The Brooke Farthing Disappearance


On June 22, 2013, Brooke went to a bonfire party with her sister and some friends. It was the end of the school year bash that promised a fun-filled summer. Unfortunately, Brooke would never make it home. We know where she was last seen and who she was with but somehow after all of these years, we still do not know what happened to Brooke Farthing.


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7 tips to write better dialogue

7 tips to write better dialogue

I don’t normally cover basic writing techniques and grammar topics. I am an author business coach. I work as a business strategist for authors to teach them how to make money with their writing. Although sometimes I get some specific questions about basic writing techniques so I thought I would go over the basics of writing dialogue.

 Your dialogue can either make or break your book.

The purpose of dialogue:

  • Helps develop your characters
  • Moves the plot along
  • Establishes the mood

Dialogue is NOT for:

  • Filling word counts
  • Dumping backstory
  • Creating needless small talk 
  • Describing the setting in obsessive detail

Well-written dialogue can push your reader on to the next chapter or it can cause them to close the book forever. Too many authors want to fill in the backstory with their dialogue and all this does is bore the reader with a bunch of useless details. Most of the time the reader will close the book and never finish it. To make matters worse, they won’t become a superfan and buy all of your subsequent books.

How do you use dialogue to entice your readers into buying your next book or your whole new series?


Here are 7 tips to write better dialogue. 

 

First of all, keep it brief. Is the message you’re trying to convey need dialogue? Or, can you write it without it? No one likes to read three pages of dialogue. 

Avoid small talkIf you think about it how many times do you talk for hours on end about the weather, the color of the person’s eyes, or your hairstyle? Now I know some girls will talk about their new haircut, but in general does your character need to ramble on for four pages about their new outfit? Or are the details you are including important to you but not necessarily important to the reader?

Forget The fluff! While it’s fun to include all of the details as an author you must remember the story must entice your reader. Your reader’s opinion is more important than your own. That is a hard pill to swallow for many new authors I meet. They want to write what they love and they don’t care what the reader thinks. That is a fine concept to have if you’re just writing as a hobby, but if you want to make an income as a writer you’re going to have to write what the reader wants to read.

Give each one of your characters a specific voiceEveryone speaks differently and so should your characters. Contrary to what your eighth-grade English teacher taught you every line of your dialogue does not need to be grammatically correct. I know that goes against the grain for all of those grammar Nazis out there but you must think about your reader. 

Is there a specific word or phrase they use often? Do they use slang excessively? Make sure your characters have their own unique style of speaking and you’ll find your readers are more interested in what they have to say. The important thing is to be consistent. If you have one character who uses slang at the beginning of the book make sure this character is still using slang by the end of it.

Show don’t tell. I know you’re probably tired of hearing this, but don’t give away everything in your dialogue. No one in life says exactly what they feel and everything that they feel at every moment in time. Is your character spewing out too much information? Is your dialogue too in-depth? Don’t give away the plotline with every piece of dialogue or you’ll lose the reader’s interest.

Minimize dialogue tags. Although your English teacher will cringe I encourage you to take out the dialogue tags whenever possible. If you read some of the best-sellers of the day you will find that they are very clear on who is speaking but they do not use he said, she said, etc. Can you go and take out the dialogue tags and the paragraphs still make sense? If so take them out.

Read your dialogue out loud. If you take the time to read your dialogue out loud you will recognize the parts of speech that are clumsy. You will recognize overused words and you will get tired of saying he said, she said, etc. Use actions and body language in place of dialogue tags whenever possible.

Let me give you an example. If a woman is in the library and she leans across the table and presses her lips towards the person’s ear, we know that she is going to whisper. You do not need to close out her dialogue with “she whispered.”


Here’s an example from Joel Quinn’s book F*ck the Details: Fewer Words. Sharper Stories. (If you don’t let the title offend you, he has a lot of good writing advice in this book.) 

I’m sure you do, she said sarcastically.

Vs

She rolled her eyes I’m sure you do

The second example shows us that she is speaking sarcastically by her body language and the author does not have to use the words she said sarcastically. Look through your writing and find ways that you can rewrite these dialogue tags or remove them.


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Thank you for using my affiliate links. Every time they are used, Synova Ink Publishing receives a small commission. This helps me continue to provide you with more free content. 


Keep in mind that every line of dialogue must serve a purpose. If it does not move the story forward develop your character or establish the mood then perhaps it needs to be removed.


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If you’d like more information on how to make your writing career more profitable, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Author Coaching Service at www.synovaink.com

 

7 Ways Writers Can Clear Brain Fog

 7 Ways Writers Can Clear Brain Fog

Everyone has a little brain fog on occasion. But, if you’re regularly suffering from a serious case of brain fog, there are steps you can take. Brain fog can be frustrating and greatly limit your ability to finish your writing projects. 

There are steps you can take to reduce or even eliminate the problem. Try these tips and see just how clear-headed you can actually be. *First you must determine if it’s a medical issue or a creative-flow issue.* In other words, are you suffering from brain fog because of a medical issue such as Fibromyalgia, or are you stuck in your writing project because of writer’s block? Some of your habits could also be creating a foggy feeling when you sit down to write.


 

Practice these techniques to maximize your mental clarity and boost your productivity:

 

1. Exercise your mind, body, and imagination. Your brain and your body need a workout each day. Have you ever noticed that you feel better and think more clearly after a moderate bout of exercise? Plan some mental and physical exercise into your daily schedule. And, don’t forget to plan some creative exercise in your routine….reading! All of the best writers are also avid readers. By reading in your genre you will spark your creativity and plow through the mental fog.

    •     Mental exercise can be as simple as working on a few brain puzzles or math problems. Or, read a good book!
    •     Physical exercise doesn’t have to be demanding, but it can be helpful to push yourself enough that you’re breathing hard.

2.  Deal with stress. Stress is distracting. Stress also results in abnormal levels of hormones and neurotransmitters that can affect your thinking. Stress is hard on your body and your brain. Lower your stress levels if you want to do your best thinking. Plan quiet time into your daily routine. It’s the best thing you can do for your mental health.

3. Get a checkup. See your doctor if you’re having issues with brain fog and nothing else seems to be working. It might be that you have an underlying medical condition that’s contributing to your brain fog. You might also be taking medication that’s creating challenges for you.

4. Eat healthy food. Unhealthy food can leave you with brain fog. Also, there are foods that are often considered to be healthy that just might not sit well with your system. It’s important to notice how you feel after eating different foods and use that information to your benefit. Experiment and see what you discover.

  • Remember you are what you eat…literally. Your body is reproducing your muscles and tissues based on the nutrients you feed it. So are you building the body you want or the body you hate? 
  • It’s easier to write when you can think clearly and have taken care of yourself.

Joanna Penn has a great book called The Healthy Writer. In it, she gives tips and tricks on how to keep yourself fit and strong even though most writers spend hours sitting at a desk. Here’s my affiliate link if you’d like to get your own copy.

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5. Sleep the right number of hours for you. If you’ve ever missed out on a few hours of sleep, you know how compromised your ability to think clearly can be. A lack of sleep is a major cause of brain fog. Interestingly, many people also suffer from brain fog if they sleep too long. An hour or more of sleep beyond what you require can greatly reduce your alertness. It’s not easy to reach 100% alertness if you sleep too long. Even if you think you do just fine with 5-6 hours of sleep, try sleeping longer and see if it helps.

6. Avoid stimulants and depressants. Too much caffeine can leave your brain racing. The same goes for other stimulants as well. Stimulants can also interfere with your sleep. Obviously, depressants can leave you feeling groggy and cloud your thinking. It’s best to avoid both if you want to minimize brain fog.

7. Drink some water. One of the early signs of dehydration is brain fog. If you just can’t seem to concentrate or think clearly, have a glass of water and see if that helps. A tall glass of water every few hours isn’t a bad idea. 


If you find your brain fog is actually masking Writer’s Block check out my articles and videos on tips to overcome this common problem. Writer’s block doesn’t have to stop your progress if you have a plan in place to combat it. Happy Writing!

 


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If you’d like more information on how to make your writing career more profitable, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Author Coaching Service at www.synovaink.com

 

Dixie Mafia Takes Over Phenix City, Alabama


Where did the Dixie Mafia begin? It all began with the corruption of Phenix City, Alabama. In this video, Synova introduces you to the corruption of Phenix City.


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He Burnt His Fingertips With Acid Trying To Get Away With Her Murder!

Listen To The Latest Podcast Episode Here:

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Jerry Bowen lived life on the run for four years and almost got away with murder! He stole the identities of homeless men and burnt the fingerprints off his fingers with acid trying to avoid the law.

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