in my Sweetwater River Series.

I was honored to be asked to write a post for my publisher’s blog this week. It went live today, so I thought I’d tease you a bit with part of my interview with her.

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Q: Rozene Gentry Carson, what is the most interesting thing about you?
A: I’m at least half Cherokee. I was raised from infancy by my grandmother Chenoa, a full-blooded Cherokee. I don’t know whether she was my maternal or paternal grandmother, and I know nothing about my parents. She never talked about them. In fact, she rarely talked at all. Mostly she just grunted. But she loved me, in her own way.

You can read the rest of the interview HERE

I hope you can find the time to check it out…and leave a comment.

THANKS!

Guest Blogger author Carole Brown

What a Lovely Evening, by Carole Brown

Alex hurried inside dragging Kayla with her, but I paused outside, taking in the sky that seemed to stretch forever. Out west, the sky did that. It took a fella down a little to face up to the fact of his own insignificance in the grand scheme of things. It was so easy to get caught up in one’s own little world, letting it go to your head and thinking a mite bigger of yourself than one should.

Tonight I wondered. Did I matter? -- Excerpt from Bat Crazy, Book 2 of the Denton and Alex Davies Mysteries

Do I matter?

“Come on, Grandma. Lay down here and watch the stars with us.”

How could I resist such a sweet plea? I couldn’t. Clambering onto a pile of boards my son and daughter-in-law had stacked to save for another day, banging my ankle against a particularly rough edge, I joined my two grandsons (10 year old Wes and 3 year old Jonathan) on their “bed.”

“Lay back, Grandma.”

Groan. Edging backward, I finally settled into an uncomfortable position (propping my head up with my clenched hands) and joined my younger companions in star-gazing.

“Look at that shooting star.” This was from Wes and since he was older I expected to see a lit-trail of glory blossoming across the dark heavens.

I didn’t. But again and again I was urged to look.

Until . . .

I got caught up in the moment, that beautiful time when reality and thought become enchanted with the glory of God. No matter if my grandsons were imagining their sights or if their more perfect vision was seeing what I at first hadn’t. I finally let myself stare at the sky with them and let myself be wrapped in their magical moment.

And I saw it . . .

Tiny, and lightning quick, I saw a tail of something. I like to think it WAS a shooting star. A moment in time where anything can happen. A moment in time when a person realizes their insignificance and then, just as quickly, knows that God is real and big and cares.

It only took a few minutes to make and share an outstandingly lovely memory with my grandsons. Uncomfortable as it was, I think God gave me a nudge of encouragement in that brief glimpse of his glory.

Like Denton, in my BAT CRAZY novel, I was reassured of God’s ever and ongoing love for me and that what I do--simple as it is--is important to him.

What a lovely evening.

~♦~♦~

Please welcome my guest, author Carole Brown. Carole and I were part of an e-mail critique group about ten years ago, and about a year later I got to meet her in person at the 2006 ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Dallas. TX. So it is my particular pleasure to have her here today.

I posted her sweet story above before anything else,  because I thought it charming, and it starts with a line from the book we’re featuring here.

~♦~♦~

Monster Bats with red eyes that attack humans?

Denton doesn’t think so and Alex hopes not, but who are they to quibble with the local gossip?

Transmission problems and a blown tire land Denton and Alex Davies right in the middle of a dilapidated, unfriendly town that’s welcoming no strangers, least of all nosy ones with a bent toward solving mysteries.

But with support from the town detective--an admirer of the Davies--and their own tenacious personalities, Denton and Alex aren’t easily scared off. Not when warnings in the form of painted bats show up on the porch of their rented cabin, not when the mayor threatens to run them out of town and not even when Denton finds the bones . . .

An ancient story, a bit of a map, a lost jewel and even a bat clan serve to provide the Davies and their sidekick, Taffy, the dog, their hardest case so far.

Available on Amazon and other online stores:

http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1

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Carole Brown not only has her award winning (Winner of the 2015 Christian Small Publisher Award in General Fiction, nominated for an Epic Award, RWA International Digital Awards finalist in Inspiration, Laurel Award finalist, Selah finalist; Genesis semi-finalist) debut novel, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, available for purchase now, but a companion book called West Virginia Scrapbook: From the Life of Caralynne Hayman, filled with tidbits of information about West Virginia.

A fun, lighthearted mystery series began with the first book: Hog Insane, introducing Denton and Alex Davies and now her second book in this series, Bat Crazy. Her WWII romantic suspense Spies series began with With Music In Their Hearts, featuring three red-headed sisters, three spies, and three stories.

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

• Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/browncarole212
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=67381031
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts
• Stitches in Time: http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/
• Barn Door Book Loft: http://www.barndoorbookloft.net/

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Carole, thanks so much for being my guest today. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to host you. Please come back again . . . any time!