JamesSavik

I think you did a good job this time nan. :p

I have taken the plunge and invested in voice recognition software. I am using Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred version 8. It is very interesting to use this software. It frees me of the burden of typing, which is admittedly a pain in the backside. It will take some getting used to. I'm not used to writing this way, but I think I'll get over it. This is one of a number of things that I have been doing lately to improve my writing. Having worked like a dog for other people most of my professional life, it is time to work for me. Speech recognition software opens some doors for me, that have previously been close. I intend to offer consulting services for professionals, who have to do a great deal of writing. Doctors offices, and attorneys come to mind. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how this affects my writing and output. Stay tuned. -JS :geek: _________________________________ PS. This message was composed by voice.

Oh my Chapter 48 has certianly raised the stakes. 12 Icarians is interesting. Legions and legions of armed Icarians is a mortal threat to all the kingdoms- espically if the Icarians are lead by Loren. TSOI is getting hot!

There's good stuff suggested here. TR and Blue have good points. I think it is most simply stated: When you find yourself in a rut, step out of it. Do something different. Find a nerd with a telescope and go have a look at Orion's nebulae. Play chess with someone. Walk through the zoo. Whatever it takes to break the monotony. Oh yeah- a good bout of sweaty college sex never hurt anybody. Best of luck, :geek:

Well- the puppy would be cheaper and if he humps your best friends leg, you could have him neutered. :twisted:

Depending on the game, basketball, baseball or soccer for instance, the meaning is clear to someone who is familiar with the jargon of the game. Someone who is not might be lost. I think that VWL and WBS are right. Add the word game and it should clear up any confusion. The New Orleans Saints (3-8 ) are so far behind the Carolina Panthers (8-3) in the divisional standings that they'll be hard pressed to catch them anytime this decade. :sad5:

I am trying to read all of the stories here- between life and writing stories of my own- the time is precious. I just wanted to bump this thread and let ArchangelMatthew72 know how much I'm enjoying it. :angel4:

Elecivil's work is consistent: consistently funny, consistently interesting and consistently great! =D> Someone filthy rich needs to give this guy a huge GRANT so he can focus on writing!

Togetherness seems to be breaking out all over and like Martha Stewart is fond of saying, it's a good thing. I met the guy that I'm seeing at the gym. He asked me to spot for him one day in October and he has been following me around like a puppy ever since. He has a way of making this big ole Beast purr like a kitten. :toothy8:

The ironic thing is that we always manage to put horns on ours. :D

Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress Writer's Digest Books, 1998. 100 years ago, Henry James stated that Character is plot. Well, this is hard to dispute. Indeed some characters have become household words. How do you write characters that are appealing, capture the imagination or that readers just simply like? Nancy Kress attempts to anwer this question with her book and does a reasonably good job of it. She divides her book into three major divisions and addresses the details of characterization. A. Creating Strong and Believable Characters: the Externals 1. Choosing Descriptive Details 2. What's In a Name? 3. The Role of Setting in Character Creation 4. Using the World of Work to Enhance Characterization 5. Characterization Through Dialogue 6. Making Dialogue Read naturally 7. Pruning Character Descriptions to a Managable Number 8. Basing Characters on Real People B. Creating Believable Characters: the Internals 9. Using personal thought to characterize 10. Making Clear What, When and How your character is thinking 11. How to avoid letting your assumptions torpedo characterization 12. How to use dreams and newscasts to enhance characterization 13. How to make your villians as readable os your heroes 14. How to create an unsympathetic protagonist without driving your readers away 15. A system for filing in your character details C. Character and Plot 16. How to start anywhere and arrive at plot 17. When conflict leads to violence 18. How point of view begins with character and leads to plot 19. Secondary characters and plot construction 20. How to make characters change 21. An example of how character, change and plot intertwine 22. Basing plots on real events 23. Using old plots in new ways 24. The connections between characters: plot and theme 25. Characters and the writer Is this book useful? Yes. It got me thinking about how I was doing things and how I was already doing some of the things she was discussing. Some of the concepts are intutive and if you are decent writer, you are already doing them. Kress shows you what you are doing and adds a trick or two to your toolbox. >>>

The Oxford Essential Writer's Reference Berkley Press, 2005. This is an excellent writer's reference that is current and more relevant to the task of creative writing than the Little, Brown Handbook. Its focus is more on langauge usage form. The text is divided into 19 sections: I. Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling and Usagr Guides II. A List of the Most commonly Used Foreign Words and Phrases III. 100 Tricky Usage Problems IV. 100 Rare 50 Cent Words and their Meaning V. 125 Synonym Studies VI. Proofreaders Marks and their Meaning VII. Common Citation Styles VIII. A List of Cliches to Avoid IX. A List of Common Rhetorical Devices, Poetic Meters, and Form X. A Quick Guide to all the plays of Shakespeare XI. A Timeline of Great Work of English Literature XII. Biblical Quotes, Characters and Books of the Bible XIII. Major Mythological Characters XIV. A List of Great Print Resources that can be Found at Most Libraries XV. A List of Writer's Advocacy Orginazations XVI. How to Copyright Your Work XVII. A Commonsense Guide to Manuscript Formats XVIII. great Websites for Writers XIX. Forms of Address for Letter Writing This paperback retails for 6.99. >>>

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 3rd Edition Jane Aaron, Longman Press 1998. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook is exactly what it says it is: a comprehensive handbook of writing, grammar, style, conventions and citation guidelines from the MLA, APA and the Chicago Manual of Style. It is a useful reference for any author with special interests to grad students who have to write dissertations or research papers. This book is divided into 8 major sections: I. The Writing Process II. Clarity and Style III. Sentence Parts and Patterns IV. Punctuation V. Conventions of Form and Appearance VI. Research & Documentation VII.Special Types of Writing Glossary of Usage and Index The only problem that I have with this book is its price: $50 at Amazon or more at you local store. I got my copy at a second hand book store but my copy is the older 3rd edition. >>>

Graeme's Family Snippets are an absolute treasure! I'm very glad that they are hosted here at AD.

I noticed that Dude has added Ty's Storm Front to our family of fantastically ferocious fiction. Ty's long running series Storm Front is enjoyed by fans from around the globe. I'm delighted to see him here and I know you'll love the story. Well done Dude! =D>

A few more things that make a character stand out: Quirks- Bob smokes ciggerettes. Whenever he gets a new pack, he takes the first one out of the pack and turns backward and puts it back in and saves it. When he has a paricular need for luck, he smokes the lucky smoke. Consistency- a character needs to be consistent in his words and actions unless there is a good reason for him not to be consistent. Consistency in dialogue: Bob is a crackhead and is fond of saying, "Get your filthy paws off my rock, ho." You wouldn't expect him to say, "You can tell that this rock is bogus because the gram-molecular weight is off." Consistency in Actions: Bob, still a crackhead, steals car radios and little old ladies welfare checks. You wouldn't expect him to tutor kids taking high school geometry. Now- if Bob was a scientest before he got on the rock, then there may be a good reason for his bizaar contradictions in his behavior.

My goodness TR. When you snap out of a dry spell, you really come out swinging. This is an amazing use of layers: layers of emotion, images and meaning. It may well be the most complex short work that I've seen here. It is unique in that it is the only work of literature in which the physics of force and vectors plays a lead role. :geek:

:headbang: =D> Thanks Eggman! :notworthy: A surprise, but very welcome Thanksgiving guest bearing a treat! :thumbright:

Well done Codey! =D> :reindeer: :santa: Editors are a god send but a good author makes their job a whole lot easier. -JS & Boo :geek:

Don't encourage me! I'm so sure the woman I work for is a witch, I'm gathering firewood.

Chapter 22 was great Graeme! Fireworks, emotions, the mystery of Tony. Can't wait for more. Some progressive production company really should make New Brother into a movie. That's one DVD I want to buy.

James, a true son of Dixie, will unwittingly (some would say, witlessly) cause a rift between loyal servants of His Dudeness. Oh deah! That sounds so much likh something that I would do, it absolutely give me the vapors. Iham mohr like a true step-son of Dixie.

Having read it myself, I can understand why. The chapter was intense and had me wanting to saddle up and join the possee. :-x

I'm delighted to see Dude is posting Courage & Passion! I read it shortly after I discovered Freethinker's Foxwood Chronicles and it is wonderful! Freethinker is a great writer and his stories are some of the best you'll find anywhere.

Thanks for discussing this Graeme as characterization is a particular strength of yours. I'm glad you brought up Giant and Stick from New Brother. Great characterization is one of the reasons that I love that story. Given their nicknames and physical descriptions, they remind me of a lot of lanky kids I knew back in the day. They are both sympathetic characters but they have their flaws. Stick is good natured but awkward and reacts with fear and suspicion to the unknown. Giant is a real sweet kid but he wants to do things himself and is prideful and embarrassed when he needs help. Stick is guarded and his respect is earned. Giant on the other hand is very open and quite loyal to people he considers his friends. Not everything about a character needs to be sweetness and light. It is the flaws that define the character as realistic and human. Another character in the story, Adam, is a another good example of flawed but sympathetic. He's been under a lot of stress so it's understandable that he's a bit cranky. Even though his circumstances are difficult, he has courage and is persistent. NB is also a great example of dynamic characters. In the beginning of the story, Stick was not at all "gay-friendly" but through his experience, he has grown and become more tolerant. Giant's changes are more subtle and perhaps not for the better. When he is perceived as gay and gets harassed, he gets angry and turns it inward. He changes from a happy, open boy to a sullen angry one.