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Will You Add? - Fiction Writing: Getting Your Events In Order
SEO is an acronym for --search engine optimization--. SEO is often very technical and not transparent for the average person. SEO is not just alive, but is becoming more crucial as universal search results go by the wayside. Why SEO is important for your web site. SEO is hard, time consuming work that anyone can learn to do themselves, but it is usually not the best use of their time. Good SEO is using white hat techniques that ar
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one t
Great Human Resource professionals add value to any organization. Recruiting and retaining star performers, building a productive workforce, coaching managers to perform at higher levels, ensuring that the organization stays compliant, and raising the bar on performance are what HR brings to the table. HR can be the difference between success and failure in an organization. But what can an organization do if they don’t have an
In previous articles I have used my fictional tongue-in-cheek character Detective Jake Bullett to help me along. Jake's tough and gets into a lot of scrapes where things happen quickly. Let's see what a sample could be like:
'Jake lashed out and the gunman fell over, taking Jake with him. At the same time Sally screamed 'Look out, Jake!' and Jake saw another man pulling a gun as he scrambled free.'
Jake's in trouble, and so is this snippet. Yes, it's how things happen in real life - it all happens at once - but this is not real life; it's fiction. In any fictional piece, be it short story or epic novel - things happen one at a time. It's a convention in writing and it sure makes life a lot easier for the writer!
The above snippet would be written something more like this:
'Jake lashed out. The gunman fell over on top of Jake. Jake scrambled free from beneath the gunman. Sally screamed 'Look out, Jake!' Jake saw another man pull a gun out.'
Yes, it's wooden, but it's just an illustration of chronological writing. One thing happens, THEN another, THEN another, until the sequence of events are over. If you are writing in an active mode - i.e., things are occurring at the moment, this is how it's done.
In this type of writing, words such as 'while', 'as', and phrases such as 'at the same time that' are not to be used. Beginners, in their efforts at total realism, use these words a lot: 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg.' Wrong. 'The shark bit her leg. She screamed.' is correct because she woudn't scream BEFORE the shark bit her! Similarly, you wouldn't write 'He laughed as the man fell over.' It would be 'The man fell over. He laughed.' It's cause and effect.
Let's look at that shark again. Could the sentence 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg' also have been written 'She screamed AND the shark bit her leg.'? (Okay, maybe the shark bit her because she screamed but for this example it didn't happen that way. No startled sharks on my watch!). Of course it doesn't sound right at all, does it?
This is because the two events did NOT happen at the same time. As I said, until the shark bit her, she had no reason to scream. So - bite=action, scream=reaction. That is how it works and, if you can remember this simple rule 'action then reaction' you will find your active writing sequences read a whole lot better.
So don't think that trying to describe events as they occur in the real world works in fiction. It doesn't. Remember that a thing has to happen before it is reacted to. If things really do have to happen at the same time, and it's important to show this fact, use '-ing': 'Keeping his hand steady, Jake squeezed the trigger.' is a correct example, NOT 'Jake kept his handy steady as he squeezed the trigger.' The difference is subtle but important.
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one t
Many business owners who opt to try email marketing make the mistake of believing any type of email marketing is beneficial. This is simply not true; there are a number of mistakes business owners can make when they organize an email marketing campaign. Examples of these types of mistakes may include allowing promotional materials to be tagged as spam, not following up with promotional emails, not being prepared for an influx of c
The above snippet would be written something more like this:
'Jake lashed out. The gunman fell over on top of Jake. Jake scrambled free from beneath the gunman. Sally screamed 'Look out, Jake!' Jake saw another man pull a gun out.'
Yes, it's wooden, but it's just an illustration of chronological writing. One thing happens, THEN another, THEN another, until the sequence of events are over. If you are writing in an active mode - i.e., things are occurring at the moment, this is how it's done.
In this type of writing, words such as 'while', 'as', and phrases such as 'at the same time that' are not to be used. Beginners, in their efforts at total realism, use these words a lot: 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg.' Wrong. 'The shark bit her leg. She screamed.' is correct because she woudn't scream BEFORE the shark bit her! Similarly, you wouldn't write 'He laughed as the man fell over.' It would be 'The man fell over. He laughed.' It's cause and effect.
Let's look at that shark again. Could the sentence 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg' also have been written 'She screamed AND the shark bit her leg.'? (Okay, maybe the shark bit her because she screamed but for this example it didn't happen that way. No startled sharks on my watch!). Of course it doesn't sound right at all, does it?
This is because the two events did NOT happen at the same time. As I said, until the shark bit her, she had no reason to scream. So - bite=action, scream=reaction. That is how it works and, if you can remember this simple rule 'action then reaction' you will find your active writing sequences read a whole lot better.
So don't think that trying to describe events as they occur in the real world works in fiction. It doesn't. Remember that a thing has to happen before it is reacted to. If things really do have to happen at the same time, and it's important to show this fact, use '-ing': 'Keeping his hand steady, Jake squeezed the trigger.' is a correct example, NOT 'Jake kept his handy steady as he squeezed the trigger.' The difference is subtle but important.
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one t
An emblem is a visual representation that defines an idea, thought, or an entity. It's synonymous with the words symbol and sign.They are written everywhere in our daily lives. Around the world, it is universally accepted that the symbol of a heart represents love; or that a peace sign tattooed on an arm or posted on a wall is a visual reminder of the pronouncement of peace.An emblem crosses boundaries and cultural b
In this type of writing, words such as 'while', 'as', and phrases such as 'at the same time that' are not to be used. Beginners, in their efforts at total realism, use these words a lot: 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg.' Wrong. 'The shark bit her leg. She screamed.' is correct because she woudn't scream BEFORE the shark bit her! Similarly, you wouldn't write 'He laughed as the man fell over.' It would be 'The man fell over. He laughed.' It's cause and effect.
Let's look at that shark again. Could the sentence 'She screamed as the shark bit her leg' also have been written 'She screamed AND the shark bit her leg.'? (Okay, maybe the shark bit her because she screamed but for this example it didn't happen that way. No startled sharks on my watch!). Of course it doesn't sound right at all, does it?
This is because the two events did NOT happen at the same time. As I said, until the shark bit her, she had no reason to scream. So - bite=action, scream=reaction. That is how it works and, if you can remember this simple rule 'action then reaction' you will find your active writing sequences read a whole lot better.
So don't think that trying to describe events as they occur in the real world works in fiction. It doesn't. Remember that a thing has to happen before it is reacted to. If things really do have to happen at the same time, and it's important to show this fact, use '-ing': 'Keeping his hand steady, Jake squeezed the trigger.' is a correct example, NOT 'Jake kept his handy steady as he squeezed the trigger.' The difference is subtle but important.
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one t
Do you remember getting started in your brand new business venture? Besides testing the market, deciding on a product or service, there was this decision regarding entity selection. Before the early 1990's, there was the corporation (C or S), the partnership in its many forms, and the sole proprietorship. With the advent of the Limited Liability Company or LLC, choosing an entity form has become more interesting and thought provok
This is because the two events did NOT happen at the same time. As I said, until the shark bit her, she had no reason to scream. So - bite=action, scream=reaction. That is how it works and, if you can remember this simple rule 'action then reaction' you will find your active writing sequences read a whole lot better.
So don't think that trying to describe events as they occur in the real world works in fiction. It doesn't. Remember that a thing has to happen before it is reacted to. If things really do have to happen at the same time, and it's important to show this fact, use '-ing': 'Keeping his hand steady, Jake squeezed the trigger.' is a correct example, NOT 'Jake kept his handy steady as he squeezed the trigger.' The difference is subtle but important.
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one t
Networking can be a challenge for some people because they either don’t understand it or they don’t feel the need to participate. People have their own perceptions about the value of networking and when they should network.For some people, networking is only important when a need arises (such as a new job or a product to sell). People with this attitude fail to realize that networking is a process over time. If done effecti
Another point to remember when you're in the thick of an active sequence is: don't summarise. Don't say things like 'Jake told Sally what had happened.' Show it happening, as it happens, one thing after another - or leave it out altogether.
There are no tricks to writing in this style - and it's a great way of writing really explosive action pieces as well as tense, nail-biting scenes. Master the simple art of chronological writing and you will see your work improve immensely.
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