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

The 2016 Laurel is here!

 

A NOTE TO PUBLISHED AUTHORS:

If you had a novel release any time in 2015, you're invited to submit to Clash of the Titles' Laurel Award!!

The Laurel is a contest available to any genre of Christian fiction published in 2015. The novels are judged by their audience—readers well-versed in Christian fiction yet not associated with the CBA industry.

Authors write for readers, so why not have readers be the judges?

With a submission fee of only $15, easy electronic submission, a bevy of prizes, and judges devoted to Christian fiction and author encouragement, the Laurel is a contest like no other.

But act quick! Slots are limited. To avoid overburdening our volunteer judges, we are limited in the number of submissions we can accept.

* All previous COTT champs whose winning novel was published in 2015 have an assured spot (fee waived) in the 2016 Laurel.

The Skinny:

ELIGIBILITY: Christian novels (30,000+ words) of any genre published between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

PRIZES: One first place winner will be chosen. The winner will receive a special feature on Clash of the Titles' blog, a tour through COTT’s Blog Alliance, a dedicated page on COTT’s site for a full year, an on-line radio interview with author and CAG board member, Cynthia L. Simmons, a digital winner’s badge, and a beautiful plaque to display at home.

COST: $15 USD

Novels participating in the Laurel are judged by their audience—readers who are well-versed in Christian fiction yet not a part of the CBA industry. This contest judges the first two chapters (or 3,500 words) of published novels. Any genre of Christian novel (30,000 words or more) is eligible, including indie.

SUBMISSION DATES: February 4, 2016-February 26, 2016

Learn more about the Laurel Awards HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do You Trust Spellchecker? Paula Rose Weighs In

Welcome to Writing Talk Tuesday!

Today’s guest is author Paula Rose, who shares some thoughts on the fallible spellchecker…

 

 

♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦

When Spell Checker Lets You Down . . . and down . . . and down, again.

There is one thing that I’ve learned about spell checker, and it’s not one thing that I will soon forget. Spell checker will keep letting you down because the English language isn’t one to be very clear. Does every language have three different versions and spellings of a same sounding words where the meaning is different in all cases?

A) My favorite example is: There. Their. They’re. To spell checker, each word is spelled correctly. However, when their there is over here and they’re going after it, the application will behave accordingly.

B) It’s only when our own mistakes go deeper than a simple spelling error will this function deem to make some suggestions. My question then becomes what is their suggestion?

1) My sentence version: They’re going their and there what problems can arise?

2) Spell checker sentence version: They’re going there and they’re what problems can arise?

Although, sometimes, this software function will offer up something different. If I choose the suggestion in my own automated way, at the wrong time, I could have just changed my error for another mistake. Can you understand why I would question the suggestions?

It used to be my own assumption that the application will know better than I would. It’s that old artificial intelligence can do what I do better theory.

In many ways, a computer can do better than me, but in some ways, the software will not. Spell checker cannot understand context in language to determine the correct version of any word. It will tell you what is spelled correctly unless the word is an acronym or a proper name or noun that it does not recognize, and it might ask you if you mean something else like when using the words to, two or too.

3) My first sentence version: Sure, I do like to go down the shore but sunburn makes me sore.

4) My second sentence version: Shore, the sun will give me sunburn down at the sure.

C) Spell check did not correct my mistakes in either of the above sentences. Inside number three, the alliteration will get you tongue-tied, but inside number four, I don’t believe the sun will be down at this sure.

D) Exactly, what did I learn from all this?

1) Proofreading doesn’t mean only spell checker is needed, but this function is truly needed in riting writing. In my righting this article, you can see how errors will still pass the computer’s check list, but this previous sentence needs help in construction, in word definition, and in structure.

2) I can see and understand how much editing can help with these types of issues.

E) Now, this next example will prove how I used two different words incorrectly inside two different sentences in a pre-edited version of Revenge. I will confess that I’ve done this much more than twice! Each word is spelled correctly, but the sentence suffered by my own mistakes.

1) Shaken with fear and concern for the missing, she made it a point to reign rein in her emotional state and to focus on the client.

2) He was given the information asked for in a forthright manor manner, lending to the feel that the emotional scales here were out of line.

This article is one author’s proof that proofreading, editing, and a good story does go way beyond the spell check function. In fact, I’ve learned that rewriting is writing, developmental edits, content edits, and line edits will make a story shine, teach the writer more about their tale, and catch everything from slang and structure to punctuation plus everything else in between the cover of a book.

Author Bio: Author Paula Rose brings an “average” family into extraordinary situations, brushes with life-size strokes of reality, adding just a touch of humor, and coats with suspense inside Christian fiction. Paula’s research gives readers a panoramic view from law enforcement and lends to character authenticity. She enjoys writing in the romantic suspense, suspense, and mystery genres, but when she’s not writing, Paula Rose is reading or playing amateur photographer. Member of ACFW. 2015 Genesis Contest judge. NetGalley member. 2014 Grace Awards judge.

Media Links:

• Blog: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/booksnreviews/


• Website: http://paularosebooks.com


• ACFW Fiction Finder: http://www.fictionfinder.com/author/?author=Paula+Rose


• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulaRoseauthor


• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paularoseauthor/


• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Paula-Rose-Books-1514088292150972/


• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paularoseauthor/


• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392724.Paula_Rose


• About: http://about.me/paularoseauthor

NOTE from Peg: For obvious reasons, I did NOT run this article through Spellchecker! 

TWEET THIS: [bctt tweet="#Spellchecker: Bane...or Blessing? Join Author Paula Rose'PaulaRoseauthor on #whispersinpurple and YOU decide #writing #spelling #grammar"]

Spotlight on "Anything for a Story" by Cynthia Hickey

Stormi is delightful as the accident-prone and bumbling wanna be detective. What she lacks in skill she makes up for in nosiness. Add in the sexy detective and a slightly nutty family and our lead character has her hands full.

~Amazon reviewer

About the book:
Stormi Nelson, best-selling romance author, moved into her huge Victorian house in the private community of Oak Meadows Estates. When her agent tells her that her characters are becoming too cardboard and that she needs to get out and mingle with people, she comes up with the idea of a Neighborhood Watch Program. The only problem is … she’s the only member. On her first night of patrol, she stumbles over a dead body, meets a hunky detective, who happens to be her neighbor and clearly frustrated with her, and her mother, sister, niece and nephew arrive to shake up Stormi’s peaceful life. As she is immersed ever deeper into the mystery surrounding a neighbor’s murder, she decides to change writing tactics and write a romantic mystery based on her experiences. What follows is a frolicking good time as Stormi finds herself the nosiest neighbor of them all. Can she find the killer before she becomes the next victim?

PURCHASE

Amazon

 

A note from the author, Cynthia Hickey:

"Why I Became a Writer"

Funny how this roller-coaster business can tug on someone until it’s either write or die. A bit dramatic, yes, but that’s how most writers feel.

I started reading at the young age of five and became hooked on words and stories. Being a shy child, I would make up stories to act out, but it wasn’t until Junior High when an English teacher assigned a

writing project that I realized how much I loved putting the story to paper. I began writing short stories in which my younger brother was featured as the hero, or I’d write a romance featuring me and whatever boy I had a crush on at the time.

When I turned fifteen, I wrote my first “real story” about terrorists taking over a high school. Funny how I have now seen that very plot made into a movie. I couldn’t be stopped after that first “book.” I kept writing, keeping my stories in a notebook, which I unfortunately lost when I married and moved out of state. Then, life happened and I didn’t take up writing again until the age of forty when my children were older and I had time to devote to it.

In 2007, I published my first cozy mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, with Barbour Publishing and haven’t slowed down since. Forty books later, and several genres added to the mix, I have no intentions of stopping this crazy career any time soon. It’s as much a part of me as breathing.

 

About the author:

Multi-published and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. She had several historical romances release in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold half a million copies of her works. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazine blog and Suspense Sisters blog. She and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs, two cats, three box turtles, and two Sulcata tortoises. She has seven grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

Getting to Know Terri Wangard: An Interview w/Giveaway

 

Terri Wangard’s first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. These days she is writing historical fiction, and won the 2013 Writers on the Storm contest and 2013 First Impressions, as well as being a 2012 Genesis finalist. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her occupied as an associate editor.

 

Welcome to Whispers in Purple, Terri. I’m so pleased to meet you, learn a little bit about you, and talk about your book, Friends and Enemies.

**Note: Terri is giving away a digital copy of Friends and Enemies. See details below**

Okay, are you ready, Terri? Then here we go:

Tell us five random things about you.

• I’ve lived in all four continental time zones, in Wisconsin, Michigan, California, and Utah.
• I love chocolate, but it’s an allergy and a migraine trigger, so I have to be cautious.
• Many years ago, I attended concerts by the Osmonds and the Carpenters.
• I’ve been to 46 of the 50 states. I haven’t been to Delaware, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
• I have a Masters of Library Science degree.

Wow, that’s impressive! And I’m jealous that you’ve been to both Alaska and Hawaii.

List five things you must have in your life—people NOT included.

Books (does this count as one thing or would five books be five things??), apples ( preferably Cortland), Sudoku puzzles (I always do the puzzle in the morning paper while eating breakfast), music CDs, and birdsong.

Although ‘books’ is plural, I think they can be counted as ONE item

What do you do just for you?

I used to do a lot of cross-stitch until all the walls are filled with my “masterpieces.” I watch a lot of NCIS and Castle on the treadmill. My library card gets a regular workout.

Describe your writing process.

My research consists of lots of memoirs. I’m more of a pantster than a plotter, although I try to plan the gist of each chapter. After finishing a chapter, I’ll flesh out the next before writing. Since I work full-time and am highly prone to migraines, my writing is restricted to weekends. (Yes, it takes me a long time to finish a project.)

Fun question: If you were born into the animal kingdom instead of the human race, what would you be, and why?

Probably a small dog—Yorkie or Dachshund—because they’re cuddly.

Now, let’s get to the book we’re featuring today:

• · Title: Friends and Enemies
• · Publisher: HopeSprings, an imprint of Chalfont House
• · Release date: January 5, 2016
• · Genre: Historical. It’s subtitled A World War II Romance, but there’s just a touch of romance.
• · Stand-alone or series: This is Book One of the Promise For Tomorrow series.
• · Target Audience: Women who enjoy history. Some readers feel men would enjoy it because of all the B-17 action.

 

What’s the book about and how did you come to write it?

World War II rages across Europe, particularly in Germany, claiming the life of Heidi Wetzel’s husband. In a bid to escape the frequent bombings of German cities, Heidi and her sister flee Hagen to a farm in the German countryside, where they help care for orphaned children. While there, Heidi comes across an American airman, Paul, whom she knows from living in Milwaukee during her high school years. When Paul’s plane is shot down over Germany, his only thought is survival—until he hears God’s voice guiding him to his late wife’s friend.

Friends and Enemies was inspired by a batch of letters written in 1946-8 from distant cousins in Germany who were receiving care packages from my grandparents. The letters don’t share much about their experiences during the war or what they thought of the Nazis. So I created a story for them.

Give us the back cover blurb.

Widowed seamstress Heidi Wetzel finds new meaning in life by caring for evacuated children on a farm in war-torn western Germany. Never a supporter of National Socialism, she takes pleasure in passive resistance, but must exercise caution around neighbors who delight in reporting to the Gestapo. Having lived in the United States, she wonders about her friend Rachel.

Flying cadet Paul Braedel’s wife dies while he trains for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Following bereavement leave, he joins a navigation class. He’s lost his zest for life and heads to England, not caring if he lives or dies.

When he and his crew are shot down over Germany, he evades capture and, for the first time since Rachel’s death, hears the voice of God whisper guidance. “Find Heidi.”

Heidi meets a man she recognizes from her high school days in America. Aiding a downed airman is punishable by execution, but she agrees to help. Then they’re betrayed.

Where can folks find you on the Internet? (social media links, blog/website, etc)

• My website/blog is at www.terriwangard.com.
• I’m also at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard/
• and https://www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

 

**About the Giveaway:

Terri is giving away one free eBook of Friends and Enemies. Entering is easy. Just leave a comment below with your name and email address (i.e. you-at-abcxyz-dot-com) so we can contact you if you’re the winner. Giveaway ends on Wednesday, February 10, at Midnight, Central Time. That’s it! But please feel free to ask Terri a question, either about the book, or about herself. She’ll be checking in regularly. Thanks!

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Terri. It’s been fun getting to know you, and a pleasure to be able to help promote your book. Many blessings.