Dialogue is Essential

“I’ve never seen, heard, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn’t be talked about. Hell yes, I’m for debating anything!”


That is one of the quotes from one of my (and my family's) favorite movies: "1776."

And if anything summed up our family motto, this quote would do it.

Probably nothing got under my children's stepfather's skin more than their tendency to debate just about everything.

But if you're a person giving feedback to someone's writing, back and forth conversation (and a bit of debate) is essential.

Only then can you understand what the writer is trying to convey and how the writer is trying to convey it.

Don't be the "expert" who feels a story can only by told "this way" or "that way" or must have "these elements" or (horrors!) should not be written at all.

Be the person who can offer useful feedback so the writer can writer his/her/it best story possible.

And if you're the writer, be open but don't blindly accept the criticism of any beta reader/editor who is not also open to healthy debate - or at the very least, your questions about the critique.

One member of WriteOn Joliet wrote a good post about this topic.

It's called "Workshop Warnings" and you can read it here:

http://www.writingandtheprocess.com/2020/03/workshop-warnings.html?fbclid=IwAR2T3EFNF8fCJJrskExxav1K58rnw8BG5r4NrKB4_gjklFkpOicqPIaIZCU

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Write Where We Are

Write Where We Are is the name of WriteOn Joliet's first anthology.

It is currently available on Amazon. And then come out to our anthology release party, meet the authors, and have them autograph it. Or pick up your copy there. If you're a writer, we will also have information about our group: its history, what we do, and how to join WriteOn Joliet.

Write Where We Are is a collection of original poems, essays, and short stories, as well as one novella and one excerpt from my BryonySeries prequel in progress, Before the Blood. The writing style are varied as is the content. There truly is something for everyone, whether you want to be inspired, informed, or even scared (with Halloween around the corner).

The following authors contributed: Maureen Blevins,Holly Butler Coop, Emily Duncan, Diana Estell, Joshua Henderson, Tom Hernandez, Beth Higgins, Sharon Houk, Mike Markley, Sue Midlock (writing as Sue Mydliak), Colleen Robbins, Jenny McCue(Russ), Stephen T. Saporta, and Duanne Walton.

And me.

In addition to the anthology release party, we have our semi-annual open mic event coming up. Details for both events are below. If you're in the area, stop in. We'd love to meet you. :)

WriteOn Joliet Open Night Mic

When: 6 p.m. Nov. 2

Where: Book and Bean Cafe, 3395 Black Road, Joliet (inside the Joliet Public Library)

Etc: WriteOn Joliet will read excerpts from their works and share information about the upcoming anthology and Nov. 17's anthology release party.

Contact: bryonyseries@gmail.com 

Visit: writeonJoliet.com or www.bryonyseries.com

WriteOn Joliet Anthology Release Party

When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 17

Where: The Book Market, 2365 Plainfield Road, Crest Hill

Etc.: Copies of "Write Where We Are" (WriteOn Joliet's first anthology) will be for sale. Information about WriteOn Joliet. A chance to meet and talk to some of WriteOn Joliet's members, as well as purchase books written by individual WriteOn Joliet authors as well as browse the store and purchase others books. Chef-created refreshments. BryonySeries raffles. Free admission.

Contact: bryonyseries@gmail.com

Visit: writeonJoliet.com or www.bryonyseries.com

Special Guest at WriteOn Joliet This Thursday

In January, I wrote a story previewing a revision workshop hosted by Harper Collins author Lori Rader-Day at the Plainfield Public Library. I had hoped to attend, but work duties intervened.

However, I followed up with Rader-Day to see how the workshop went. One conversation led to another, with the result that she will hang out with members, share her story, and sign copies of her books this Thursday at the regular meeting of WriteOn Joliet. For more information about WriteOn Joliet, visit www.writeonjoliet.com.

Rader-Day's third book will be released in April. See below for the full story I wrote. Follow her on Twitter at @LoriRaderDay and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/loriraderday. Visit her website at loriraderday.com.

Award-winning author to speak about revisions at the Plainfield Public Library

Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author Lori Rader-Day to lead a revision workshop

Lori Rader-Day wrote her first novel in 2007 while completing her master of fine arts program.

When the program ended, Rader-Day, of Indiana, slid the manuscript into a drawer and began another novel.

Two published mysteries and seven years later, Rader-Day, during a creative dry spell, dusted it off and revised it. Harper Collins will release “The Day I Died” in April.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/01/24/award-winning-author-to-speak-about-revisions-at-the-plainfield-public-library/anggbml/

And and And and And and And: Distance, Time, Perspective

A few months ago at the Plainfield Public Library's request, I hosted a low-key revision workshop. Those present read samples of their work, so I shared Henry's opening chapter, which I had printed off for WriteOn Joliet later that week.

Well, we've lately had so many people at writer's group, that I've held back reading my own work so the rest of the writers have their chance. Last night was the finally the night. To my delight, the two women I'd met at the revision workshop came out to the group

This is why distance, time and perspective are so helpful to us as writers. Here is an excerpt of that chapter, and I'll explain why it's so insightful.

Every morning, she woke up happy. Every night, she went to sleep exhausted... and happy.

            She prepared and served each meal with a smile and taught their five daughters to do likewise.

            She bore each hardship with grace.

            She never raised her voice but spoke with the sweetness befitting a gentlewoman.

            She served him and waited on him.

            She soothed his thirst with drink.

            She was ready with a basin and towel to wash the soot from his face and hands.

            She brought him soup, and she brought him bread, food that her fingers, gnarled and no longer delicate, lovingly prepared.

            While she scrubbed, and sewed, and cooked, and cleaned, and pushed forth another child, he plucked the guitar.

At the first reading, one of the women thought I should lose the multiple "ands" in the last line. I wasn't sure I agreed with her, but I noted it, as I always mull of these type of reactions and consider them during revising. I was also curious as to the reaction of WriteOn.

I did not mention the suggestion before I read it. And not one person thought I should drop the "ands," including the writer who originally made the suggestion.

This does not mean the suggestion was wrong or off base. It does mean writers, whether writing or critiquing, benefit from distance, time, and perspective.

While we're in the composing process, we are too close to our work. That's one reason I dislike writing features on tight deadlines. I feel my stories are better when I can edit them at least twenty-four hours later. Fortunately, those stories pass through the eyes of wonderful editors.

Being too close to our work doesn't mean we're too attached to our lofty prose. It just means in the process of arranging letters and words means we can't see the forest for the trees, if you will, until we step back and take in the whole.

And it's hard to adequately distance ourselves without letting some time pass between draft and revision.

That's what gives us a different perspective of that work.

Don't get me wrong. We NEED the perspective of being immersed in the forest. That's where we find the tiny flowers growing underfoot and crawling things under logs. We can't add the details that give characters depth, build tension, create mood, and push that story forward unless we do so.

But we also can't see if we've done those things effectively until we walk away and return, but at a distance.

It's also why the perspective of others - readers and writers - is extremely helpful.

Those people have not been inside your head. They don't have the tangle of impressions you've sought to separate and remold into a compelling story.

Those people have not been at your keyboard as you constructed each section into a seamless piece.

That's why their feedback is valuable.

But, conversely, that's also why you needn't blindly accept their opinion. 

Only you know if their suggestions will improve your premise or distract you from it. And how do you judge that?

Distance, time, and perspective.

Writing Feedback: What to Keep, What to Reject

This post assumes, of course, you're seeking objective feedback from a critique group, beta readers, and even friends and family (presupposing they're understanding you want more than, "Rah! Rah!").

It also assumes that, the more opinions you seek, the more varied the responses will be. So how does a writer implement all the suggestions?

You probably don't. Ah, but what to change?

Well, before you dismiss ALL criticism of your work and bask in the praise, I'll share how I approach any evaluation of my work.

1) If it's part of a novel, and the reader is only receiving an excerpt, some suggestions might already be addressed in other sections. That doesn't mean said suggestions aren't applicable. Take a look the selection; perhaps certain points could be reinforced or toned down.

2) See what resonates strongly. If someone is willing to champion a character, passage, style, it may be effective and could be worth keeping. Conversely, if everyone doesn't like something, or if they're lacking a strong emotional responses where such responses are indicated, the problem could very well be the presentation. Or the plot. Or the character. Set the piece aside and take another look.

3) Keep in mind the genre, style, time-period, character - and stay true to those while realizing that a suggested change to setting or dialogue might be inappropriate. I still wouldn't dismiss it. I'd take another look at my piece and see where the reader missed the point. I may need to rewrite to ensure the point is not missed.

4) The bits with mixed reactions. Carefully apply each reaction to your piece and see where change might be indicated.

Okay now practically speaking.

Last Thursday I read a chapter from Before the Blood told through a viewpoint of an adult character that is opinionated, illiterate, and in denial about many aspects of her life. It's the only chapter in the novel told from this viewpoint.

The suggestions I received for change included eliminating/keeping the dialect, adding more character description, killing/keeping the last line, changing a word in the last line, and strengthening her narrative voice. So over the weekend, I opened up the chapter and held up the suggestions to the prose. This is what I did.

Dialect: I had two strong opposing opinions on this one, plus the added opinion of narrative that didn't quite sound like her voice, at least, in some places. So I'm keeping the dialect, but toning it down in passages where one listener felt it was overdone and ramping it up in others where another listener felt her voice wasn't hers.

Character descripton: Since these are existing characters, and I add reminder descriptions in other chapters, and since so many new characters are introduced several chapters back, I added a few strokes of description here and there, to keep the descriptions and personalities fresh.

And BTW, WriteOn Joliet has one excellent grammar guru. I almost always implement her suggestions.

The last line stays.

And the word change in that line?

The suggested word is too strong, so I'm altering that line to better express my intention.

Does all this seem like a lot of work? Well, it is. But effortless-sounding prose is an enormous amount of frustrating, satisfying work

And so worth it.

Because when you get it right, oh, the joy!